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A WhatsApp backup stuck at 99% or on “preparing” most often comes from full online storage: the Google account on Android, iCloud on iPhone. An unstable connection or oversized videos cause the same freeze. The first checks take a few minutes; the space you free on Google can take 48 to 72 hours to show up.
Common symptoms and causes
- The backup stays stuck at 99% or on “preparing”.
- The Google or iCloud account is full.
- The backup is too large, especially with videos.
- The Wi-Fi is unstable, or the phone switched networks during the upload.
- iOS or WhatsApp is out of date.
- On Android, the Google account chosen in WhatsApp is not the phone’s account.
- On iPhone, a restore is running or a restrictive profile blocks iCloud.
Before you start
Use a stable Wi-Fi network and keep the phone plugged in. According to user reports, keeping the screen unlocked during the backup also helps.
Check that you are using the same Google account (Android), or the same iCloud account and phone number (iPhone), as for your previous backups.
Warning: a new backup overwrites the old one, so back up before changing anything. Do not delete the old backup or uninstall WhatsApp until you have another copy of your chats: without one, your history is lost.
Warning: if you turned on end-to-end encrypted backup, store its password or key somewhere safe. If the password or key is lost, the backup cannot be recovered.
Warning: signing out of iCloud affects every app that uses it. Keep this for a last resort, after making another copy of your data.
Solution 1: check the connection and the backup account
A backup needs a stable connection. On Android, it must also go to the Google account the phone uses.
On Android (Google Drive backup)
- Connect the phone to a stable Wi-Fi network. According to an unverified snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages, Wi-Fi saves your mobile data.
- Open WhatsApp > More options (top right) > Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Check that the Google account shown is the phone’s account.
- If you have several Google accounts, pick the one you will also use on your next device.
- Tap Back up.
Depending on the WhatsApp version, the menu labels may differ slightly. The progress bar should now move all the way to 100%.
On iPhone (iCloud backup)
- Open Settings > Wi-Fi and check that the iPhone is connected.
- Join a different Wi-Fi network if the backup still freezes on the first one.
The backup should resume and get past the percentage where it stopped.
Tip: note that percentage before each solution. If it moves, your change had an effect.
Solution 2: free up space on the Google or iCloud account
On Android, the free 15 GB of a Google account is shared between Drive, Gmail, Photos and WhatsApp backups. A full account makes the backup impossible.
On Android: Google Drive space
Warning: emptying the trash (step 6) permanently deletes its contents.
- In Google Drive, open Storage in the left-hand menu.
- Sort the files from largest to smallest.
- Delete the large files you no longer need.
- In Gmail, search for
has:attachment larger:10Mto find messages with attachments over 10 MB. - Delete the ones you do not keep.
- Empty the trash and spam folders of Gmail, Drive and Photos.
The quota shown updates within 48 to 72 hours. Wait for the freed space to appear, then restart the backup: it should run to the end.
Good to know: our guide explains how to cancel a Google Drive storage subscription.
On iPhone: WhatsApp iCloud backup blocked by space
- Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups.
- Tap the name of your iPhone.
- Read the Next Backup Size value.
- If iCloud does not have enough room, delete data from iCloud or move to an iCloud+ plan.
- Free up space on the iPhone and on iCloud: you would need roughly 2.05 times the size of the WhatsApp backup free in both places (snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages, not confirmed).
The free space must exceed the size of the backup before you restart the upload.
Solution 3: leave videos out of the backup
Videos weigh a lot in a WhatsApp backup. Removing them makes it smaller.
Warning: the new backup, without videos, will replace the old one. Save the important videos first.
On Android
- In WhatsApp, open Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Turn off Include videos.
- Tap Back up.
On iPhone
- In WhatsApp’s chat backup settings, turn off the Include videos option.
On iPhone, this option is mentioned by a forum but not confirmed by any official source, and its path has not been verified. The backup should be smaller and finish sooner.
Solution 4: update everything if the WhatsApp backup will not run
On Android
- Update WhatsApp from the Google Play Store.
- Clear WhatsApp’s cache in Android’s app settings.
- Clear the cache of Google Play Services the same way.
- Restart the backup from Chat backup.
None of these three steps is confirmed by an official source we consulted. The backup should start without staying on “preparing”.
Good to know: clearing the cache is not clearing the storage. The button next to it, which erases the app’s data, is not needed here.
On iPhone
- Open Settings > General > Software Update and install the update offered.
- Update WhatsApp from the App Store.
- Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and check that the option is not greyed out.
- If it is greyed out during a restore, wait for it to finish: the backup resumes afterwards.
- If it stays greyed out, open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and look for a profile that restricts iCloud.
