Is WhatsApp not working or keeps crashing on your iPhone 12 mini? These troubleshooting tips should help fix most problems you’re facing with WhatsApp on iPhone 12 mini.
There are a few possible reasons why WhatsApp is not working on your iPhone 12 mini. Thankfully, all of them can be fixed relatively quickly. If the app is crashing, you can’t send messages, or are experiencing any other issues, just follow the tips below to get the app back up and running again.
See also: what to do if Snapchat is not working on iPhone 12 mini
What to do when WhatsApp it’s not working, keeps Crashing or Freezing on iPhone 12 mini
Solution number 1: Narrow down the problem
If WhatsApp is not working on your iPhone 12 mini, the first thing to do is check whether the problem is on your side or WhatsApp. You can do that by visiting one of the websites that report if WhatsApp is down and in which countries. Down Detector is a site that tracks all kinds of services and whether or not they are down. Head to Down Detector’s WhatsApp page and it will display No problems at WhatsApp or Problems at WhatsApp. You can also check the Live Outage Map to see if the issue is restricted to specific regions.
If one (or all) websites claim that the service is down in your country, there’s not much you can do but wait until WhatsApp fixes the issue. Unfortunately, outages are not uncommon for WhatsApp as well as other popular services including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
The other option is the official WhatsApp Twitter support account. It will always have the latest about any WhatsApp outages and how long it might be until it’s back up and running, so follow it if you want to stay up to date.
solution number 2: Check your internet connection
If there are no reports of a WhatsApp outage, the problem must be on your end. To try and fix it, the first thing to do is check the basics, which, in this case, is your internet connection. Start by turning your Wi-Fi off and then on again to see if that does the trick. No luck? Then try to visit a website such as apple.com or iPhoneGeeks.com, just so you can see if there’s a problem with your connection.
If you can’t access the internet at all, you may be too far away from your router or are experiencing other Wi-Fi-related issues. You can check out our dedicated guide on what to do when iPhone 12 mini won’t connect to Wi-Fi or just switch to cellular data to access WhatsApp right away. See this article if iPhone 12 mini cellular data is not working. Problem solved!
Solution number 3: restart the app and Clear cache
If WhatsApp still isn’t working on iPhone 12 mini, Closing, reopening and clearing the cache on your device may just solve the problem. Restarting the app basically kills off the Linux process for the app and clearing your cache gets rid of the temporary files the app has stored.
To force quit the app, navigate to the Home Screen and then swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone’s screen. This will reveal your recently used apps. Find Whatsapp (you may swipe left or right) and then swipe up on the app.
To clear the cache:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on “Settings” (found in the corner of the app)
- Locate and tap on “ Storage and Data Usage”
- Tap “Manage Storage”
- Tap on the types of data you want to clear and remove, or select them all, then tap on “Delete”
- Confirm that you wish to delete that data from WhatsApp by tapping on “Delete items”
- Repeat with other contacts and conversation threads as desired.
that’s done, launch WhatsApp and check if it works as it should now.
solution number 4: Update WhatsApp or reinstall it
Your WhatsApp-related problem could be caused by a bug in the app. The best thing to do is to update it to the latest version by opening the App Store app (App Store > your profile icon). Alternatively, you can turn on Automatic Updates by going to Settings > App Store.
If that doesn’t do the trick or there’s no update available, your best bet is to delete the app from your device and then reinstall it. I’m sure you know how to do that, but in case you’re an iOS newbie, check the steps below. Please note that data stored in the app may be lost. Here is how:
On your Home Screen, tap and hold the WhatsApp icon. And then tap Remove App (-) icon and then tap Delete to confirm.
Restart your iPhone.
Then open the App Store app, find WhatsApp and download again.
solution number 5: Turn off VPN
VPNs are great. They let you hide your identity online, bypass regional content restrictions on services like Netflix, and get access to WhatsApp in countries it isn’t available. However, a VPN can also be the reason why WhatsApp is not working on your iPhone 12 mini.
I’ve come across reports by iPhone users claiming that they can’t make calls via WhatsApp when they have a VPN enabled and have experienced a bunch of other problems. So, if you have a VPN turned on while trying to access WhatsApp, just turn it off to see if it solves your problem. To do this, open the VPN app and turn it off. Alternatively, just launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on the VPN toggle.
Solution number 6: Force restart
If WhatsApp app keeps crashing or freezing on iPhone 12 mini after trying the above steps, try force restarting your Device. Here is how:
Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button and then press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
There you have it — these are the six solutions you should take if you’re experiencing WhatsApp-related problems on your iPhone 12 mini. Hopefully, one of them solved your issue. If you’ve found any other WhatsApp fixes for iPhone 12 mini let us know in the comments!