Fix: WhatsApp won’t send pictures

Contemporary instant messengers are so versatile that you can, with most of them, send any file to your contacts. Of course, WhatsApp can send any file format (up to 100 MB in size), including pictures and videos. However, some users stated that, for some reason, WhatsApp won’t send images.

If you are affected by this, make sure to continue reading below.

1. Clear app data
2. Check storage space
3. Check the Time and Date
4. Reinstall the app
5. Inspect SD card
6. Leave the Beta program

Why can’t I send photos on WhatsApp?

There are a variety of reasons why WhatsApp won’t send pictures. If we exclude the ones on the server side which can be identified on Down Detector, the problem might lie in the low storage space, inaccurate time and date, or inaccessible SD card. Among other things, of course.

First, ensure that the picture you want to send is stored locally. In addition, it’s important that your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection is stable. If you can confirm both, but WhatsApp won’t send pictures, move to the solutions below.

With this troubleshooting guide, you should resolve the problem in a matter of minutes.

Solution 1 – Clear app data

Let’s start by clearing the pilled-up data from the WhatsApp app. We suggest backing up all received files since this procedure will erase them. You can do so by moving them to a different folder or by using WhatsApp’s own Google Drive backup feature. Or simply back up all photos and videos to Google Photos.

Here’s how to clear app data from WhatsApp:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select Manage apps.
4. Locate WhatsApp and open Storage.
5. Tap Clear data.
6. Confirm the selection when prompted.

Solution 2 – Check storage space

Usually, storage is the problem when receiving messages, however, it’s still advised for all users to keep some free storage space in order for WhatsApp to work in a seamless manner.

Here are some tips to grab some extra space on your smartphone:

• Navigate to Settings > Storage and clear Cached Data.
• Back up your files to Google Drive (or any other cloud storage of your choice) and delete them from your phone.
• Alternatively, back up your files to a PC.
• Uninstall unused apps from your device.

Solution 3 – Check the Time and Date

Another possible reason for delayed or incomplete incoming messages or, in this case, failing to send pictures, lies in inaccurate date and time settings. What you need to do is enable automatic time on your device.

Follow these instructions to set a proper time and date:

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose System or Additional settings.
3. Open Date & time.
4. Toggle ON the “Use network-provided time” option.
5. Reboot your device.

Solution 4 – Reinstall the app

Alternatively, you can try and reinstall the app if WhatsApp still won’t send pictures. That way, you’ll start from scratch while getting yourself the latest update.

Follow these steps to reinstall WhatsApp:

1. On the home screen, tap & drag WhatsApp toward the top until you are prompted. Choose Uninstall to remove WhatsApp from your phone.
2. Open Play Store.
3. Search for WhatsApp and download it.
4. Insert your phone number and log in again. You’ll be prompted to restore any backups from Google Drive.

Solution 5 – Inspect SD card (give access)

If you store your multimedia files on external storage, chances are that the SD card leads to issues. It can either be a permission-related issue as WhatsApp can’t access your SD card to load pictures for sending or, alternatively, the SD is corrupted.

Here’s how to grant WhatsApp storage access:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select Manage apps.
4. Locate WhatsApp and choose App permissions.
5. Tap on Storage and choose Allow.

And this is how to format an SD card in case it’s corrupted:

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Storage.
3. Select the SD card.
4. Choose Format and confirm.

Solution 6 – Leave the Beta program

Finally, if you enrolled in the WhatsApp Beta program, we recommend leaving it. These releases are not as stable and there might be a bug at hand. Going for a stable public release is a safe bet.

Follow these steps to leave the WhatsApp Beta program:

1. Open Play Store.
2. Search for WhatsApp and scroll down until you reach the You’re a beta tester section.
3. Tap Leave and wait until you are removed from the Beta program.
4. Restart your phone and update WhatsApp.

That’s it. We sincerely hope one of these solutions helped you address the issue. If WhatsApp still won’t send pictures, make sure to report it to WhatsApp support. In addition, if you are aware of alternative solutions, be so kind as to share them with us in the comments section below, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2019. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.