Make sure to have a working data connection on your phone
Make sure your phone has an internet connection. You can check this by opening a browser and going to a website. If you're having connection problems, try these connection steps.
If web pages work, but WhatsApp doesn't, you will need to contact your mobile provider and system administrator and make sure that your APN and router are configured correctly to allow non-web and socket connections.
Make sure Restrict background data is turned off
Make sure Restrict background data settings on your device is not enabled for WhatsApp and Google Services.
- Open device Settings.
- Go to Data usage.
- Scroll down and open WhatsApp data usage.
- Scroll down and make sure Restrict background data option is unchecked.
- Repeat the above steps for Google Services.
- Additionally, make sure Restrict background data is unchecked in Data usage > Menu Button.
You may just need to change the notification settings in WhatsApp
- Open WhatsApp.
- Push the Menu Button.
- Tap Settings > Notifications.
In this menu, you have options for Message Notifications and Group Notifications. Adjust the settings to your liking.
If messages are still taking too long to reach your phone
We recommend that you:
- Reboot the phone (Turn it OFF then ON).
- Try a different connection. If you are connected to Wi-Fi, try Mobile Data or vice versa.
- Reset app preferences by going to Settings > Apps > Menu Button > Reset app preferences.
- Make sure to leave your phone plugged into a power source (to prevent power saving mode from activating) when connected to Wi-Fi while a mobile data connection is unavailable.
- Log out from WhatsApp Web by going to WhatsApp > Menu Button > WhatsApp Web> Logout from all computers.
- Try to install Push Notifications Fixer and see if it helps.
- If you are often connected to Wi-Fi, check your Wi-Fi sleep policy (Settings > Wi-Fi > Menu Button > Advanced > Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep) and make sure it is set to Always.
- Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
- Uninstall any task killers. These will hinder the app from receiving messages when you are not in the app.
- Launch the Hangouts app, press Menu Button, and sign out of all your accounts (tap the account, scroll down and select Sign out). Then re-launch Hangouts and sign back in to your accounts.
Device specific instructions
- For OS 4.1+ devices
- In Settings > Data usage > Menu Button, make sure that Auto-sync data is checked.
- In Settings > Data usage > WhatsApp > Menu Button make sure that Restrict background data is unchecked.
- For OS 4.3+ devices
- Make sure that all permissions for WhatsApp are set to ON in App Ops.
- For OS 4.4+ devices
- Make sure that Wi-Fi optimization is unchecked in Settings > Wi-Fi > Menu Button > Advanced > Wi-Fi optimization.
- For OS 5.0+ devices
- Make sure you have disabled priority mode or you have allowed WhatsApp notifications in priority mode.
- For HTC devices
- Try turning off fast boot in Device Settings > Power > Fast boot (make sure this option is unchecked).
- You may also try turning off Power Saver, Extreme Power Saving Mode and Sleep Mode. Make sure to reboot your device after changing the settings to ensure the changes are applied.
If all of the above steps do not help, it is possible that you are not receiving updates from Google's push notification service or that the settings of your Wi-Fi or Mobile data are misconfigured.
Cheers,
WhatsApp Support Team
