Top 9 Fixes on iPhone WhatsApp Backup Not Working

This article tells you the reasons why the “iPhone WhatsApp backup not working” issue happens and shows 9 useful fixes. If you are facing this problem, keep reading.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on March 4, 2024

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My WhatsApp chat backup not working

WhatsApp backup is stuck at 0%. I have backup phone and WhatsApp still won’t backup. Anyone is facing the issue then please help me.

- Question from Apple Community

Why is my iPhone WhatsApp backup not backing up?

WhatsApp is a crucial tool for communication that stores a lot of your important chats and media. The built-in feature of the iPhone allows you to enable iCloud backup for backup WhatsApp regularly and recover data to another iPhone. However, some users face the issue of iPhone WhatsApp backup not working.

Why won't my WhatsApp backup iPhone? The issue is caused by the following reasons:

There is no stable Wi-Fi connection. 
iCloud backup is not enabled properly.
There is no iCloud storage available. 
The previous iCloud backup is corrupted or incomplete.
iCloud account settings are incorrect.
iCloud or WhatsApp unknown error.

iPhone WhatsApp backup not working

How to fix iPhone WhatsApp backup not working

We've gathered 9 effective fixes to the iCloud WhatsApp backup not working on iPhone issue. You can select the one that fits your situation. While resolving the problem might take some time, if you want to back up WhatsApp as soon as possible, you can skip to the best WhatsApp backup alternative for a better free WhatsApp backup solution.

Fix 1. Check iCloud status

First of all, you can go to Apple System Status website to check the status of iCloud. It may be because the iCloud server is down, so you meet iPhone WhatsApp auto backup not working problem.

Apple System Status

Note: If the circle next to iCloud Backup or iCloud Drive is not green, then you can do nothing but wait for Apple to fix the problem. And you can use a better backup tool to help you backup your iPhone WhatsApp.

Fix 2. Check Internet connection

iCloud requires Wi-Fi to upload your WhatsApp data. Therefore, WhatsApp backup not working on iPhone will occur when the network is poor. You can try these steps below to refresh the connection and troubleshoot your network.

Step 1. Restart the router and turn off your VPN.

Step 2. Turn on Airplane mode and turn it on after a few seconds.

Step 3. Go to Settings > General > Reset (Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset in iOS 15 and later) > choose Reset Network Settings > enter your passcode to confirm.

Rest Network Settings

Note: Reset Network Settings will delete Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth-paired devices, VPNs and other network-related settings. Please be assured that it will not delete other data on your device.

Fix 3. Turn to the best WhatsApp backup alternative

If you've tried the above solutions and the WhatsApp can't backup issue persists, there might be a trickier cause. You can use a free professional iOS backup and transfer tool - FoneTool to backup WhatsApp to PC, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc. Your WhatsApp chats, photos, videos, attachments, and more are protected.

FoneTool
Best WhatsApp Backup Software for Free
  • Backup WhatsApp chat, photos, videos, attachments, etc.
  • Preview and select the data before backup and restore.
  • Incremental backup ensures that all important data is retained.
  • Easily transfer WhatsApp between iPhone and PC, and iPhone to iPhone.
  • AllWhatsAppandWhatsAppBusinessaccountsaresupported.

It is very easy to use FoneTool to backup iPhone WhatsApp to PC. There are only 3 steps required to create a task.

Step 1. Download FoneTool > Plug in your iPhone and trust the computer.

Step 2. Choose WhatsApp Manager > Choose WhatsApp > Under Backup WhatsApp toclick Get Started.

Backup WhatsApp

Step 3. You can enable backup encryption and change the storage path > Finally, click Start Backup.

Start Backup

When it’s done, you can go to Backup History to check your backup. On this page, you can view, export, delete, or restore the backup files.

View WhatsApp backup

Fix 4. Check iPhone basic settings

WhatsApp backup will only work when all settings are correct. When you find iPhone WhatsApp not backing up to iCloud, please check these settings in turn.

🔸 Make sure that you have signed in the Apple ID that you use to access iCloud.

🔸 Enable iCloud Drive. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Drive and turn on the sync option.

🔸 Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Find WhatsApp and turn it on.

🔸 If you want to back up WhatsApp via cellular data, please make sure you have enabled cellular data usage for iCloud.

