A clock means your message has not left your phone yet, almost always an internet problem on your side. One grey tick means it was sent but has not reached the other person's phone yet, usually a problem on their side.
What the ticks mean
- Clock: waiting to send from your phone.
- One grey tick: sent to WhatsApp, not delivered to their phone yet.
- Two grey ticks: delivered to their phone.
- Two blue ticks: read (opened). If either of you turned off Read receipts, you will never see blue in one-to-one chats; see privacy settings.
In groups, ticks turn grey-double only when everyone has received it, and blue only when everyone has read it. Press and hold your message › Info (Android: ⓘ) to see who received and read it.
Fix the clock (your side)
- Check your internet: open a website or YouTube. If nothing loads, turn mobile data or Wi-Fi off and on.
- Turn Airplane mode on for 10 seconds, then off.
- Check your data pack or recharge has not run out.
- Android: phone Settings › Apps › WhatsApp › Mobile data › allow Background data; turn off Data Saver for WhatsApp. iPhone: Settings › WhatsApp › turn on Mobile Data.
- Check the phone's date and time are set to automatic. A wrong date stops WhatsApp connecting.
- Restart the phone and update WhatsApp.
- If you use a VPN, turn it off and try again.
One grey tick that stays (their side)
- Their phone is off, has no internet, or they have not opened WhatsApp for a while (battery saver). It will deliver when they come online.
- They may have changed their number or deleted WhatsApp.
- They may have blocked you. Signs: one tick forever, no profile photo, no last seen. WhatsApp never tells you directly; don't keep messaging them.
Message failed with a red mark
If you see a red ! or "not sent", tap it and choose Resend. If a photo or video won't send, free up phone space and check the file isn't too big (very large videos are better sent as a document).
Only one chat won't send
- In a group where only admins can post, you will see a note that only admins can send messages.
- If you left or were removed from a group, you can't send there.
- If you blocked that person, unblock them first (chat › name › Unblock).
If nothing sends at all
Your account may be temporarily limited or banned. Read banned or limited account. Also check whether WhatsApp is down for everyone by asking a friend on another network.
Safety tip
If you see a sudden message that your WhatsApp is registered on another phone, someone may have your code. Never share it, and turn on two-step verification.
This is GroupChatOn’s own easy guide. We are not WhatsApp and are not linked with WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp sometimes changes its menus: if a button looks different on your phone, update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
Still stuck?
Contact support. Tell us which tool or page you were using, what you tapped, what you saw, and your phone or computer and browser (for example: Android phone, Chrome). We reply by email.
Questions, or an error not listed here?
Tell us in the comments: what you were doing, the exact message you saw, and your device and browser. We read every comment and add new fixes to this article.