The Sunday letter · MyTextStoryIssue 01081522283337404345474848
MyTextStory.
Loading the fixes
WhatsApp backup stuck? Here is how to fix it
Stuck at 0%, frozen at 99% or failing every night: the fixes that get your chats safely backed up.
- KindWhatsApp
- DateSep 28, 2026
- Read time11 min
WhatsApp backup stuck? Here is how to fix it
Stuck at 0%, frozen at 99% or failing every night: the fixes that get your chats safely backed up.
- KindWhatsApp
- DateSep 28, 2026
- Read time11 min
WhatsApp backup stuck? Here is how to fix it
Stuck at 0%, frozen at 99% or failing every night: the fixes that get your chats safely backed up.
- KindWhatsApp
- DateSep 28, 2026
- Read time11 min
WhatsAppSep 28, 202611 min read
Few things are as worrying as a WhatsApp backup that will not finish. Your chats, photos and voice notes are in there, and if the phone is lost before the backup works, they are gone. The good news: a stuck backup almost always has one of four causes.
Start by opening WhatsApp, then Settings, Chats and Chat backup. Look at the date and size of the last backup. If the last successful backup was weeks ago, work through the steps below in order and try again after each one.
On Android: check Google Drive
Make sure the Google account shown under Chat backup is the one you actually use, and that its Google Drive storage has free space. Then check that Google Play services is up to date, and in phone Settings, Apps, Google Play services, clear the cache. Backups stuck at 0% are very often fixed by this alone.
“Most stuck backups are not broken. They are waiting for space, Wi-Fi or permission.
On iPhone: check iCloud
Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and make sure iCloud Drive is on and WhatsApp is allowed to use it. Your iCloud storage needs free space of at least twice the size of the backup. If it is nearly full, delete old device backups in iCloud or upgrade the plan for a month.
If it still will not finish
Large videos are the usual reason a backup freezes near the end. In Chat backup, turn off Include videos and run it again. Connect to strong Wi-Fi, plug in the charger and keep WhatsApp open for the first few minutes.
When the backup finally completes, check that the date has changed, then turn videos back on if you need them. Do not delete WhatsApp or switch phones until you see a fresh backup date with the right size.
— MyTextStory
All posts
WhatsAppSep 28, 202611 min read
Few things are as worrying as a WhatsApp backup that will not finish. Your chats, photos and voice notes are in there, and if the phone is lost before the backup works, they are gone. The good news: a stuck backup almost always has one of four causes.
Start by opening WhatsApp, then Settings, Chats and Chat backup. Look at the date and size of the last backup. If the last successful backup was weeks ago, work through the steps below in order and try again after each one.
On Android: check Google Drive
Make sure the Google account shown under Chat backup is the one you actually use, and that its Google Drive storage has free space. Then check that Google Play services is up to date, and in phone Settings, Apps, Google Play services, clear the cache. Backups stuck at 0% are very often fixed by this alone.
“Most stuck backups are not broken. They are waiting for space, Wi-Fi or permission.
On iPhone: check iCloud
Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and make sure iCloud Drive is on and WhatsApp is allowed to use it. Your iCloud storage needs free space of at least twice the size of the backup. If it is nearly full, delete old device backups in iCloud or upgrade the plan for a month.
If it still will not finish
Large videos are the usual reason a backup freezes near the end. In Chat backup, turn off Include videos and run it again. Connect to strong Wi-Fi, plug in the charger and keep WhatsApp open for the first few minutes.
When the backup finally completes, check that the date has changed, then turn videos back on if you need them. Do not delete WhatsApp or switch phones until you see a fresh backup date with the right size.
— MyTextStory
All postsWhatsAppSep 28, 202611 min read
Few things are as worrying as a WhatsApp backup that will not finish. Your chats, photos and voice notes are in there, and if the phone is lost before the backup works, they are gone. The good news: a stuck backup almost always has one of four causes.
Start by opening WhatsApp, then Settings, Chats and Chat backup. Look at the date and size of the last backup. If the last successful backup was weeks ago, work through the steps below in order and try again after each one.
On Android: check Google Drive
Make sure the Google account shown under Chat backup is the one you actually use, and that its Google Drive storage has free space. Then check that Google Play services is up to date, and in phone Settings, Apps, Google Play services, clear the cache. Backups stuck at 0% are very often fixed by this alone.
“Most stuck backups are not broken. They are waiting for space, Wi-Fi or permission.
On iPhone: check iCloud
Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and make sure iCloud Drive is on and WhatsApp is allowed to use it. Your iCloud storage needs free space of at least twice the size of the backup. If it is nearly full, delete old device backups in iCloud or upgrade the plan for a month.
If it still will not finish
Large videos are the usual reason a backup freezes near the end. In Chat backup, turn off Include videos and run it again. Connect to strong Wi-Fi, plug in the charger and keep WhatsApp open for the first few minutes.
When the backup finally completes, check that the date has changed, then turn videos back on if you need them. Do not delete WhatsApp or switch phones until you see a fresh backup date with the right size.
— MyTextStory
All posts