Learn how to free up space on WhatsApp.
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Who uses the WhatsApp You often quickly realize that your phone starts complaining about running out of space. Family, work, and friend groups are constantly exchanging photos, videos, and audio, and this accumulation gradually compromises your device's storage without you even noticing. The good news is that the app itself has tools to identify and delete what's taking up space, without needing to download external apps. Here's how. Free up WhatsApp storage. at each stage:
How to access storage management
First of all, it's important to know where the cleaning tools are located. WhatsAppThe starting point is the same in Android and iPhone.
No AndroidTap the three dots in the upper right corner and access Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage.
No iPhone, patch me You (bottom right corner) and then in Storage and data > Manage storage.
On this screen, the app shows how much space the WhatsApp This app occupies your phone and lists all chats ordered by the amount of data they use. It's the starting point for any cleanup.
Delete files and conversations that are taking up too much space.
With Manage storage While there are several ways to identify and remove what's taking up the most space on your device, there are still some options.
Files larger than 5 MB
The filter Larger than 5 MB This lists the files that are the largest in the application, such as long videos, documents, and presentations received in groups. Sort the items by size. To identify the largest ones first, if you don't want to delete them all at once.
To select multiple files at the same time, tap on Select in the upper right corner. On Android, the option Select all It allows you to delete everything at once.
Media forwarded frequently
The filter Frequently forwarded It gathers files that have circulated through various chat rooms. Chain messages, memes, and viral videos often appear here. This type of content often goes unnoticed, but it can take up a lot of space over time.
Select the listed items and delete those that are no longer valuable. This filter usually frees up a considerable amount of space with little effort, especially if it's been a long time since you last cleaned up the app's media.
Archives for specific groups and channels.
Groups tend to be the biggest consumers of storage. In the main list of Manage storageThe chats appear ordered by the space they occupy, making it easier to identify the larger groups.
When you tap on a group or channel, the app displays all the files from that conversation. Select the ones you want to delete and confirm the removal.
Archives of a conversation without deleting the chat.
An update released by Target in March 2026 This feature allows you to delete only the media from a conversation without losing the messages. To use this feature, tap on the contact or group name and select... Manage storageThere, you choose which files you want to remove while keeping your text history intact.
The same logic applies when clearing a conversation: instead of deleting everything, the app now offers the option to delete only the media, preserving the messages.
Old conversations in their entirety
For conversations that are no longer useful, the most direct way is to delete the entire history. AndroidTo open the chat, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, select “More,” and then... clear conversation. On iPhoneTo tap on the contact's name, scroll down, select "More," and choose the same option.
This process removes all messages, files, and media from that exchange at once. But it's worth remembering that this function should only be used on conversations whose content you...he is sure that you don't need anymore.
Prevent the storage tank from filling up again.
Cleaning up existing clutter solves the problem in the short term. To prevent storage from filling up again over time, it's worth adopting two preventative measures.
Disable automatic media download
By default, the WhatsApp It saves received photos and videos directly to your phone, especially when connected to Wi-Fi. To stop this behavior, go to Settings > Storage and data and disable downloads for mobile data and Wi-Fi.
No iPhone, the way is You > Storage and data, with the same options. With the Automatic download disabledNo media is saved to the device unless you manually click to download it.
Enable temporary messages.
Furthermore, the WhatsApp It has a feature that automatically deletes messages after a set period. To activate it, log in again. Settings > Manage Storage And scrolling down, you should find... Temporary Messages.
Choose between 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days. With this setting, all messages from new chats will automatically disappear within the chosen timeframe.
If you don't want to apply disappearing messages by default to all conversations, you can also apply the feature to specific existing conversations.
To do this, tap on the contact's name, select Temporary messages and set the timer.
O WhatsApp It is undoubtedly the most used messaging app by many Brazilians, and as a result, it ends up taking up a lot of system storage with normal use.
Fortunately, the app itself has enough tools to keep storage under control without relying on third-party applications. The combination of periodic cleaning by Manage storage And the preventative download and temporary message settings greatly reduce the accumulation of content over time.
Even so, it's worth highlighting one detail: files already Files saved to the phone's gallery are not deleted. These tools allow you to remove them manually and they need to be removed by the device.
Do you usually clean the storage of WhatsApp How often do you do this? Which of these tips were you unfamiliar with? Leave your opinion in the comments below and on our social media channels. showmetech!
See also:
Text revised by Alexandre Marques in 18 / 05 / 2026.
With information: IONOS | Hindustan Times | Meta
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