- In the iCloud Drive settings, turn WhatsApp off, then on again.
- Leave the iPhone plugged in and on Wi-Fi: Apple says a slow backup can take up to 24 hours.
Updating WhatsApp from the App Store (step 2) is not confirmed by any official source we consulted. Step 6 comes from a snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages and a forum, without confirmation.
The forum words it differently: switch WhatsApp off, then on again in the list of apps that use iCloud. Progress should resume and complete.
Solution 5: WhatsApp backup still stuck, start from scratch (Android)
WhatsApp keeps a single backup per account, on Google as on iCloud: each new backup replaces the previous one. Deleting the old one lets you start over.
Warning: the next step permanently erases the WhatsApp backup stored on the Google account. Back up first: there is no online copy until the new backup finishes.
- In Google One, delete the WhatsApp backup.
- Leave WhatsApp’s backup settings unchanged.
- Open Chat backup in WhatsApp and tap Back up.
A fresh, complete backup should be created on the Google account.
Good to know: according to an unverified snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages, an Android backup that has not been updated for more than five months is deleted from Google automatically.
If nothing works
Stop trying if the backup still freezes after these five solutions. If you are changing phones, use a direct transfer: on Android, an option along the lines of Transfer from your old phone (over Wi-Fi) is mentioned, with no confirmed label; on iPhone, an unverified snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages mentions chat transfer.
According to those same unverified snippets, WhatsApp cannot recover a corrupted backup.
Then contact WhatsApp support from the app, most likely through Help > Contact us. Have the phone model, the system and WhatsApp versions, the backup size and the percentage where it stops ready. If the problem appears when you try to get your messages back, see our guide on a WhatsApp backup that will not restore.
Protect your data: our backup and storage toolbox
Freeing up space on your phone, keeping a copy of your photos and protecting your accounts helps stop a WhatsApp backup from getting stuck again.
- SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe 128 GB, Lightning and USB-C drive for iPhoneThis drive plugs straight into the iPhone, through Lightning or USB-C, to copy photos and videos off it. The space you free up helps heavy backups, such as the WhatsApp one, to finish.AmazonSee at Amazon
- SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go 128 GB, USB-C and USB-A flash drivePlugs straight into a USB-C phone to copy photos and files, then into a computer. Back up your data before a factory reset.AmazonSee at Amazon
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1 TBThis pocket SSD plugs into a computer over USB to hold all your photos, videos and files. It frees up the phone and the online account before a big backup.AmazonSee at Amazon- Bitdefender Total Security, 1-year licence for 3 devices (Android, iPhone, PC, Mac)Scans the phone for malicious apps and protects against phishing, on Android and on iPhone. Useful if a suspicious app is behind the sounds or the fake alerts.AmazonSee at Amazon
- Samsung EVO Plus 256 GB microSD card (2024) with SD adapterThis microSD card adds storage to Android phones that have a card slot. Moving photos and videos onto it lightens the phone memory and the WhatsApp backup.AmazonSee at Amazon
UGREEN Nexode 65 W charger (3 ports)This 65 W charger has three ports to power a phone, a tablet and a laptop at once. It keeps the battery full during a long backup.AmazonSee at Amazon- Anker USB-C to USB-C cable 140 W, braided, 1.2 mA braided 1.2 m USB-C cable to charge and transfer data from a phone, a tablet or an earbuds case. Handy to rule out a damaged cable when charging goes wrong.AmazonSee at Amazon
Frequently asked questions
Why does my WhatsApp backup stay stuck at 99%?
Most often the Google or iCloud account is full, the Wi-Fi dropped, or videos make the backup too heavy. Out-of-date iOS or WhatsApp can also play a part. On iPhone, switching WhatsApp off and on again in iCloud Drive is a tip cited by WhatsApp’s help pages and a forum, but not confirmed.
How long does a WhatsApp backup take?
There is no official duration for the WhatsApp backup itself. For the iPhone’s iCloud backup, Apple says a slow backup can take up to 24 hours, with the phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi. That figure applies to the device, not to WhatsApp.
How do I back up WhatsApp without Google Drive?
To move to a new phone, a direct Wi-Fi transfer is mentioned, but its label and how it works are not confirmed. According to an unverified snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages, exporting a chat is not a substitute for a backup: it produces a text file that WhatsApp cannot import again.
Does the WhatsApp backup count toward Google storage?
Yes, the WhatsApp backup uses the free 15 GB of the Google account, shared with Drive, Gmail and Photos. When that quota is full, the backup can no longer run. According to an unverified snippet of WhatsApp’s help pages, it is end-to-end encrypted only if you have turned on the encrypted backup option.
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