How to Fix Voice Messages Not Working on WhatsApp

Wondering why voice messages are not working on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is the biggest instant messaging platform in the world. Despite the expansion of Facebook Messenger and iMessage, many people still prefer to use WhatsApp for their communication needs. 

One of the best features of WhatsApp is voice messages. 

This is a convenient way of passing along information without typing anything on your screen. Despite their benefits, voice messages also have some downsides. For instance, you can’t look up previous conversations if you used voice messages. 

There are also times when voice messages are not working correctly on WhatsApp. 

If you’re reading this, you are probably experiencing it right now. Luckily, you don’t have to go through this alone. 

Today, we’ll show you what to do if voice messages are not working on WhatsApp. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Check WhatsApp Servers. 

One of the first things you should do when you encounter any issue on WhatsApp is checking its servers. Being an online platform, WhatsApp relies heavily on its servers to deliver services and content to the users. 

You can visit third-party sites like Downdetector to view WhatsApp’s current status. 

Whatsapp Status

Sadly, there’s nothing you can do if the servers are offline. 

On the other hand, you can proceed to the following solutions below if WhatsApp servers are up and running. 

2. Check Your Device Volume. 

If you can’t hear anything when calling someone, it’s possible that your device volume is just turned down. Before making any changes on your device, try using voice message again and check if your device volume is turned up. 

On the other hand, try disabling your device’s Bluetooth to ensure it’s not connected to a wireless speaker or earphones. 

3. Restart Your Device. 

Although this step might sound simple, restarting your device is an effective way to resolve temporary issues with your applications and system. This gives your device the chance to reload its resources, which may have gotten corrupted during run time. 

If you’re using an Android device, check out the steps below to restart your system: 

  1. First, locate the Power button on your device. 
  2. Now, hold it down until the selection menu appears. 
  3. Lastly, choose Restart from the options. 
Restart Android

On iOS devices, here’s how you can restart them: 

  1. On your screen, access the Assistive Touch and go to the Device tab. 
  2. After that, tap on More
  3. Finally, select the Restart option. 
Restart iOS

Once done, go back to WhatsApp and check if the voice message feature is working.

 

4. Check WhatsApp Permissions. 

WhatsApp may not have proper permissions on your system to perform voice calls. To avoid this, ensure that WhatsApp can access your phone, contacts, and microphone. 

For Android users, here’s what you need to do: 

  1. Press and hold WhatsApp’s icon from your app drawer and tap on App Info
  2. After that, tap on the Permissions tab. 
  3. Lastly, ensure that it can access your Microphone, Contacts, Call Logs, and Phone
voice messages not working on WhatsApp

If you’re using an iOS device, see the guide below to change your permission settings: 

  1. First, open the Settings app on your device. 
  2. Next, tap on WhatsApp
  3. Finally, ensure that the app can access your Contacts, Microphone, and Cellular Data
voice messages not working on WhatsApp

Once done, go back to WhatsApp and try using the voice message feature. 

5. Close Other Applications. 

Another reason why voice messages are not working on WhatsApp is if you have other applications using your microphone or speakers. To rule this out, access your application switcher and close other applications running on your device. 

Restart WhatsApp after closing other applications and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Update WhatsApp. 

The current version of WhatsApp you’re using might have an issue related to voice calls. To rule this out, we recommend updating the app to the latest version possible to patch possible bugs and glitches. 

For Android users, follow the steps below to update WhatsApp: 

  1. Go to your app drawer and tap on Google Play Store to launch it.
  2. After that, open your Profile and choose Manage Apps & Device
  3. Now, go to Updates Available and look for WhatsApp
  4. Finally, tap the Update button next to the app. 
voice messages not working on WhatsApp

If you’re using an iOS device, here’s how you can update WhatsApp: 

  1. First, open the App Store on your iOS device. 
  2. Next, go to your Profile and look for WhatsApp
  3. Lastly, hit the Update button beside the app to install the update. 
voice messages not working on WhatsApp

Go back to your account afterward and see if you can make a call. 

7. Reinstall WhatsApp. 

If the update does not work, try reinstalling the app on your device. Some of WhatsApp’s installation files on your storage may have gotten severely corrupted, and the update can no longer fix it. 

Here’s how you can delete WhatsApp on mobile devices: 

  1. Access your home screen and find WhatsApp
  2. Next, press and hold its app icon until the options menu shows up.
  3. Finally, tap on Remove App (iOS) or Uninstall (Android) to delete WhatsApp
voice messages not working on WhatsApp

Once done, go to the App Store or Play Store on your device and reinstall the app from there. 

8. Contact WhatsApp Support. 

At this point, the last thing you can do is call the attention of WhatsApp’s team. 

Visit WhatsApp’s Help Center and get in touch with their support to report the issue regarding voice messages. Provide all the necessary information on your report, including a screenshot of the error if possible, to help their team address the issue faster. 

voice messages not working on WhatsApp

On the other hand, you can also browse the guides on their page and see if you can find alternative solutions. 

That ends our guide for fixing voice messages if they are not working on WhatsApp. For your questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂 

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *