WhatsApp messenger combines many modern features such as a native payment solution, video calls, view once for self-destructing media and more. All of this comes at the expense of app reliability. Some users are complaining that WhatsApp has stopped responding on their Android phones. If you encounter the same error, there are some ways to fix it.
When you open WhatsApp instead of the main screen with chat threads, unfortunately WhatsApp has stopped and is not responding to your touch inputs. It can be frustrating especially when you compose a new message or want to reply to existing ones.
1. Force Stop WhatsApp
WhatsApp continues to run in the background to notify you of the latest messages, calls and other activities. If the application is not working as expected, you need to force stop it and reopen it.
This is similar to Force Quit on Mac with Task Manager and End Task on Windows. Here’s what you need to do on Android.
Stage 1: Find WhatsApp on your Android home screen or App Drawer.
Step 2: Long press the app icon and tap the info button.
Stage 3: Open WhatsApp app information and force stop app.
Confirm your action and open WhatsApp again.
2. Update WhatsApp
Many do not like to frequently update apps on their Android phones. If you are using an old version of WhatsApp, you should update it to the latest version.
Open Google Play Store and go to My Account menu. Find WhatsApp under the Updates section and update it to the latest version.
Open the latest WhatsApp build on Android and you will no longer encounter the app not responding error.
3. Clear Cache
Every app on Android collects cache data in the background to make certain operations faster. This is the nature of Android apps in general. However, a corrupted cache can ruin the day for you.
WhatsApp unresponsive on Android may be due to an overload of cache data in the app. Let’s clean it by following the steps below.
Stage 1: Long press the WhatsApp icon and tap the app info.
Step 2: Tap on Storage & cache.
Stage 3: Select Clear cache from the menu below.
Restart Android phone and open WhatsApp again.
4. Grant Unlimited Data Usage Access to WhatsApp
Are you using an Android phone with Data Saver mode turned on? This may interfere with the functionality of some apps, including WhatsApp.
For basic apps like WhatsApp, you have to give them unlimited data usage for them to work normally even with Data Saver mode turned on.
Stage 1: Tap and hold WhatsApp and open the app info menu.
Step 2: Go to the Mobile data and Wi-Fi menu.
Stage 3: Enable unlimited data usage toggle.
From now on, WhatsApp will continue to work as expected with Data Saver mode enabled on your Android phone.
5. Get WhatsApp Beta
Before releasing the final stable version to the public, WhatsApp tests the build with beta testers.
The company may have fixed the app not responding to bugs in the beta build and testing it with a group of beta testers. You can be part of the group from the Play Store.
Open Google Play Store and search for WhatsApp. Sign up for beta testing from the app info page and in a few minutes you will get the latest WhatsApp to be tested on Android.
Install it and it will fix WhatsApp not responding error on Android.
6. Remove Other Apps from Background
This method is mostly applicable to Android phones with 3GB-4GB RAM. If you have too many apps and games open in the multitasking menu, you need to uninstall them so that other apps open normally on the phone.
Android OS is smart enough to pause app activities in the background to free up RAM. But even then, you should remove unnecessary applications from the multitasking menu and clear RAM.
7. Remove WhatsApp from Screen Time
WhatsApp app icon grayed out on home screen? This is because you have reached the screen time limit for your WhatsApp usage today. To open the application again, you need to remove the screen time limit from the Settings menu. Here’s how.
Stage 1: Open the Settings app on Android.
Step 2: Go to Digital Balance and parental controls.
Stage 3: Tap on the Dashboard and you will find WhatsApp from the menu below.
Step 4: Tap on the little timer icon next to the app name and select Delete timer.
Start Using WhatsApp Again
Unresponsive WhatsApp on Android may force you to look for alternatives from the Play Store. But you’ll still have a hard time convincing your contacts to migrate their chat platform. Using the above steps, you can easily fix WhatsApp not responding to Android error.
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