WhatsApp is one of the great messaging applications in the world. It allows us not only to send text, but also audio, photographs, videos, documents and much more. In addition, it adds call and video call functions, so we can communicate in a different way.
The problem is that, occasionally, when we go to download a file we get an error. Normally, the problem does not have much to do with the application, but rather has to do with factors external to it. We will see the possible causes and the actions to take to solve the problem.
Lack of space on the mobile
Failed downloads usually occur because there is not enough space on the device. This usually happens with videos and large files that take up a lot of memory, not so much with photographs. If this happens to us, we will have to carry out maintenance tasks.
Without a doubt, the simplest thing is to clean up photographs and videos that are worthless or old. We all have a lot of old images, memes and humorous videos on our phones that tend to stay there. Your thing is to periodically delete them, but of course, procrastinating and leaving them there is more comfortable.
Something we can also do is use applications to free up space on the smartphone. All mobile phones currently usually include this function. Normally, they delete cache and temporary files that we do not need, they do not delete important images or files. This will help you get some space, but it’s best to delete old, unusable content.
Weak or unstable connection
Another factor that may cause an error in the file download process is the internet connection itself. If the file is large and we are on a poor quality network, we may get this error. This is because the file is very large and the network cannot transfer it at optimal speed.
If we are connected to a WiFi network, it is possible that the connection is unstable or saturated. This is more likely in public spaces such as shopping centers with a large flow of people. Given the avalanche of requests, the network can become saturated and generate micro outages or cut off large data flows such as downloads.
The ideal is to wait until you have better coverage, whether mobile or WiFi, and resume the download. If it is urgent, then just try insistently to download it, you may end up having a bit of luck.
File problem
The problem with the failed download may be the file itself. It is possible that whoever sent it deleted it before we downloaded it or made changes to its configuration. In these two scenarios, it will be impossible to download the file if the sender does not send it again.
In this case we will need to communicate to the person that we are suffering from this problem. We must ask you to change the privacy settings of the file or resend it in order to download it. No other options.
Application not updated
Both iOS and Android usually update most applications automatically, especially the “priority” ones. These are applications that we use more regularly or that are classified as important and that must be updated as soon as the new version is deployed. But it is possible that this configuration is disabled on our terminal for whatever reason.
Failed download can occur if the sender and receiver applications have different versions. This serves as a measure to force updating and also as a security system. Old versions could be used to exploit different vulnerabilities and compromise user data.
To avoid problems, WhatsApp blocks the distribution of files between different versions of the application. We simply have to go update the application and if we already have the latest version, inform the sender of the problem and ask them to update.
Application instability
It is not uncommon for WhatsApp and other applications to temporarily go down due to server problems. Despite the outages, sometimes there are specific moments of operation or messages arriving as the service is restored.
It may take a long time for the service to work correctly. Furthermore, during the downtime period, quite a few messages tend to accumulate, so the servers accumulate a lot of load. Therefore, downloading content may not be possible during the outage and even hours after the service is restored. In these cases, all you have to do is be patient and try until you can download the file.