Whatsapp backup issue

Hello dasanurag98,

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

These steps should help:

If an app on your iPhone or iPad doesn't work as expected, try this.

1.Close and reopen the app

Force the app to close. Then open the app to see if it works as expected.

2.Restart your device

Restart your iPhone or restart your iPad. Then open the app to see if it works as expected.

3.Check for updates

To see if updates are available for the app, open the App Store, tap your profile icon, then scroll down to see if updates are available. If updates aren't available for the app, update the software on your iPhone or iPad.

4.Delete the app, then redownload it

Delete the app. When you do this, you might lose data that was stored in the app. Then redownload the app. Then check to see if the problem with the app is fixed.

More details can be found here: If an app on your iPhone or iPad stops responding, closes unexpectedly, or won’t open

If the issue persists, we would recommend reaching out to the developer.

Your can do so by following this article: How to contact an app developer

Cheers!

It's a recurrent issue in the app versions since October.

you can try 2 tricks : export your largest chat including medias but don't delete the chat once exported and retry to backup

and/or juste delete a video or video dummies in your largest chat and retry

both have worked -for me- but with version 2.22.23.77 it's the same issue

Thanks Jean,

The 1st trick (export your largest chat including medias) indeed work, after all other options haven't worked.

Furtehermore, option 4 from Apple is ridiculous, as you will loose all your data!!!

Thx tvfmc,

I meant to export the largest chat (including medias) and do not delete this chat in WhatsApp.

It seems that sometimes just exporting it solves the issue.

I've been in contact with WhatsApp support and they are aware of this issue with no solution at this time.

I also found that trying to backup manually with cellular data rather than wifi have worked.

Finally it just seems to be a lucky strike

but setting WhatsApp automatic backup rather than manual is clearly worsening the problem

i am facing the same issue.

My WhatsApp backup frequency is set on daily basis. However, it has not been backed up for the last five days. When I try to back up manually, it gets stuck and show “preparing” for hours and hours without any success. I have googled this issue and tried all available solutions but the problem is still the same.

I even tried your both options but unfortunately not working with me 😩.

I had the same problem a couple of times...

maybe....restart your phone, then

1) delete 1-2 videos, (WhatsApp does not seem to like duplicates)

2) set the backup type to manual

3) when exporting you biggest chat with medias included, cancel the process just before it finishes.

4) try again to launch the backup manually

preparing should increase percentage immediately, it's useless to wait for minutes or hours

if no success, retry.

Sometimes it worked like that

Same issue on two phones: iPhone 13 Pro (iOS 16.2) and iPhone SE 1st gen (iOS 15.7.2), both with latest version of whatsapp.

Tried everything: delete old whatsapp backups on iCloud, disable and enable again iCloud Drive, disable and enable again whatsapp on iCloud, export largest chat, delete a video and export largest chat.

No storage problems on phones and iCloud.

My wife has no issues on her iPhone 11 Pro Max iOS 16.2.

Now that I deleted old backups, I'm not even able to restore whatsapp :(

Routine that works (for me) now on my phones (14+SE 2020) :

1) export the biggest chat with medias. Once done do not select any destination just cancel.

2) launch manual backup (will not work)

3) force quit WhatsApp

4) re-open WhatsApp and relaunch manual backup

et voilà !

Let me know

Maybe with third party tool, I see there are many ones that permit to backup data to a local computer and then restore it on the same or other device.

The problem is that all the ones I found are not free, so it’s difficult to say which is the best one for this specific case or even which one may work.

Just thought I’d let you know that I found a really weird workaround for my issues with WhatsApp back up: to switch Wi-Fi off and force data being used. This worked up to around 10% when I switched back to Wi-Fi and it completed the operation successfully

Sorry to hear it didn’t work for you - very weird how random these ‘workarounds’ are.I wouldn’t be surprised if this proves to be hit and miss for me as well 😏

p.s. What is needed is an acknowledgement of the issue from Apple and What’sApp and a proper fix.

Hi! I had the same problem until I tried this What’s app back up - Apple Community. Hope it can help you!

Did not work for me :(

Nor me ☹️

Strange how it seems only some of us are affected and others are not - given it’s the same hardware and same software.