How to fix the “Phone offline” error in WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web is the desktop version of the application, which we can access from the computer browser. A version of the messaging application that is known to users in Europe and is used quite frequently. Although when using this version we find common problems, a particularly frequent one.

The most common of all is the offline phone message when we open WhatsApp Web. When you receive this message on the screen, you cannot use the desktop version of the app, so this is an annoying problem that we need to fix asap. In this situation, there are several situations.

The most common WhatsApp web problems and how to fix them

When using WhatsApp web, you may come across some of its most common issues. We show you how they are resolved.

Bad internet connection?

If WhatsApp Web shows us this message on the screen, the because the internet connection is not good. In this case, try to access other web pages or applications to see if the connection is working as it should. It is something that we have to do both on the computer and on the mobile.

If you find any problems with your internet connection, it is better to try to restart the router, in order to put an end to these problems. This is something that generally works well to get your internet connection to work properly again. If after that this message continues to appear on the screen, there are other aspects to check.

WhatsApp crashed?

WhatsApp Web is really an app client on the phone, so it totally depends on this app. This means that if the application has crashed, we will not have access to the desktop version on the computer. In this situation, it is better to check whether WhatsApp has fallen or not, as that could be the explanation for this problem. Additionally, it’s not uncommon for the app to crash, so it’s always a possibility.

We can use Downdetector to see if WhatsApp has crashed, as this page shows the incidents the app has suffered in the last 24 hours, in addition to a map showing the areas wherein said failure occurs. So you can see if this is also something that affects your country or region. This is useful information, which will allow us to confirm or rule out this possible origin.

Solutions to the most common WhatsApp problems

If when using WhatsApp on your Android phone you are having any of these issues, we will show you how to fix it.

Close the WhatsApp web session

The problem may be in the link between WhatsApp Web and the application on Android. The best we can to do is to close the active session at these times on the computer, then start a new one. A kind of restart, which in many cases will allow us to use the web client again without any problems. To close this session, the steps to follow are:

1. From WhatsApp Web: Click on the top three dots icon and select the Log off option.
2. From WhatsApp:
   • Open the app on Android.
   • Click on the first three vertical points.
   • Enter WhatsApp Web.
   • Close the session.

Once you have closed the currently active session, you need to create a new one. This is the same process that we have to go through when we use this web client for the first time. The steps are as follows:

1. Access the web on your computer.
2. Open WhatsApp on your phone.
3. Click on the first three points.
4. Enter WhatsApp Web.
5. Point the phone at the QR code on the computer screen.
6. Wait for the code to be recognized.
7. You can now use the desktop version.

Try in another browser

It is likely that the browser you are using on your computer at that time, the one that causes problems when using WhatsApp Web. You can always try to use another browser on your computer, to see if from another it is possible for you to connect to the web normally. There are times when it can get you connected.

Another option consists in using the incognito mode of the browser that you are using at the moment. Sometimes a website won’t load or has issues in normal mode, but using incognito mode we can access it normally. Try this, to see if this way you can access WhatsApp Web.

How to use the WhatsApp widget on your Android mobile

If you want to be able to read the messages they send you on WhatsApp without opening the app and without the other person knowing, the app widget is a good option.

Clear WhatsApp cache

A solution we can always turn to in the face of problems clear app cache on Android. It is possible that some of the data accumulated in this cache causes problems when using WhatsApp Web. We can try to clear this cache and then try to use the web version of the app again.

1. Open settings in Android.
2. Go to Applications.
3. Look for WhatsApp in the list.
4. Enter the app.
5. Go to the Storage section.
6. Click Clear cache.