since ios 15 update - apps like WhatsApp or Messenger have stopped receiving messages when the app is not open

Welcome to Apple Support Communities Anne_S_86,

We know how important it is for you to get notification for your apps. Have you check to confirm that your settings are set up correctly: Use notifications on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

You can also confirm that you do not have a Focus enable: Use Focus on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If you haven't already, you can also update to iOS 15.0.1 to see if this continues.

Hope that helps!

Since updating to iOS 15, whatsapp notifications do not show up reliably. Also whatsapp messages aren't being delivered to me - people sending messages to me say they get stuck on a single check for hours.

I have checked all notification settings and am not having this problem with other apps. I have tried both updating whatsapp as well as deleting and reinstalling it. Really, really annoying, Apple. Please get this fixed.

Having been on remote support I took my phone to a Genius Bar. After diagnostic tests it was confirmed there is a fault with my Wi-Fi which cannot be repaired and will need a new phone.

Deleting WhatsApp (after backing up the chats through the app to iCloud) and reinstalling seems to have sorted the initial issue but now don’t have confidence that I’m getting all notifications.

had the same issue of WhatsApp notifications not pushed.

It was fixed for me doing this:

• exit WhatsApp app
• in Settings -> General -> Reset -> reset Location& Privacy
• open WhatsApp, it will prompt you to enable Notifications
• WhatsApp notifications started working again

Ok. Here is the final update from Apple. The last update to 15.1 may not be 100% successful based on what they see from “Software update” screen on my phone. Reference attached. Usually it should give you a description on what level of software is running and may have a button to “check update”. All I can see in my phone is blank screen with just 2 lines of information. So they think the update is not proper and I have to backup the phone to iCloud and restore to factory default and reinstall the updates. Makes sense.

one thing i can think of my case is, the storage was almost full when i was updating. So it might not have loaded all the libraries for the new version. Did you all have plenty of space when updating??

Exactly the same issue. Renders my phone unusable if apps aren’t even receiving the messages let alone showing notifications.

Had a similar issue while updating my Apple Watch through the phone iOS app. It said I needed to connect to Wi-Fi even though I was already connected.

This just started for me today and I updated to iOS 15.1 last week.

I have dual sims in my phone, so I use WA Business so I can use WhatsApp on both numbers. Weirdly WA Business works fine with but not the main WhatsApp app.

I think it’s something to do with Focus, when I try to allow certain apps, there’s no WhatsApp but WA Business is there.

I just bought my first apple device, it runs on iOS 15.1 and it has this annoying issue of not receiving WhatsApp messages until I open the application. None of the methods of deleting and reinstalling the app/ offloading the app/ resetting network settings/ background app refresh etc. have proved useful so far. I therefore request apple to fix this problem for it’s users ASAP.

Exactly same issue here. iPhone Xs on 15.1. Whatsapp only receives notifications when it’s in the foreground and a little while after it went to the background. Focus is not in effect. I suspect this is a Whatsapp specific issue because other apps seems like normal: mail, Twitter, BBC News, etc..

This clearly is whatsapp issue. I reached out to whatsapp support and got pathetic responses to restart my phone, then reset whatsapp, then try connecting the phone to system to sync. When nothing worked they pointed to check the APN’s and finally suggested to change my notifications, ringtones and in-app alerts. They have no clue or understanding what the issue is.

i tried myself using web whatsapp and found after couple mins of putting my phone down, the webwhatsapp reported my phone is offline or not connected to internet. So it is whatsapp that goes offline in the background.

Same issue. Update to iOS 15.1 what’s app no longer shows up under GENERAL SETTINGS NOTIFICATIONS. Was working fine prior to the update.

WhatsApp gives the notification to go to NOTIFICATIONS in SETTINGS and turn on but the app is no longer in settings to turn anything on.

Have already tried to troubleshoot. Frustrating. Perhaps the next iOS update will fix the issue.

I have the same problem and I think it is related to Background App refresh. When we switched to another app or lock iPhone's screen, WhatsApp or Viber seem to be suspended but the strange thing is I don't get the issue with Telegram.

I have the same problem here. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and WeChat are not showing me notifications reliably until I open the app. Some game apps are not giving me notifications either, despite having done the necessary steps like 'Allow Notifications, turning off Scheduled Summary, turning off Focus mode, force restarting iPhone.'

Even after I open the app, all the unread messages would load and WhatsApp wouldn't display the Badges of unread messages.

My iOS is version 15.1.1, iPhone 12 Pro Max.

I have the same issue and using iOS 15.1. Keep missing important calls and messages from every kind of apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Botim, Viber. But direct calls are coming as usual. Please fix this quickly.

I reached out to Whatsapp support and all they said was to reset all the notifications and resinstall the app. Which is not viable if we have issues with multiple apps. So reached out to Apple support if they can send next bug fix update common for all apps. They too dont have a clue and said its all upto the 3rd party apps to send updates. Escalating to 2nd tier apple support.