WhatsApp not working: why and what to do on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp won't send messages, load photos or connect calls. Causes — from restrictions in Russia to phone settings — and what to do in each case.
What exactly fails? Messages stuck with a clock icon — connectivity. Messages fine but no calls — call restrictions in Russia. Photos and voice notes not loading — slow network or full storage.
Global outage. Check with friends or an outage monitor.
Restrictions in Russia. Since August 2025 WhatsApp and Telegram calls are restricted in Russia, and on some carriers and in some regions the messenger is unstable overall. Reinstalling won't help; a VPN that disguises traffic and carries calls will — both people need it for calls if both are in Russia. See Telegram and WhatsApp calls not working.
Check the phone. Internet, automatic date and time, free storage, battery-saver exceptions, app updates.
Fails with a VPN. Check the IP page, switch server, turn off a second VPN or proxy.
Surok apps for Android, Windows and Mac (iPhone via Happ) are on the download page.