Guide · For businesses
WhatsApp message showing one tick? What it means, and why business messages don't reach customers
What a single grey tick means on WhatsApp, how to tell a phone that is offline from a block, and a diagnosis checklist for businesses whose WhatsApp API messages are not delivered, with the error codes behind them.
By Broadchat teamPublished 7 min read
In short
A single grey tick on WhatsApp means your message left your phone but has not reached the other person's device. WhatsApp lists the usual reasons: their phone is off or out of coverage, they have no data, they have not opened WhatsApp, or they have blocked you. On the WhatsApp Business API, a message that stays at sent usually means the phone is offline, and a message that cannot be delivered is marked failed with a reason, such as 131026 (number not on WhatsApp, old app or terms not accepted), 131049 (per-user marketing limit) or 131050 (the person stopped your marketing messages).
Key takeaways
- One grey tick means sent; two grey ticks mean delivered to the phone or a linked device; two blue ticks mean read.
- WhatsApp's Help Center gives four common reasons for a lasting single tick: phone off or out of coverage, no mobile data, WhatsApp not opened, or you have been blocked.
- A block cannot be confirmed: WhatsApp says it does not tell you if someone blocked you, so a single tick alone is not proof.
- On the WhatsApp Business API, each message reports sent, delivered, read or failed, and a failed message carries an error code that tells you what to fix.
- Most business delivery problems are 131026, 131049, an opt-out, a wrong country code or a closed 24-hour window (131047), not a fault in the platform.
Find out why a WhatsApp message shows one tick or was not delivered
Time needed: 15 min. You will need: WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, Your WhatsApp API platform's campaign report (for business messages).
Read the ticks correctly
A clock means not sent yet, one grey tick means sent but not delivered, two grey ticks mean delivered, and two blue ticks mean read. Long-press the message and tap Info to see delivery and read times.
Rule out the simple causes
Wait a few hours. The other phone may be off, out of coverage, out of data, or WhatsApp may not have been opened. Check you saved the number with the right country code, such as +91 for India.
Check the signs of a block
If messages always stay at one tick, calls never connect, and you cannot see their last seen or profile photo updates, you may be blocked. WhatsApp says these signs can have other causes and it won't confirm a block.
For API messages, open the failed reason
In your campaign or message report, filter by Failed and read the error code. 131026, 131049, 131050, 131047 and 131042 each have a different fix, explained in the table in this guide.
Fix the cause, then resend only where it makes sense
Correct number formats, wait 24 hours for 131049, never resend to people who opted out, top up for payment errors, and send a template when the 24-hour window is closed. Retarget only the recipients whose problem you fixed.
The short answer
A WhatsApp message with one tick (a single grey check mark) has been sent from your phone but has not reached the other person's device yet. WhatsApp's Help Center gives the usual reasons: their phone is switched off or out of coverage, they have run out of mobile data, they saw the notification but have not opened WhatsApp, or they have blocked you.
For businesses sending through the WhatsApp Business API, the picture is clearer: each message is reported as sent, delivered, read or failed, and failures come with an error code. This guide covers both: the app's single tick, and why API messages do not reach customers.
What the ticks mean
| What you see | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clock | Not sent yet, usually a connection problem on your side |
| One grey tick | Sent, not yet delivered to the recipient's phone or linked devices |
| Two grey ticks | Delivered to their phone or any linked device |
| Two blue ticks | Read |
In a group, the second tick appears only when everyone has received the message, and blue ticks only when everyone has read it. To see exact times, long-press your message and tap Info (on some phones, More options → Info). Missing blue ticks are not a delivery problem: the other person may have turned off read receipts.
Why a message stays on one tick in the app
WhatsApp's "Can't send or receive messages" article lists these causes when a single tick persists:
- The recipient's phone is off or out of coverage.
- They have run out of mobile data.
- They saw the notification but have not opened WhatsApp.
- They have blocked you (calls to them also won't connect).
Two causes on your side are worth checking too: the number may be saved without the right country code (for India, +91 followed by the 10-digit number), or the person may have changed numbers or deleted their account. If messages show a clock instead, the problem is your connection: check Wi-Fi or mobile data, toggle airplane mode and try again.
Blocked, or just offline?
WhatsApp's "Being blocked by someone" article lists the signs of a block: only one grey tick on every message, no last seen or online status, no profile-photo updates, calls that never go through, and you can't add them to a group. If you see all of these for a long time, they may have blocked you. But WhatsApp is explicit that these signs can have other causes, that it can't tell you whether someone has blocked you, and that it can't remove a block for you.
