Viber is not a one-of-a-kind VOIP app, but it is one of the oldest still working. This is where people are still pretty active and how the app is performing, what’s missing, what’s improved over the years, etc. It means they are interested in the subject.
Initially, Viber focused more on calls than messaging. These days, however, more and more people are turning to messaging because it’s easier to communicate and share files that way. It is also a more private method of communication. It works fine then.
Read on to learn about some issues and fixes for Viber messages not showing.
Viber’s Secret Chat
Secret Chat is a very cool feature similar to Instagram’s 24 Hour Stories. With Secret Chat, you can set a specific time when messages as well as attachments such as photos and videos can be seen. After the time expires, all content will self-destruct, so to speak.
Show Secret Chat
One reason you can’t see messages on Viber is because they were sent via Secret Chat. In this case, either the messages were already deleted or you did not show the chat to be able to read it.
To show a hidden chat, do the following:
- Open the chat window.
- Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner.
- Find and select “Show this chat”.
- Enter your 4-digit code or fingerprint to verify your identity.
Isn’t it that hard? But what if you don’t know which chat screen to open?
After all, message notifications for Secret Chat display “Message” with no name or additional information.
How to Find Secret Chat?
Finding hidden chat windows can be done in one of two ways: searching for the name of the chat or using the 4 digit security code. Here’s how:
- Open the Chats Screen.
- Select Search Bar.
- Type your 4-digit security code (alternatively use name) to list hidden chats.
- Select a chat and retype the code to access it.
Cannot Receive or Send Messages
This is another unfortunate and common issue with Viber. The inability to send or receive messages can sometimes be fixed with a short trip to the Privacy menu.
- Open Viber.
- Go to settings.”
- Choose “Privacy”.
- Find “Collect Analytics”.
- Disable the option.
It may not seem like much, but this method is known to give positive results.
Connection issues
Another reason for messages not showing at both ends of the conversation is poor connection. While you can see someone online, simply typing a message and hitting send isn’t enough to guarantee it reaches its destination.
If the connection drops while you’re typing or pressing the send button, it’s possible that you’ll get a “message delivered” notification but the other person doesn’t. Check your connection by pinging a few websites or trying to browse or download something from the internet.
If it’s not working properly, try the following fixes:
- Refresh the link.
- Reset the router.
- Connect to a new network.
- Update your phone to the latest OS version.
Finally, a soft reset of your phone can fix the problem of bad connection and Viber messages disappearing.
Lost App Data
Here’s something not everyone knows about Viber. The application does not store messages on its servers. All messages, personal information and media files are stored on the user’s phone. So, if your phone’s cache gets corrupted, it’s possible for you to lose both old and new messages.
Restoring messages then becomes a problem. However, it is much easier to prevent this problem than to fix it. Here’s how you can back up your messages:
- Start Viber.
- Select “More Options”.
- Go to settings.”
- Select “Account”.
- Tap “Viber Backup”.
- Select “Backup”.
Depending on how much data you’re dealing with and your phone model, the backup may take a few minutes.
Restore Viber Data
If you’ve already used the backup feature, here’s how to restore lost messages without having to reinstall the app, update your operating system, or resort to more drastic measures to diagnose the problem:
- Start Viber.
- Select the “More Options” menu.
- Go to settings.”
- Tap “Account”.
- Go to “Viber Backup”.
- Select “Restore”.
- Confirm by selecting “Restore Now”.
A popup will appear informing you of the time and size of the last backup.
Fix Your Messaging Because Calling Isn’t Always an Option
A “sent” notification in Viber will not always be equivalent to a “delivered” status. Viber has a history of missing or lost messages, but it is not the only app of its kind to encounter such issues.
What kind of problems did you encounter with Viber? How have they changed your thinking about Viber compared to similar apps? Let us know in the comments section below.
