Top 7 Ways to Fix WhatsApp Not Responding on Android
WhatsApp Messenger comes with a lot of modern features like native payment solution, video calling, single view for self-destructing media, etc. However, all of this comes at a cost to the reliability of the application. Some users complain that WhatsApp stops responding on their Android phone. If you encounter the same error, there are ways to resolve it.
When you open WhatsApp, instead of the home screen with the chat threads, the app unfortunately shows WhatsApp has stopped and is not responding to your touch inputs. This can be frustrating, especially when composing a new message or wanting to reply to existing messages.
1. Force stop WhatsApp
WhatsApp keeps running in the background to keep you informed of the latest messages, calls, and other activity. If the app does not behave as expected, you need to force stop it and reopen it.
This is similar to Force Quit on Mac and End Task on Windows with Task Manager. Here is what you need to do on Android.
Step 1: Find WhatsApp on your Android home screen or App Drawer.
2nd step: Long press the app icon and tap the information button.
Step 3: Open the information of the WhatsApp app and force stop the app.
Confirm your action and reopen WhatsApp.
2. Update WhatsApp
Not many people like to update apps on their Android phone frequently. If you are using an outdated version of WhatsApp, you need to update it to the latest version.
Open Google Play Store and go to the My Account menu. In the Updates section, find WhatsApp and update it to the latest version.
Open the latest version of WhatsApp on Android and you will no longer encounter the app response error.
3. Clear the cache
Every app on Android collects cache data in the background to speed up certain processes. This is the nature of Android applications in general. However, a corrupted cache can ruin your day.
WhatsApp not responding on Android may be due to cache data overload in the app. Let’s clear it up by following the steps below.
Step 1: Long press on WhatsApp icon and tap on app info.
2nd step: Tap Storage and cache.
Step 3: Select Clear cache from the next menu.
Restart the Android phone and open WhatsApp again.
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4. Give unlimited data usage access to WhatsApp
Are you using an Android phone with data saving mode enabled? It might hamper the functionality of some apps including WhatsApp.
For essential apps like WhatsApp, you need to give them unlimited data usage to keep them working normally even when Data Saving mode is on.
Step 1: Long press WhatsApp and open the app info menu.
2nd step: Go to the Mobile data and Wi-Fi menu.
Step 3: Enable the unrestricted data usage toggle.
From now on, WhatsApp will continue to work as expected with Data Saver Mode enabled on your Android phone.
5. Get the beta version of WhatsApp
Before releasing the final stable version to the public, WhatsApp tests the version with beta testers.
The company may have fixed the app’s non-response errors in the beta and tested it with a group of beta testers. You can join the group from the Play Store.
Open Google Play Store and search for WhatsApp. From the app’s info page, sign up for beta testing, and within minutes you’ll receive the latest WhatsApp to test on Android.
Install it and it will fix WhatsApp reply error on Android.
6. Remove other apps from the background
This method mainly applies to Android phones with 3 GB to 4 GB of RAM. If too many apps and games are open in the multitasking menu, you need to delete them so that other apps will open normally on the phone.
The Android operating system is smart enough to suspend the activities of background apps to free up RAM. But even then, you have to remove unnecessary apps from the multitasking menu and clear the RAM.
7. Remove WhatsApp from screen time
Did the WhatsApp app icon turn gray on the home screen? This is because you have reached the screen time limit for your WhatsApp use today. You need to remove the screen time limit from the Settings menu to open the app again. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on Android.
2nd step: Go to Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.
Step 3: Tap on Dashboard and you will find WhatsApp in the following menu.
Step 4: Tap the small timer icon next to the app name and select Remove Timer.
Start using WhatsApp again
WhatsApp unresponsive on Android may force you to search the play store for alternatives. But then again, you’ll have a hard time convincing your contacts to move chat platforms. By using the above steps, you can easily troubleshoot WhatsApp not responding on Android error.
Last updated on Sep 10, 2021
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