This tutorial is about How to Fix ‘WhatsApp Media Not Downloading’ Issue on iOS and Android devices. Recently I updated this tutorial and will try my best so that you understand this guide. I hope you guys like this blog, How to Fix ‘WhatsApp Media Not Downloading’ Issue on iOS and Android devices. If your answer is yes after reading the article, please share this article with your friends and family to support us.
Check How to Fix ‘WhatsApp Media Not Downloading’ Issue on iOS and Android devices
Usually the images and videos received on WhatsApp will download normally when you tap on them. However, many users face the problem that when they touch a media file, they get an error message saying “Download failed”, “Download could not complete”, “Please try again later” and the like. If you are unable to download WhatsApp images and videos, the following fixes will help you solve the media download problem on WhatsApp.
Check your internet connection
When you have difficulty using an application that requires the Internet to function, you should verify that your Internet connection is working properly. This could be the reason why your WhatsApp images are not downloading.
Try using other applications on your phone and check if they can access the internet. You can also try visiting a web page in your preferred browser. If other applications are also experiencing similar connectivity issues, verify that you are connected to the Internet.
Fix Wi-Fi connectivity issues
Start by turning off and off your Wi-Fi router. If the connectivity issue persists when the router is turned back on, check out our guide detailing how to fix slow Wi-Fi connections.
Troubleshoot mobile data issues
Try turning off mobile data (or mobile data) and then turn it back on. If that doesn’t help, enable airplane mode and turn it off. You should also verify that your internet plan is active and that you have not run out of data.
Check your device storage
This is the second thing to do if photos and videos are not downloaded on WhatsApp. You cannot download files from WhatsApp and other apps if you don’t have enough space on your phone’s internal or external storage.
If you can’t download WhatsApp images and storage is a problem, it’s a no-brainer. Suppose you are trying to download a 50MB video and there is only 40MB of free storage space on your device, WhatsApp will not complete the download.
For Android, launch your phone’s File Manager app and check how much free storage space your phone has. Alternatively, you can also go to Settings> About phone (this will vary from device to device) or search for storage in the search bar within the Settings app.
Ideally, the available storage on your phone should be enough to accommodate the media file you want to download. If you’re running out of storage space, check out our guide on how to free up storage space on Android devices.
If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings> General> iPhone Storage / iPad Storage to check how much storage you have used and how much you have left to use.
Check the storage / media permission on your device
This is another important storage-related check to do if WhatsApp isn’t downloading media files (or any other app, for that matter). If WhatsApp does not have access to your phone’s storage or photos, you will get an error message when you try to save media files.
How to grant WhatsApp storage permission on Android
To grant WhatsApp access to access your storage, follow these steps. However, keep in mind that the procedure will vary depending on your device. Go to Settings> Applications> Manage applications> WhatsApp> Application permissions> Storage and click Allow.
How to give WhatsApp permission to access photos on iOS
Launch the Settings app and select Privacy. Next, select Photos, choose WhatsApp from the application list, and make sure All Photos is selected.
Force close WhatsApp
When an application crashes or some of its functions do not work properly, force closing the application is an effective way to eliminate the inconveniences that cause the application to malfunction. Follow the steps below to force close apps on your smartphone …
How to force close WhatsApp on Android
Access your phone’s Settings and click Applications> Manage Applications. Then select WhatsApp from the list of installed applications. Finally, tap on the Force Stop icon and select OK in the confirmation message. This procedure may be slightly different on your Android smartphone.
How to force close WhatsApp on iOS
Double click on the physical home button (for iPhone 8 or earlier and iPhone SE 2020) or swipe up from the bottom of your device screen and release your finger when the app preview cards appear on the screen. Swipe up on the WhatsApp preview to force close it. Launch WhatsApp again and check if you can download media files.
Reboot your device
Turning the phone off and on can also help solve this problem. Turn off your device and when you turn it back on, check if the WhatsApp media download functionality has been restored.
Check if WhatsApp is down
The problem could be at the end of WhatsApp. Sometimes when WhatsApp servers are down, certain features and functionalities of the application may not work. You can use trusted third party platforms like DownDetector or Outage. Report to check for possible problems with the WhatsApp servers.
Update WhatsApp to the current version
Another thing to check is that you are running the latest version of WhatsApp on your device. Older versions of the application sometimes contain bugs that cause some functions to fail. New versions come with bug fixes that restore the application to normal. Click the link below to update WhatsApp on your device.
Enable “Save to Camera Roll” (for iPhone)
If you notice that the photos and videos you received via WhatsApp are no longer automatically saved on your iPhone, make sure that Save to Camera Roll is enabled. Launch WhatsApp and go to Settings> Chats and turn on the Save to Camera Roll option.
You can also configure your WhatsApp to save multimedia files of individual or group messages automatically. Just open the chat and go to the contact / group information page. Select Save to Camera Roll and choose Always from the options.
Reset your network settings
If the problem persists after trying all the above solutions, try resetting your device’s network settings, especially if you are having trouble using Wi-Fi or mobile data.
If you are using an Android device, go to Settings> Tethering & Sharing> Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile Networks, and Bluetooth. If you’re using a Pixel, open Settings, go to System> Advanced> Reset Options, and select Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile, and Bluetooth. Please note that the specific steps for different Android devices will vary.
If all else fails, reinstall WhatsApp
By moving through the troubleshooting guide above, you should have fixed the problem and be able to download WhatsApp media files once again. However, nothing in life is guaranteed.
If none of the above steps work, try removing WhatsApp from your device and then reinstalling it from scratch. This nuclear option should fix the problem when all else fails. Just remember to backup your messages before uninstalling WhatsApp so you don’t lose important files and conversations.
Final remarks: How to Fix ‘WhatsApp Media Not Downloading’ Issue on iOS and Android devices
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