You are brand new mobile and… Fatal error: you can’t download WhatsApp. Or maybe you’re not brand new mobile and you just uninstalled it and now you can’t download it again. Be that as it may, not being able to use one of the most popular messaging apps can be a problem for your communication.
Luckily, this doesn’t have to be anything dramatic. exist several common causes for which you may be having problems installing the application. Causes that also have an obvious solution. In this post we review them to avoid suffering and that you can download WhatsApp without problems.
Surely yes, but check that your mobile is still compatible
It seems obvious, but sometimes we forget that not all mobiles are compatible with WhatsApp, although most are. WhatsApp developers usually offer support for an average of between 8 and 10 years for both Android and iOS. So, unless you have an old or outdated mobilethis will not be the problem.
In any case, the verification could not be easier. All you have to do is go to the WhatsApp website and check its availability on Android. At the time of publishing this post, any mobile running Android 4.1 or later is fully compatible with the application.
In any case, it is recommended that have the mobile software updated to the latest version available. And yes, it doesn’t matter if it’s pure Android or a customization layer from the manufacturer. Going to phone settings and entering Systems and upgrades You should get the option to update. If it doesn’t appear like this, use the settings search engine and write “Update” or “Updates”.
Check that you have enough memory left on your mobile
This is one of the main causes why WhatsApp cannot be installed on your mobile. In fact, it is usually applicable to many other apps. Having enough storage space in the phone’s memory is essential, and even more so in the case of this app, which usually requires having a certain amount of memory reserved.
Normally you will get a warning about it in Google Play when trying to download the app, but if not, you can go to the device settings to check how much space is left on the mobile. Depending on the version you have, it could be in one path or another, so we recommend that you directly use the settings search engine by typing “Storage”.
If you verify that your memory is full or that it is already on the verge of being so, we recommend release it as much as you can. What is most effective is usually to delete photos and videos of great weight, as well as apps that you do not use. However, we will leave you a link in a post in which we tell you the best tricks to free up space on Android.
Internet connection problems are also common
You may have access to the Internet on the device, either via WiFi or mobile data, and yet this is not enough for the download. A common cause within this is that the connection is slow, as much as not to be able to download WhatsApp. Although the most common is usually not having a direct connection or that you are with mobile data.
If you are using mobile datait is convenient that you go to Google Play, click on your profile picture (top right), then on Settings and finally in network preferences. In this section you must check the permissions for downloading and updating apps with mobile data, since if it is not enabled, you will only be able to download applications with WiFi.
If you have checked this and still have suspicions that the network is what is failing, it will be most convenient since contact your operator. In this way they will be able to tell you exactly if there is any incident in your area, with the router or with your SIM card. And it is that this problem will not only prevent you from downloading WhatsApp, but it would go further.
Possible crash of Google or WhatsApp servers
The news of “WhatsApp has fallen”, although less and less, are still frequent. And although Google services are usually more stable, they are not free from crashes eventually. when the first thing happens several WhatsApp processes are interruptedalthough a priori the download is not prevented.
It is when Google services go down that problems are experienced. Either to access any part of the application store or to download one. Be that as it may, there is little you can do but wait for it to resolve. Luckily, we can attest that these eventual problems are usually solved in a matter of minutes.
Of course, try to download other apps and ask friends and family with Android phones if they are experiencing similar problems, since It could also be a problem with your mobile. Sometimes the background processes of the app store get stuck and you have to restart them. You can get more information about this in the post that we dedicate to exploring the problems downloading apps on Google Play, but basically it is about stopping processes and deleting cache.
Download the app from the browser as a last resort
If at this point you have not been able to find the solution, you may downloading the apk externally to Google Play do not experience problems. Of course, try to do it from a reliable site such as the WhatsApp website itself, where there is a direct access to download it.
If you have never installed an apk from the internet, don’t worry as it is very simple. When you have downloaded the file, you should look for it in its corresponding folder and open it as if it were just another document. At that time you will follow some steps already marked on the screen for the installation. Although for this you must have the installation of apps outside of Google enabled.
In case that do not have the option to install apk enabled, you will have to activate it in the settings. However, do not worry because during the installation process you will be warned about it by means of a pop-up message, in which a link appears that takes you directly to the settings path to configure it.
