WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging app, with over 600 million active users. One of the most common annoyances with the app is that it automatically downloads media files (photos and audio) by default. WhatsApp says this is optimised for best performance, but when friends decide to send a dozen pictures of their dinner to everyone they know, it is optimised for maximum annoyance instead. Here’s how you can stop WhatsApp from automatically saving photos and audio on your phone.
WhatsApp unlike Facebook & Twitter uses your mobile storage instead of its own storage. A message disappears from WhatsApp Server as soon as it reaches its destination & get stored at destination & origin both which is yourself & myself. If you are member of number of WhatsApp groups or even one active group, and you are not following one of these tips you will soon end up in storage full message.
Android
WhatsApp for Android has a switch that lets you stop images and videos from downloading. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open WhatsApp, make sure you are seeing the main window – where all your chats are displayed. Tap the three vertical dots on the top right > Settings.
2. Now tap Chat settings > Media auto-download. You’ll see three options: When using cellular data, When connected on Wifi and When roaming. Tap each one and disable auto-downloads by unchecking all three options – Images, Audio and Video.
iPhone
WhatsApp for iPhone has an easy way to stop automatically saving photos to the Camera Roll. Here’s what you can do:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap the Settings button at the bottom-right.
2. Go to Chat settings > Save incoming media > Off.
This stops the pictures people are sending from showing up in the camera roll, and taking over your synced Photo Stream. Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop WhatsApp from auto-downloading photos on your iPhone. It will ask you whether you want to download videos, but photos are saved automatically.
Windows Phone
Windows Phone users need to follow these steps:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three horizontal dots at the bottom of the main window (recent chats). Now tap settings > chat settings > media auto-download.
2. Now tap Images and select Never. Do the same for Video and Audio. Other options include auto-download on WiFi, cellular and roaming. But if you select Never, you will be able to download media only when you want to.
Important Points:
1. Regularly delete all images or videos received through WhatsApp by clicking “Gallery” in case of Android phones and “Photo” in case of IPhone.
At Gallery & Photo, storage is a mix of WhatsApp images & videos along with your camera pictures. At Gallery, you can select only WhatsApp images to delete them only & preserve your own pictures taken by your camera.
IPhone does not separate WhatsApp & Camera images, so you have to individually select images to be deleted.
2. In case of Android, you can add 32 GB or 64 GB card to improve storage.
3. In case of IPhone, be mindful you cannot add storage card later on, so buy IPhone with minimum 32 GB storage or above.
You may send any of your inquiry or question related to Social media, Iphone, Android, MacBook, Emails on this help centre & you will find answer.
WhatsApp Contact: +92-300-8506672
Best Wishes.
BTH Social Media Team.