Fix 5. Restart your iPhone

Force restart is an effective method to fix any iOS issues. It can help clean up any potential glitches. Just follow the steps below according to the model of your device.

Force restart iPhone

🔸 For iPhone 8 and later with Face ID:

Quickly press and release the Volume Up button > Quickly press and release the Volume Down button > Press and hold the Side/Power button when you see the Apple logo.

🔸 For iPhone 7/7 Plus:

Press and hold the Top button and Volume Down button together > Release both buttons when until you see the Apple logo.

🔸 For iPhone 6s, SE and earlier with Home button:

Hold down the Home button and the Top (or Side) button at the same time > Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Fix 6. Re-signin to your iCloud account

Once your iCloud gets stuck due to some imperceptible error, you won't be able to enable WhatsApp backup on your iPhone. In this case, signing out of your iCloud account and signing back in can be a great way to solve the problem.

Step 1. Open your iPhone and go to Settings > tap [your name].

Step 2. Swipe down the screen and click the Sign Out tab.

iCloud sign out

Step 3. Go to Settings again, tap [your name] and enter the correct iCloud account information to sign in.

iCloud sign in iPhone

Fix 7. Check iCloud storage space

The backup process will not be completed if is iPhone WhatsApp backup not have enough storage. When you find iPhone WhatsApp backup not working, you can go to Settings to check if there is enough free space.

How to check iCloud backup storage:

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and you will see how much iCloud space is used.

Check iCloud storage space

🌟Tip: According to WhatsApp, you will need to have at least 2.05 times more free space in your iCloud account than the actual size of your backup.

How to free up more iCloud storage

1. You can turn off unwanted data sync or go to Manage Account Storage to delete unwanted files. In addition, you can choose to upgrade the storage plane as per your needs.

Upgrade storage plan

2. Turn off the Include Videos option to reduce the amount of the backup.

Turn off Include Video

Fix 8. Delete old WhatsApp backup

And what if WhatsApp not backing up to iCloud even with enough storage? By default, each new iCloud WhatsApp backup replaces the previous one. If the last backup is corrupted or incomplete, causing the current WhatsApp backup to get stuck, you can fix the WhatsApp backup failed on iPhone by deleting the previous backup.

Step 1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage.

Step 2. Find the WhatsApp Messenger option to tap > Delete Data... to delete the previous backup.

Delete WhatsApp backup

🌟Tip: Can you delete the previous WhatsApp full backup? Of course! Go to Settings> [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > choose your device > tap Delete & Turn Off Backup.

Fix 9. Update your WhatsApp and iOS version

The bugs and errors of the app and iOS may prevent iCloud from backing up WhatsApp properly. You can update WhatsApp and iOS to the latest version to get rid of any errors.

🔸 Update WhatsApp: go to App Store > search WhatsApp > tap Update if a new version is available.

 🔸 Update iOS: go to Settings > General > Software Update > Tap Download and Install to get the newest version.

Update iOS

If none of them can help you fix WhatsApp backup not happening on iPhone issue, you can contact Apple as well as WhatsApp Support and let the professional help you solve your problem. 

FAQs on WhatsApp backup and restore

You may still encounter other problems when backing up or restoring WhatsApp on your iPhone, and here are the best answers for you.

1. What to do when your WhatsApp restore is stuck?

If need to fix the WhatsApp restore stuck issue, you can: Switch to a stable Wi-Fi connection, restart WhatsApp or your device, check storage space on your device, and reinstall WhatsApp if needed.

2. Why my WhatsApp backup is not showing?

WhatsApp backup not showing can occur due to network problems, corrupted backup files, insufficient backup storage, or an out-of-date WhatsApp version.

3. Why is my WhatsApp taking so long to restore from iCloud?

The completion time of iCloud backup and restore WhatsApp depends only on the speed of the internet and the amount of data. If your WhatsApp backup is taking too long to restore the process, check if you still have enough iCloud space left.

Final words

Effective troubleshooting is the key to fix the iPhone WhatsApp backup not working issue, and we hope the above 9 solutions can help you eliminate your troubles.

If these solutions can't solve your problem or you don't want to waste time trying them one by one, you can use FoneTool to backup WhatsApp data on your iPhone. It is the best iPhone data manager, which can also help you easily transfer iPhone data to PC, export WhatsApp data to other destinations, etc.