If we can no longer use WhatsApp due to a version error, let’s see how to update it to send messages again.
The WhatsApp app receives regular updates to integrate new features and optimize the user experience on all phones. If for any reason we have skipped one or more WhatsApp updates, the app may stop working out of the blue or show warnings about new features (not usable on the old version in our possession).If we notice any problems with WhatsApp or some features are missing on our app in the following guide we will show you what to do when your WhatsApp version is old and outdated showing you both the methods to automatically update the app (without having to remember each time) and the methods to manually update the application.
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1) Automatically update WhatsApp on Android
Android allows you to automatically update the app versions, but we will have to pay attention to the settings provided by the Google Play Store: in case of incorrect configuration, the store will update automatically only when connected to a Wi-Fi network.
To always have all the apps updated even with the mobile data network (also considering the numerous Giga available with the current internet offers) we open the Google Play Store press on the profile icon at the top right, press on Settingslet’s expand the menu Network Preferences we press on the item Automatic app update and activate the voice On any network.
From now on WhatsApp will always be updated on our Android phones, and we will no longer have to worry about having to manually open the store looking for updates.
2) Automatically update WhatsApp on iPhone
Even on the iPhone, the WhatsApp app updates automatically if the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network; to allow the app to be updated in any network condition (therefore also using the mobile data network) all we have to do is open the app Settingspress on App Store and tick the item Automatic downloads under section Cellular data.
To make the automatic update of the apps on the Apple phone more effective, make sure that the items are active on the same screen App Updates, and, to the voice Download app in the section Cellular data the item is set Always allow.
3) Update WhatsApp on PC and Mac
WhatsApp can run on PCs and Macs in both modes WhatsApp Web both how app WhatsApp per PC e Mac.
In the first case we won’t have to update anything: being a web page, just press F5 on the keyboard to reload its content and thus obtain the most updated version of the page; in the second case we can update the WhatsApp desktop app (downloaded from the official site) by closing the WhatsApp window and reopening it (updates are downloaded in the background while using).
If we have downloaded WhatsApp from Microsoft Store (on Windows 11 or 10 PC) we can keep the WhatsApp app up to date by opening the app Microsoft Store from the Start menu, pressing the profile icon at the top, clicking on App Settings, and activating the check next to the item App updates.
If, on the other hand, we have downloaded WhatsApp from the App Store integrated into Macs, we can keep it updated by opening the icon Launchpadlooking for theApp Store by clicking on the top menu App Store by selecting the menu Preferences and finally ticking the item Automatic updates.
4) Update WhatsApp manually on Android
On Android it can happen to fail to update the WhatsApp app successfully for various reasons: in most cases, the problem is insufficient space, but it can happen that you have problems with updating the app also due to the Android version in use or an error while downloading the update.
If the problem is due to space on the android device we use an app like SD Maid to clean up the system and recover space; other useful tips for cleaning Android can be found in our guide on what to do if the phone memory is full (Android).
If, on the other hand, the problem is of unknown origin and we are unable to obtain the latest version of WhatsApp in any way, we advise you to uninstall the app used so far (but only after doing a good backup on WhatsApp) and download the WhatsApp APK file directly from the official site; alternatively, we can always download the WhatsApp APK from APKMirror an authoritative source of apps.
Have we never installed an APK on Android before? In this case, we advise you to read our guides on how to check if an apk app is a virus come on how to install android apps from apk files to understand how to proceed in complete safety.
5) Update WhatsApp manually on iPhone
Even on the iPhone, we can encounter the same space problems seen on Android: if the space is insufficient, it is not possible to download new versions of the WhatsApp app on our phone. To clean your phone from temporary files and to recover space to update apps, we advise you to read our guides on how to recover space on your iPhone if the storage is full come on how to free up space on your iPhone’s internal memory.
After obtaining the necessary space we can manually update the WhatsApp app by opening the App Store by pressing on the profile icon, scrolling through the page, and pressing on Refresh everything (to update all apps) or on the key Update (next to the WhatsApp app).
Conclusions
If your WhatsApp version is old and outdated we can force automatic updates on our phones and computers to avoid finding ourselves in the same situation after several weeks or months; if, on the other hand, the problem cannot be solved with the automatic update, try downloading the APK of WhatsApp for Android or freeing up the memory space.
We also remind you to check the version of the operating system in use: WhatsApp runs only on terminals that have Android 4.0.3 or higher or Apple iOS 12 or higher; in this regard, we invite you to read the guide on how to know the android version on your phone or tablet.
Still, on the WhatsApp theme, we can read our guides on how to hide confirmations, access, image, info, and status on Whatsapp or what to do if WhatsApp calls have low quality.