WhatsApp Photos, Videos or Files Not Downloading? How to Fix Media Problems

Does this match what you see?

• Photos, videos or documents won’t download or send.
• You see “This file format is not supported.”
• Only some of your photos show up when you try to send one.
• Photos look blurry, or you see question marks or blank boxes.
• Voice messages or audio don’t play.
• A PDF won’t open.

iPhone & iPadAndroidComputer (browser)

Based on WhatsApp Help “Can’t download, open, or send media files” (Web, Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac tabs, supplied by the site owner). Permission names vary by phone.

Why this happens: the possible causes

Why media fails, according to WhatsApp (how common each is, is our estimate).

• A weak internet connectionCheck this first

  WhatsApp says this is the most common reason.

• WhatsApp can’t access your photos or filesCheck this first

  WhatsApp says to make sure it has permission to your photos, videos and files.

• An out-of-date appPossible

  WhatsApp says to update if you see “This file format is not supported”.

• SD card full, read-only or corrupted (Android)Possible

  WhatsApp says media problems can be related to your SD card.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

Media won’t save to your gallery in one chat?

WhatsApp says if Restricted chat is turned on for a chat, people in it can’t save media to their device gallery automatically. See Restricted chat.

Can’t send a long or large video

WhatsApp says slower connections can struggle with large and HD media. Its help page gives the video limits as 64MB for videos sent or forwarded on all platforms, and also says the default is 100MB at 720p on faster connections and 64MB at 480p on slower ones. To send a longer video:

• Trim it before sending.
• Record it at a lower resolution outside WhatsApp, then attach it. WhatsApp says the maximum length depends on your phone’s camera quality.
• Send it as a Document instead: choose Document and pick the video. WhatsApp says documents can be up to 2 GB.
• If someone sent it to you, forward it rather than sending it again.

WhatsApp says Status videos can be up to 90 seconds.

Android: check your SD card

WhatsApp says problems opening or downloading media can be caused by your SD card. Check it has enough space (you may need to delete WhatsApp data from it) and that read-only mode is off. If you still have problems, WhatsApp says the card may be corrupted and need to be reformatted or replaced.

Blurry photos, question marks or blank boxes

• iPhone, just restored your chats? WhatsApp says media may still be restoring in the background. Wait until it’s finished before checking.
• iPhone, question marks in Media, Links, and Docs, or blank boxes in chats: WhatsApp says the media might not have been properly backed up to iCloud, and it can’t be recovered from that backup.
• Blurry photo: WhatsApp says this can happen when it can no longer find the photo on your phone or SD card, usually because the photo was deleted. To keep copies automatically: Android: More options (three dots) > Settings > Chats > turn on Media visibility. iPhone: Settings > Chats > turn on Save to Photos. WhatsApp Web and Windows: Settings > Chats > Media auto-download > turn on Photos. Mac: Settings > Chats > check Save to Downloads.
• WhatsApp says photos can also look blurry if the connection was weak when they were uploaded. Android and iPhone: restart your phone, update WhatsApp, switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or contact your mobile provider. Computer: restart it, update WhatsApp, check your Wi-Fi, or contact your internet provider.
• WhatsApp says HD isn’t currently available for statuses or profile pictures.

More on restoring: WhatsApp backup or restore not working.

No sound, can’t record, or can’t transcribe voice messages

No sound from voice messages, status, videos or call audio

• Turn up your phone’s volume. WhatsApp says that on vibrate or silent you won’t hear status videos with audio or calls, so turn vibrate or silent off. If your headphones have a mute button or slider, check it isn’t on.
• Proximity sensor: WhatsApp plays audio through the earpiece when the phone is at your ear. It says some screen protectors and cases can interfere, and if the screen goes black, your hand may be covering the sensor, so adjust your grip. Check the audio is coming from the earpiece rather than the speaker. To test the sensor, WhatsApp suggests making a normal phone call with it uncovered: if the screen turns off straight away, the problem is the sensor or your phone’s software.
• Bluetooth: the sound may be playing on a connected Bluetooth device. If nothing wired is plugged in, turn Bluetooth off.
• Close other apps that might be using your audio, and test the file in another audio player.

Can’t record a voice message

• WhatsApp says you must be connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data to record and send voice messages. Switch between them, restart your phone, or contact your mobile provider.
• Update WhatsApp.
• Make sure WhatsApp has permission to use your microphone in your phone’s settings.
• Remove any screen protector or case and try again, and turn off Bluetooth if nothing wired is plugged in.
• Free up storage: WhatsApp says you may not have enough space to record.
• Start of the message missing? WhatsApp says you might need to wait a second before speaking. Recording disappeared before you could send it? WhatsApp says try restarting your phone.
• Voice status: WhatsApp says voice status updates can be up to 30 seconds long.
• Want to check it before sending? WhatsApp says you can preview a voice message. On a phone, tap and hold the mic and slide up to lock hands-free recording; on a computer, just click the mic. Stop when you’re done, then play it back. To jump to a point, click or tap it (on Android, tap, hold and drag). Then delete it, send it, or (on phones and WhatsApp Web) continue recording.

Was my voice message played?

