WhatsApp is indeed a great communication app to have fun with friends and family. The app is available for all platforms and is used by everyone in the world.
If you are a regular WhatsApp user, you may know about WhatsApp backups. The app automatically saves a copy of your messages and media files to your Google Drive or iCloud account.
The WhatsApp backup comes to the rescue in many vital situations like switching or losing your phone. Backups make it easy to get back to your chats.
Although WhatsApp’s backup system is bug-free, it can still throw errors at times. Recently, “Could not complete backup” error has been troubling many WhatsApp users and they are looking for solutions.
10 Ways to Fix WhatsApp Failed to Complete Backup Error
So if you have just come across the WhatsApp ‘Could not complete backup’ error message, then continue reading the manual. Below we have shared some of the best ways to get the Could not complete WhatsApp backup error.
1. Make sure your phone is connected to the Internet
Before proceeding with the solutions, make sure that your phone is connected to an active and stable internet connection.
No internet or unstable internet is often the reason why WhatsApp Chat Backup fails. As a result, you will see the error message ‘Could not complete the backup’.
So, open your favorite web browser on Android/iPhone and visit the fast.com website. The site shows you the internet speed in real time.
2. Launch WhatsApp Backup manually
If you just encountered the “Could not complete backup” error on WhatsApp for iPhone, you need to start the backup manually. Many errors are the result of a bug or glitch, which can be avoided by starting the backup manually.
1. Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone and tap Institutions in the lower right corner.
2. Now switch to the To chat.
3. On the Chats screen, tap Chat backup.
4. Tap the Backup now option on the Chat Backup screen.
5. If you are using Android, tap three dots > Institutions.
6. Select in Settings To chat > Chat backup > Back up.
That is it! This is how you can manually start WhatsApp Backup on your iPhone or Android.
3. Allow WhatsApp to use iCloud
Generally, “Could not complete backup” error is displayed on WhatsApp for iPhone. The error appears when WhatsApp is not allowed to use iCloud or has insufficient storage space to store the backup on the iCloud account.
1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap the name of your iPhone.
2. Tap on the next screen iCloud.
3. Now on the Apps using iCloud screen, tap on the Show all knob.
4. Search and turn on the switch in addition to the WhatsApp app. If it’s already on, turn it off and on again.
That is it! You also need to make sure that your Apple iCloud storage has enough space.
4. Allow WhatsApp to use data in the background on Android
The latest versions of Android have a feature that limits the app’s background data usage to save internet bandwidth. Therefore, you need to make sure that the Android WhatsApp app is allowed to use data in the background. Here’s what to do.
1. Press and hold the WhatsApp app icon on your home screen and select App info.
2. In the App info, tap on the Data usage option.
3. On the data usage screen, turn on the switch for Background information.
That is it! This is how to allow background data usage for WhatsApp on Android.
5. Enable background app refresh for WhatsApp for iPhone
If the WhatsApp app on your iPhone is set to back up automatically, but it doesn’t, you need to check if background app refresh is enabled for WhatsApp. If it is not enabled, you will see the WhatsApp Could not complete backup error on your iPhone. Here’s how to fix it.
1. Open the Institutions app on your iPhone.
2. On the Settings screen, scroll down and tap General.
2. Now tap on the background app refresh and find WhatsApp.
3. Turn on the switch for background app refresh.
That is it! Here’s how to enable background app refresh for WhatsApp for iPhone.
6. Exclude videos from WhatsApp backup
WhatsApp Chat backup may contain videos you receive from your friends. If the video size is too large, WhatsApp may not be able to complete your backup and you may see the error “Could not complete backup”.
So if you can’t fix the error message, it’s best to exclude videos from WhatsApp backup.
1. Open the WhatsApp app on your phone and tap the three dots at the top right.
2. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On iPhone, open WhatsApp > Settings.
3. On the Settings screen, tap the To chat.
4. On the Chats screen, tap Chat backup.
5. Under the backup settings, turn off the switch for Add videos.
That is it! This is how you exclude videos from WhatsApp chat backup.
7. Clear WhatsApp app cache on Android
Clearing WhatsApp cache is another best solution for “Could not complete backup” error. This method rules out problems you may encounter due to corrupted WhatsApp cache files. Here’s what to do.
1. Long press the WhatsApp icon on your Android’s home screen and select App information.
2. On the App info screen, tap Storage usage.
3. On the Storage Usage screen, tap the Clear cache knob.
That is it! This will clear the WhatsApp Cache file stored on your Android smartphone. Now open the WhatsApp app and restart the backup.
8. Clear the Google Play Services cache
Google Play services are important for connecting your apps to Google services. A problem with Google Play Services means that WhatsApp cannot connect to your Google Drive account to store the backup. Therefore, clearing the Google Play Services cache is essential especially if the problem is still not fixed.
1. Open the Settings app on your Android and tap the Applications.
2. Now tap on App Manager and find the Google Play Services.
3. Tap Google Play Services and select Storage usage.
4. On the Storage Usage screen, tap the Clear cache choice.
That is it! After making the changes, restart your Android smartphone. After reboot, restart WhatsApp backup. This fixes the WhatsApp Couldn’t Complete Backup error.
9. Update the WhatsApp app
Outdated apps are usually problematic, especially when they try to connect to the internet to retrieve information. It is always recommended to keep apps updated for security and privacy features.
Chances are that the version of WhatsApp you are using is outdated and that is why the app is not completing the backup. So you can try to update your WhatsApp app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
10. Reinstall the WhatsApp app
If nothing worked for you, reinstalling the app is your last resort. This will keep the WhatsApp installation files from getting corrupted and will most likely fix the issues.
However, the problem with reinstallation is that you have to verify your number again and restore the backup. And since WhatsApp can’t complete the backup, you will be presented with an old backup to restore.
If you are fine with the old backup, then go ahead and reinstall the WhatsApp application on your Android or iPhone.
So, these are the few best solutions for WhatsApp ‘Could not complete backup’ error message. If you followed all the methods correctly, the problem may have already been fixed. Let us know in the comments if you need more help.
