A WhatsApp call comes in, your phone rings, and the full call screen never appears. Sometimes the display stays black, and you have to unlock the phone before you can answer. The fixes below run from the quickest checks to the more involved ones.

Check the internet connection

Open a browser on your phone and load a website. The WhatsApp Help Center lists connection problems as the first thing to rule out when notifications are missing.

Allow full-screen notifications for WhatsApp

On Android 14 and higher, a limit applies to full-screen notifications. Android’s AOSP documentation says the permission that lets an app send full-screen notifications can be granted only to apps that provide calling and alarm functions, a limit added to prevent ad spam and credential phishing.

The Android developer documentation describes full-screen intent notifications as designed for extremely high-priority notifications demanding the user’s immediate attention, such as an incoming phone call or alarm clock settings configured by the user.

On Android 14 and higher, this permission decides whether an incoming call launches the full-screen interface on your phone. AOSP says that when a user denies it, a locked screen shows a heads-up notification with pill buttons first in the list for 60 seconds.

An off screen turns on the always-on display and shows the same heads-up notification for 60 seconds, according to the same page. When the permission is granted, the full-screen intent launches on the locked screen, the off screen and the always-on display, and an unlocked screen shows a persistent heads-up notification with pill buttons.

AOSP also says that for all apps being installed on Android 14 the permission is enabled by default, and that the Google Play Store revokes it upon installation for apps that do not have calling or alarm functionalities. For apps installed on phones running Android 13 or lower, it remains enabled by default.

The Android developer documentation says the Google Play Store revokes the default USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT permission for any apps that do not fit the calling and alarm profile, with a deadline for these policy changes of 31 May 2024.

It also says the permission remains enabled for apps installed on the phone before the user updates to Android 14, and that users can turn this permission on and off.

AOSP places the setting in the Settings menu under Special App Access, where the entry is called Manage full screen intents, and says users can revoke the permission from that screen. Menu wording and the exact path vary by manufacturer, so the label on your phone may refer to full screen intents or full-screen notifications.

  1. Open Settings on your phone.
  2. Go to Apps, then Special app access.
  3. Open the entry for full screen intents.
  4. Turn the switch on for WhatsApp.

Place a test call from another phone with your screen locked and the display off.

Turn on WhatsApp notifications in your phone’s settings

WhatsApp says that when its notifications are turned off in your phone’s settings, incoming WhatsApp notifications are silenced.

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings, then Notifications, then App notifications.
  2. Scroll down and tap WhatsApp.
  3. Turn on notifications.

WhatsApp also says your phone’s settings override WhatsApp settings, and to check your phone’s settings when notifications are not arriving. WhatsApp says popup notifications are not available on Android versions 10 and above.

Turn on notifications inside WhatsApp

Open WhatsApp, tap the menu icon, then Settings, then Notifications. Turn on the notifications you want to receive.

Turn background data back on

WhatsApp lists restricted background data among the causes of notification problems.

  1. Tap your phone’s Settings, then Apps, then WhatsApp, then Mobile data usage.
  2. Turn Background data off and then on again.

Turn off Do Not Disturb

WhatsApp lists Do not disturb being turned on among the causes of notification problems and says to make sure it is turned off.

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings, then Modes.
  2. Tap Do Not Disturb.
  3. Tap Turn off.

Update WhatsApp

WhatsApp says to make sure you are using the latest version of the app, and that you can update it on the Google Play Store.

Restart the phone and check for software updates

WhatsApp says to turn your device off and back on and check for software updates to resolve any technical issues.

Contact the phone’s manufacturer

Menu names and exact paths differ between manufacturers, so the steps above may not match your handset. WhatsApp says that if the troubleshooting options still leave notifications missing, your phone’s manufacturer is the place to go for further assistance.

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