WhatsApp says the icon on a sent voice message shows whether it has been played by all recipients; if it hasn’t, some may still have played it. On voice messages you receive, WhatsApp says a green microphone means you haven’t played it and a blue microphone means you have. As of October 31, 2026, WhatsApp’s help pages (all devices) said there was an issue with the microphone color not updating after a voice message is played, and recommended keeping WhatsApp updated.

Playing voice messages

• WhatsApp says received voice messages download automatically. Tap or click Play. On a phone, hold it to your ear to hear it through the earpiece, or away from your head for speakerphone; on a computer it plays through the speakers. Connected headphones take over on both.
• Select 1x to speed up to 1.5x or 2x (you can’t go below 1x). To start from a different point, drag the dot on the waveform (on a phone, long press it first).
• Keeps playing after you leave the chat? WhatsApp says voice messages continue playing in other chats, with a mini player (at the top of the screen on phones, bottom left of the window on Windows) to pause, play, close or go back to the chat.
• Several messages playing one after another? WhatsApp plays two or more voice messages in a row automatically; select Pause on the one playing to stop that.

Read voice messages as text (transcripts)

• WhatsApp says voice message transcripts are off by default, and its Web page says they’re only available on certain devices and may not be available to you yet. On Android: Settings > Chats > turn on Voice Message Transcripts, choose a language, then Set up now or Wait for Wi-Fi. To read one, tap and hold the voice message > More > Transcribe.
• WhatsApp’s Android page lists English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. Turning transcripts off resets your transcript language. Transcripts can take a moment and may be inaccurate.
• iPhone: WhatsApp says you need iOS 16 or newer with Siri on (if Siri wasn’t on when you turned transcripts on, you’ll need to download your language). Turn on Voice Message Transcripts in Settings (or tap your profile picture) > Chats, choose a language, then Change to that language; tap and hold a voice message > Transcribe. Languages depend on your iOS version (more on iOS 17).
• Transcript not showing under the message? WhatsApp’s play-voice-messages page says to go to Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts and, under Receive transcripts, select Manually; its iPhone tab adds that “Hey Siri” must be on. You can’t delete, edit, or copy and paste transcripts.
• WhatsApp says transcripts are made on your device, personal voice messages stay end-to-end encrypted, and the recipient can see a transcript but the sender can’t. For channel voice updates, see channel transcripts.

Can’t hear the other person on a call? WhatsApp says the proximity sensor may be redirecting the audio, and the vibrate or silent check above also applies to calls. Our tip: check Bluetooth too.

Video notes: no sound, won’t play, or can’t forward

Video notes are short videos, up to 60 seconds, recorded straight into the chat. WhatsApp says you send them from your phone.

• Can’t find how to record one? WhatsApp’s Android and iPhone pages say to press and hold the video note button next to the text field (swipe up while holding to lock it and record hands-free), or open the camera and swipe to the Video note tab. To reply to a video note, tap the button next to it.
• Sent before you were ready? WhatsApp says a video note sends automatically when you lift your finger. To check it first, slide up to the lock until it turns green: in lock mode you can flip the camera (recordings always start on the selfie camera), stop, cancel or send.
• Want to preview a video note? WhatsApp says in lock mode, tap stop while recording to switch to preview. At one minute it switches to preview automatically. Tapping stop during the countdown before recording cancels it instead.
• Can’t send from the Video note tab? WhatsApp says if the note is under 60 seconds, tap stop before you can send it.
• Was my video note played? WhatsApp says press and hold your sent video note > Info (on Android, More > Info): people who played it appear under Played by.
• No sound? WhatsApp says a video note you receive shows as a muted preview that plays three times on a loop. Select it to play it from the start with sound (on phones, WhatsApp Web and Mac it also enlarges).
• Stopped playing? It pauses when you tap or click it, or (on phones, WhatsApp Web and Mac) when you scroll away; tap or click it again to resume.
• Can’t forward someone’s video note? WhatsApp says video notes are private: only the person who recorded one can forward it.
• Sent it to the wrong chat? You can delete it for yourself or for everyone, within a limited time, like other messages. Delete for me leaves it in the other person’s chat. On your side, a deleted video note shows as “You deleted this message”. On a computer (WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac) you can also tick Delete file from your phone. See Delete for everyone.

A PDF won’t open

• Phone: WhatsApp says you need a PDF reader installed. If the file is password-protected, check you have permission to view it, then try restarting your phone.
• WhatsApp Web and Windows: PDFs preview in WhatsApp (powered by Adobe Acrobat) and need an internet connection. Refresh or reopen the PDF, make sure you have the latest WhatsApp, or save the file and open it in your computer’s PDF viewer. If Edit PDF or Edit in Acrobat won’t open, check your connection; on Web, also allow pop-ups or try another browser. WhatsApp says you don’t need an Adobe account. Mac: if a PDF is password-protected, check you have permission to view it, then restart your computer.
• WhatsApp says you can’t share PDFs to channels.

How to know it worked

• Photos, videos, audio and documents download, open and send normally.

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Not sure your file is within the limits? Check it with our Upload Checker, which reads the size, format, length and dimensions on your device.
2. Text messages not sending either? See WhatsApp messages not sending or delivering.

Frequently asked questions