If Whatsapp link previews are not showing on your mobile device or PC, read this post. We will show you how to fix the issue using some simple steps.
A link preview is a small snippet that appears when you share a URL over a WhatsApp chat. It shows the title, description, and (sometimes) an image associated with the link to give the recipient a quick glimpse of the shared content. However, sometimes, you may find that Whatsapp link previews are not showing or generating properly. This is a common issue that many users are facing, often leading to frustration.
Why is my WhatsApp not showing link preview?
If WhatsApp does not show link previews, it could be due to several reasons, including privacy settings, corrupted cache data on your device, a slow or unstable internet connection, and potential glitches caused by outdated app versions. Additionally, some websites may not provide WhatsApp’s necessary metadata to create the link preview, leading to situations where the link appears as a plain URL.
Fix WhatsApp Link Preview not showing
If you’re experiencing issues with WhatsApp not showing link previews on your PC or phone, follow these suggetsions:
- Turn off ‘Disable link previews’
- Check the internet connection speed
- Clear WhatsApp cache
- Other reasons.
Let us see this in detail.
1] Turn off ‘Disable link previews’
The ‘Disable link previews’ setting prevents WhatsApp from generating a preview for URLs you share in chats, helping to protect your privacy by not fetching data from third-party websites. The setting is off by default. However, if link previews are not showing, ensure this setting hasn’t been accidentally turned on. If so, disable it to restore previews.
- Windows: Open the WhatsApp Web app in your browser. Click the Settings icon in the bottom-left corner. Go to Privacy, scroll down, and look for ‘Disable link previews‘ under the Advanced section. Make sure the option is unchecked.
- Android/iPhone: Tap the three dots icon (Android) or the Settings tab (iPhone). Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advanced and make sure the ‘Disable link previews‘ setting is off.
2] Check the internet connection speed
A weak or unstable internet connection can prevent WhatsApp from generating link previews. Ensure that your connection speed is stable.
- Windows: Test your connection speed and switch to a faster network if necessary.
- Android/iPhone: Check if you’re connected to a strong Wi-Fi or cellular network and try switching between them if required. Use Speed test apps to verify your connection.
Read: How to secure WhatsApp from Hackers
3] Clear WhatsApp cache
Cached data can sometimes cause issues with link previews. Clear the cache and see if it helps.
- Windows: Using CCleaner is an effective way to clear WhatsApp cache on Windows. Alternatively, you can manually clear the cache by logging out of the WhatsApp Desktop app and deleting the cache files from the app’s data folder, or by uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Make sure your chats are backed up if you reinstall. You can clear your browser’s cache and cookies to clear the cache for WhatsApp Web app.
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage. Tap on Clear cache in the bottom right corner.
- iPhone: iPhones do not have a specific option to clear the cache. You’ll need to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to clear the cache. Do backup your chats before uninstalling the app so that you can restore your messages and media during the reinstallation process.
4] Other reasons
There could be other reasons that are out of your control. It might be a private page. The image may not be accessible to WhatsApp’s crawlers. Also, WhatsApp generally displays thumbnail previews for images up to 300 KB. If the image file hosted is larger than that, the preview may not display.
I hope this helps!
Read: How to use WhatsApp Communities on PC and Phone.
How do I remove the Link Preview on WhatsApp?
Launch WhatsApp on your device. Tap the three dots icon at the top right (Android) or the Settings tab at the bottom right (iPhone). Tap on Settings > Privacy > Advanced. Turn on the toggle button next to ‘Disable link previews‘. This will prevent WhatsApp from generating link previews for any URLs you share in your chats. If you want to remove the link preview just for a specific message while sending a link, tap on the ‘x‘ icon next to the preview.
Read Next: WhatsApp Web or Desktop not syncing.
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