Troubleshooting
WhatsApp disconnected: how to reconnect
When the number drops, the WhatsApp disconnected banner shows at the top of the dashboard and the status changes to Disconnected in Settings › Channels. A manager reconnects by clicking Reconnect (or Connect on the number’s row) and scanning the QR code again with the same phone. Then resend the messages marked Failed.
Step by step
Open Channels
Click Reconnect on the red banner or go to Settings › Channels.
Click Connect
On the row of the number with the Disconnected status, click Connect. It’s the same instance: your conversations stay linked to it.
Scan the QR code with the same phone
WhatsApp › Linked devices › Link a device. Use the phone for that same number.
Resend what failed
In the inbox, messages that didn’t go out show Failed and a Resend button.
How you find out
- A banner at the top, for the whole team: “WhatsApp disconnected: instance name”. Managers also see a Reconnect button. While the number is trying to come back on its own, the banner shows “Reconnecting WhatsApp…”.
- Settings › Channels: status Connected, Connecting or Disconnected. The Checked column shows how long ago the status was checked; TraceClose checks each number every minute.
- Alert: on plans with alerts, the “WhatsApp disconnected” system rule notifies managers in the app and by email when the number stays down for more than 3 minutes. It can’t be deleted, only turned off, in Analytics › Alerts.
Why the number drops
- The device was unlinked on the phone, under WhatsApp › Linked devices, by someone on the team or during a device cleanup.
- The phone was offline or turned off for a long time: WhatsApp may unlink the devices tied to the number.
- WhatsApp was reinstalled or the number moved to another phone.
- Someone clicked Disconnect in Settings › Channels.
- WhatsApp restricted the number, for example after many reports. In that case, reconnecting won’t help until WhatsApp lifts the restriction.
What happens to messages
While the number is disconnected, customer messages don’t reach the inbox. TraceClose doesn’t import history: what arrived on the phone during that gap may not show up later, so check the conversations on the phone itself once you reconnect.
What the team sends during that time doesn’t go out. TraceClose retries a few times over a few seconds and, if it still can’t send, marks the message as Failed, with a note below it:
| Note below the message | What to do |
|---|---|
| “WhatsApp is unavailable. The message was not sent.” | Reconnect and click Resend. |
| “Couldn’t send right now.” | Resend after checking that the number is Connected. |
| “WhatsApp refused to send it.” | WhatsApp didn’t accept this message. Check the contact’s number and the content before resending. |
| “We can’t tell whether the message went out. Check WhatsApp before resending.” | Look at the conversation on the phone. If the message is there, don’t resend it, so it isn’t duplicated. |
Nothing is resent automatically. After reconnecting, go through the open conversations and use Resend on the messages marked Failed.
Example
On a Monday morning, Example Co. saw the red banner: the sales-1 number had been removed from Linked devices while someone was switching phones. The manager clicked Reconnect, scanned the QR code with the new phone for the same number, and the status went back to Connected. Two replies the salesperson sent in the meantime were marked Failed with “WhatsApp is unavailable. The message was not sent.”; she clicked Resend on both.
Didn’t work? See…
- The QR code won’t connect: the QR code won’t connect.
- How alerts work: alerts and daily digest.
- Still dropping often? talk to us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to create another instance to reconnect?
No. Click Connect on the same row: your conversations stay linked to it. There’s no button to delete an instance.
Will the messages I sent while disconnected go out on their own later?
No. They stay marked Failed; after reconnecting, click Resend on each one.
Can a salesperson reconnect?
No. Creating, connecting and disconnecting numbers is for owners and managers. The salesperson sees the banner and lets the manager know.
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