What to do when you can’t access WhatsApp Web

Challenges when trying to access WhatsApp Web due to QR code issues are common and can arise for a variety of reasons, from connection issues to technical difficulties with your device.WhatsApp is one of the most widely used instant messaging applications in the world, which means that at times, any user may encounter problems with its general functioning.

But before accessing WhatsApp Web to start chatting, it is necessary to verify the user who will access the app. The way to do this is by scanning a QR code that allows you to link the active session on the mobile device with the session that will be generated on the computer.

What to do when you can’t access WhatsApp Web

When you scan this code from the mobile app, a secure connection is established that allows you to access your conversations from your web browser . 

However, if you are having difficulty scanning the QR code or receive an error message when trying to do so, there are several actions you can take to resolve the issue .

  • Clean the lenses
  • Find out if WhatsApp is working
  • Update WhatsApp
  • Connection problems
  • Delete app cache
  • Change browser

Clean the lenses

Before panicking, it is best to clean the cameras of the mobile device from which you are trying to access and, therefore, check that both the lens and the sensor are working properly.

Sometimes it is not able to read this type of codes if you have the camera dirty or has fingerprints, since it may cause some type of interference with the code itself.

Find out if WhatsApp is working

Once you have done this and have verified that access to WhatsApp is still out of your reach, what you need to do is more specific. You need to check if the app is working correctly and, therefore, if all its services are active at this precise moment.

It should be noted that the best way is to search on Google or social networks like X (Twitter) to see if the service is not down due to a failure in its servers. You can also use the Downdetector website to find out if the application is operational.

Update WhatsApp

It may be the case that the version you have installed on your smartphone contains a problem with scanning the QR code to access WhatsApp Web , so it would be best to update it .

You can go to the Google Play Store , tap the profile icon, then go to Manage Apps and Device, search for the app and tap Update if you have that option.

You can also use a third-party app store such as APKmirror to get the APK file that updates the version you have on your phone.

If you don’t know which version you have, go to WhatsApp, go to Settings > Help > App Info and you will see which one you have installed.

Connection problems

The first thing you should do is make sure that both your mobile and your computer are connected to the internet. If WhatsApp Web is not working properly because it cannot scan the code correctly, the problem may be with the connection and, therefore, it is time to check if the WiFi network is working properly and if the data on the telephone line is working as well.

If you notice that you have no Internet signal, even though the WiFi is working , it is best to turn off the router, wait about 10 seconds and reconnect it to see if this has solved the problem. If mobile data is not working, it is best to turn it off and then turn it on or restart the smartphone in case it is a one-off error .

After doing one of the two options, everything usually returns to normal. If not, you should contact your operator to find out how to resolve this problem.

Delete app cache

After doing all these checks, WhatsApp Web should work fine , but this may not be the case and you may have to perform other actions such as deleting the application cache in order to be able to scan code correctly.

This is done as follows: Go to Settings > Storage > Other apps or from Settings > Apps & notifications , select WhatsApp and press where it says Clear cache .

Change browser

The other option is to change browsers, just in case the one you have used until now has some kind of error and does not allow the mobile to be linked to the web version. If you use Google Chrome you can change it to Microsoft Edge , Firefox or even try Safari.

This can be a solution, since there are times when with continuous handling or even with the installation of some extension, to give two examples, the link with WhatsApp can be damaged.

However, when changing browsers, unlink all the others from your smartphone, since otherwise the different links may cut the signal to the new one.

Just go to WhatsApp, tap on the three vertical dots at the top right, then tap Linked Devices , and finally unlink any other browsers that appear.

With these tips and tricks, you should be able to fix WhatsApp Web access issues due to QR code and get back to enjoying this handy communication tool.