Multiple WhatsApp accounts put under review: Reasons, how to appeal & more

Meta-owned WhatsApp has put multiple accounts, including those in India, under review for 24 hours. According to a report by PTI, access to all app features for the impacted accounts have been blocked, prompting users to flag the issue on social media platforms. Users reported seeing the following message on WhatsApp app screen: "Account in review. Date requested: 3 Aug 2026. Your account activity and device info is being checked to make sure it follows our terms of service. We will notify you of the result typically within 24 hours." The disruption was highlighted around 8 pm IST when users took to Elon Musk-owned X flagging the issue. "My WhatsApp account has been disabled without any explanation. I have already submitted an appeal, but the review page only displays a generic message stating that it will "typically be reviewed within 24 hours. Help me urgently," one user tweeted.Responding to the reports, a WhatsApp spokesperson said: “We are always working to stay ahead of those trying to abuse our service and ban accounts to help keep other users safe. Sometimes we get this wrong, and if we do, we try to fix it as quickly as possible to get people back to chatting. We’ve taken action to restore affected accounts."In this article, we explain possible reasons on why a WhatsApp account is banned temporarily, how to send a review request and other details.Information about temporarily banned accounts on WhatsAppAs explained on a WhatsApp FAQ page:“If you get a message in the app that your account has been “temporarily banned,” it could mean you're using an unofficial WhatsApp app or collecting information through a practice known as scraping”. It further states: “Download the official WhatsApp app or stop scraping after a temporary ban. Failure to do so could result in your WhatsApp account being permanently banned.”How to send a WhatsApp account review requestFollow the steps below to send a review request to WhatsApp:Open app and tap on Send review request .Once WhatsApp reviews your account and makes a decision, you'll receive a notification on WhatsApp.“We only review one phone number per appeal. If you don't see an option to request a review, this ban is permanent and cannot be appealed,” the FAQ page states.You can check the status of your request within WhatsApp. Keep in mind that contacting WhatsApp during the review process or through another user's account will not expedite the review process or affect the decision. Read this article to learn what to do after your account is unbanned.Readers must note that third-party services cannot ban or unban your WhatsApp account. Only WhatsApp can ban or unban a WhatsApp account.Why a WhatsApp account is banned“We ban an account if we believe its activity violates our Terms of Service. For example, if an account is engaging in spam or scams, or if it compromises the security of WhatsApp users,” WhatsApp explained on its help page.You can't access your chat history or backups while your account is banned. You can only access your WhatsApp account backups if the phone number associated with the backup is unbanned.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.