Inconsistent Message Delivery in WhatsApp Group Messages

[jma-9code]

Is there an existing issue for this?

May beduplicate of #3433
#2654

Is this a problem caused by your code, or is it specifically because of the library?

• I have double-checked my code carefully.

Describe the bug.

I’m using the following function to send a message to a group after completing the initialization phases (localAuth):
let msg = await client.sendMessage(groupId, message);

Strangely, even though the message is sent properly, it is not necessarily delivered—it seems to depend on the client. In fact, if I log in with an account via WhatsApp Web, I usually see the message. However, it is not visible if I log in using the APK on Android.

Is this a known issue? Is there something that can be done about it?

Expected Behavior

Message must be delivered to all

Steps to Reproduce the Bug or Issue

Init the lib, and push message to group with
let msg = await client.sendMessage(groupId, message);

WhatsApp Account Type

Standard

Browser Type

Chrome

Operation System Type

Ubuntu

Phone OS Type

Android

WhatsApp-Web.js Version

1.27.0

WhatsApp Web Version

2.3000.1021326449

Node.js Version

22

Authentication Strategy

LocalAuth

Additional Context

No response

[yusifaliyevpro]

Yes, I’ve run into this issue many times in my own code. I’m not sure if these suggestions will solve your problem too, but they worked for me.

• The problem happens if you’re using the same client session in both development and production. Each time the client restarts, the session time may reset differently on each environment, causing a growing time gap. This can lead to inconsistent message behavior. The best way to fix this is to use separate clients for development and production. Also, make sure to create a fresh client each time to avoid these issues.

• Another possible cause is not using await properly in async functions. If a previous message hasn’t been fully sent yet, it can interfere with the next one. Making sure every async operation is properly awaited should help solve this.

[jma-9code]

In my case, I'm executing the code from a Cloud Function running on Ubuntu. Since the QR code pairing process doesn't work properly in this environment, I perform the initial authentication locally, then upload the session to Google Cloud Storage. The Cloud Function retrieves this session on startup before launching the client.

So technically, I'm not using the same client across environments simultaneously, but rather transferring the session from local to cloud. The client is freshly initialized with the stored session each time the Cloud Function runs.

Also, to ensure proper sequencing, I'm using await on all async calls and even adding sleep() delays between actions to give enough time for operations to complete before proceeding.

Does this approach still risk session timing issues like the one you mentioned?

[yusifaliyevpro]

Yes, I used to do it the same way as you. I would perform the initial authentication locally and then upload it to Railway Hosting. However, after encountering these timing issues, I now log in again on both the server and locally each time.

[jma-9code]

Thanks for the clarification! 🙏

When you say:

"I now log in again on both the server and locally each time"

What exactly do you mean by "log in"?

In my case, I distinguish between two phases:

• Initial authentication via QR code — done locally only once.
• Subsequent runs — the client is launched using a stored session, without scanning the QR code again.

Here’s how I handle it in practice:

• After the initial QR code authentication, I retrieve the session directory (defined here):
  authStrategy: new LocalAuth({ dataPath: localCacheDir })

• I zip the entire session folder and upload it to cloud storage.

• On the server (a Cloud Function on Ubuntu), I download and unzip that session before launching the client.

• Since the session is already there, the client starts up without asking for the QR code. (may be whatsapp use refresh-token, to get new id/accesss_token ?)

• Once everything is initialized, I send the message and then re-upload the updated session to storage (to persist any changes).

So technically, I’m not running the same client in two environments simultaneously — I just transfer the session from local to cloud the first time.

That said, I’m wondering:
➡️ When you say you "log in again", do you mean scanning the QR code again on both environments?
Or do you just mean re-initializing a fresh session using previously stored session data?

[yusifaliyevpro]

Yes i mean that exactly.

➡️ When you say you "log in again", do you mean scanning the QR code again on both environments?

This time or missing cache issues are a real problem. I scan QR code everytime when i deploy to production server.