For a business, a pattern matters more than one contact. If many customers stop receiving your messages after a broadcast, people are probably blocking you, which can lead to restrictions or a ban. Our guide on a banned WhatsApp account explains what happens next.
Why WhatsApp API messages are not delivered
On the WhatsApp Business API, your platform receives a status for every message through a webhook: sent, delivered, read or failed. A message sitting at "sent" is the API's equivalent of one tick and usually means the customer's phone is offline. A failed message has an error code. These are the ones businesses see most:
| Error | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 131026 | Undeliverable: the number is not on WhatsApp, the person has not accepted WhatsApp's latest terms, or their app is too old | Check the number format; reach them another way and ask them to message you; don't keep retrying |
| 131049 | WhatsApp held back a marketing template because the person reached their per-user marketing limit | Wait at least 24 hours before retrying that person; target more engaged contacts |
| 131050 | The person has stopped marketing messages from your business | Treat it as an opt-out; don't send them marketing again |
| 131047 | You sent a free-form message after the 24-hour window closed | Send an approved template instead |
| 131042 | A payment problem on the account | Fix the payment method or balance |
| 131056 | Too many messages to the same person too quickly | Slow down and retry later |
Two more causes do not always show as an error on a single message. A messaging limit caps how many unique people you can reach outside the 24-hour window in a rolling 24 hours (250, 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 or unlimited), so platforms pace large sends. And WhatsApp currently does not deliver marketing templates to US (+1) numbers. Our full list of codes is in WhatsApp API error codes.
Worked example: a festive campaign with failures
An illustrative case: Rangoli Home sends a Diwali offer template to 1,800 opted-in customers. Most are delivered, but a few dozen fail. Filtering the Delivery Report in Broadchat by Failed and reading each error shows three groups:
- 131026: several numbers were imported without the 91 country code, so they pointed to the wrong place. Fixing the CSV and re-importing solves those; the rest are people not on WhatsApp.
- 131049: customers who had received many marketing messages that week. The team retargets them two days later with Retarget Campaigns, choosing only failed recipients.
- 131050: customers who have turned off marketing from the brand. They are tagged as opted-out and excluded from future offers.
Meta charges per delivered message, so failed messages are not billed by Meta. Check current rates on the WhatsApp API pricing page.
Fix the cause, then resend carefully
- Clean numbers before you send. Store numbers in international format, with no spaces or a leading 0.
- Respect the window. Outside the 24-hour customer service window, only templates can be delivered.
- Don't hammer failures. Repeated retries to 131026 or 131049 numbers waste effort and can hurt your quality.
- Honour opt-outs immediately; the opt-out rules are part of WhatsApp's policy.
- Watch quality. Blocks and reports lower your quality rating and slow your growth to higher limits.
If you run campaigns for clients, delivery reports with clear failure reasons are one of the things they value most. A white-label WhatsApp platform lets agencies give clients those reports under their own brand.
Sources
- Can't send or receive messages — WhatsApp Help Center, checked 4 November 2026
- How to check read receipts — WhatsApp Help Center, checked 4 November 2026
- Being blocked by someone — WhatsApp Help Center, checked 4 November 2026
- Cloud API error codes — Meta for Developers, checked 4 November 2026
- Per-user marketing limits — Meta for Developers, checked 4 November 2026
- Messaging limits — Meta for Developers, checked 4 November 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
Does one tick on WhatsApp mean I am blocked?
Not necessarily. One tick means sent but not delivered, which also happens when the other phone is off, has no data or WhatsApp has not been opened. WhatsApp says it cannot tell you whether someone has blocked you.
How long can a WhatsApp message stay on one tick?
Until the recipient's phone or a linked device comes online and receives it. If it stays on one tick for days, along with no last seen and calls not connecting, the person may have blocked you, changed numbers or stopped using WhatsApp.
Why are my WhatsApp Business API messages not delivered?
Check the failed reason in your report. The most common are 131026 (number not on WhatsApp, terms not accepted or old app), 131049 (per-user marketing limit), 131050 (the person stopped your marketing), 131047 (24-hour window closed) and payment errors such as 131042.
Am I charged for WhatsApp API messages that are not delivered?
Meta charges per delivered message, so messages that fail are not billed by Meta. Your platform's own pricing may differ, so check your provider's terms.
Why do some customers get my broadcast list message and others don't?
In the WhatsApp app, broadcast list messages are only delivered to people who have saved your number in their contacts. Ask customers to save your number, or use API broadcasts with opted-in contacts.