The ‘Download Failed’ error message is extremely common among WhatsApp users and can crop up for many reasons.
Whatsapp often displays the message ‘Ask that it be re-sent’.
Luckily, they are all easy fixes – it is just a case of finding which one is causing you an issue.
In this post, I’ll go through these one at a time – and give you the solution to this annoying problem!
Connectivity Issues
The first is to rule out any connectivity issues. You can do this easily by opening your browser and trying to visit a webpage. If the webpage is unable to load, you have connectivity issues, which explains why your download has failed.
The best way of sorting out connectivity issues is to get a Wi-Fi booster. Set that up in your house, and it will cure a host of tech issues, including this Whatsapp one.
On the other hand, if the webpage loads, you might have a problem with the date and time settings on WhatsApp.
Adjust Date and Time Settings on WhatsApp for ‘Download Failed’ Error
Another reason you might be experiencing the ‘Download failed’ message on WhatsApp is having the incorrect date and time settings on the app.
Having the incorrect date and time in WhatsApp can prevent you from connecting to the WhatsApp servers. This means you will be unable to complete downloads in WhatsApp messages.
To check you have the correct date and time settings you need to:
- Open WhatsApp and navigate to ‘Settings’.
- Next, go to ‘System’ and ‘Date and Time’.
- Check you have the correct date and time set.
- If not, update these settings and save.
- Go back to your message and try to complete the download again.
Still having issues with WhatsApp ‘Download failed please ask that it be re-sent to you’ error message?
WhatsApp Error Fix: Check Your SD Card or Device Storage
You might be encountering this error message in WhatsApp if you don’t have enough internal memory or free memory on your SD card.
In your device settings, check your storage space and if you are at full capacity, delete some files to free up some space.
If you use an SD card in your device, check that it is not set to ‘Read-only’. This will prevent you from downloading files in apps such as WhatsApp.
You can check whether your SD card is ‘Read-only’ by trying to save a file to the memory card that is not on WhatsApp. If you are unable to save a file from elsewhere, it may be corrupt or could need re-formatting.
Other Common Issues to Check for WhatsApp Error Message
If you are still unable to download media content on WhatsApp, there are several other fixes you can try.
Firstly, check that you have the latest version of WhatsApp downloaded on your device.
You can do this by going to the App Store and navigate to your app updates. If WhatsApp is on the list, tap ‘Update’ and download the latest version of the app.
After it is installed, try to download your media files again.
Secondly, you might need to clear your cache and data saved in WhatsApp. You can do this by navigating to your device settings, and clicking ‘Apps’.
Find WhatsApp and tap ‘Clear Cache’ and ‘Clear Data’. This will remove any unnecessary saved data that might be preventing you from downloading media in the app.
How to Avoid ‘Download Failed’ Error on WhatsApp
There are several steps you can take to avoid being met with the ‘Download Failed’ message on WhatsApp in the future.
An easy one is to always update your WhatsApp with the latest version as soon as it becomes available. It is easy to ignore updates, however, having the latest version will ensure your WhatsApp works without glitches.
Also, try and make sure that you always have free storage space on your mobile device. A quick way to do this is to delete files you are no longer using, such as photos or videos.
We all tend to accumulate old files on our mobile devices; however, a regular spring-clean will make sure your device runs quicker and will also leave space for files you receive over WhatsApp in the future.
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