WhatsApp web is an amazing way to stay connected with everyone without opening the phone.
But sometimes you get an error saying that WhatsApp web couldn’t link device; try again later.
A few users also get a loading message after scanning the QR code, but it never seems to load.
This means that you couldn’t link the PC to your WhatsApp app through the linked devices.
So, let us learn to fix the couldn’t link device error on our own without calling an expert.
How do I fix WhatsApp web couldn’t link device try again later error?
Before moving forward with the detailed solutions, try these workarounds.
- Restart the internet/WiFi router.
- Turn off any Proxy/VPN that you are using on a PC or the phone.
- Remove and insert the SIM card again.
- Update WhatsApp from the app store.
- Remove WhatsApp beta or modded installation and install the standard version from the app store.
- Restart the phone and PC, and then try again.
1. Remove Face or Iris recognition
You have to remove the Face or Iris-based lock on your phone before trying to link a device to WhatsApp web. Sometimes, the locks glitch, so here is how you can remove it.
1. Head to your phone’s settings.
2. Search and head to face recognition inside the biometrics settings.
Note – Search for iris Scanner if face recognition is not available.
3. Now select remove face data and then confirm when prompted.
4. Now try linking the device again for WhatsApp web. This should solve the error.
2. Allow permissions to WhatsApp
WhatsApp needs all the permissions on the phone to function properly. Here is how you can grant them all to it.
1. Long-press the WhatsApp icon on the screen to open the options. Then go to App Info from there.
2. Head to permissions from the App info page.
3. Grant all the permissions and leave nothing in the not allowed section.
Make sure to allow all – Nearby devices, Camera, Contacts, Microphone, Music and audio, Notifications, Call Logs, Phone, Photos and videos
4. Restart the phone and then try linking it to a new device.
4. Clear WhatsApp’s cache
Older cache and data of WhatsApp can conflict with newer app updates. Here is how you can clear the cache.
1. Head to the App info through the WhatsApp icon or via the settings page.
2. Go to Storage from the app info section.
3. Tap on clear cache, and it will remove WhatsApp’s cache from the device.
5. Remove browser cache and data
Older cookies, webpage files and data can become corrupted and throw random errors on your browser. So, here is how you can remove them on leading the browsers.
You can use our guide to clear your browser data on Chrome for a specific website.
For Google Chrome
1. Go to the following address on Chrome.
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData2. In the basic tab, select all three options along with the time range as All time. Then click clear data, and it will be cleared in a couple of seconds.
For Mozilla Firefox
2. Launch Firefox and head to the following address.
about:preferences#privacy3. Scroll down and select Clear History in the history section.
4. Select cookies, cache, and then click Clear Now to clear the data on Firefox.
6. Turn on Airplane/Flight mode
This method works especially if you have an eSIM on the phone. You need to turn off your mobile’s network and use the WiFi network to link the device. Here is how you can do it.
1. Turn on Airplane mode from the notification tray.
2. Once the SIM network has turned off and you see an airplane icon, turn on WiFi from the same menu.
3. Once WiFi network-based internet is working on the device, try to link the device again.
7. Reinstall WhatsApp
When none of the above solutions work, you can consider uninstalling WhatsApp from your device. Then, you can reinstall it from the Play Store or iOS App Store.
Link Devices for WhatsApp web
So, this is how we can fix the couldn’t link error for WhatsApp. Make sure to have the internet turned on on both the phone and the PC to successfully link the devices.