How do I delete unwanted WhatsApp media from my phone?

Author :

React :

Comment

To delete them media on WhatsApp that are cluttering up your phone, open WhatsApp > Settings > Storage and data > To manage the storage.

Select a discussion, tick off the photos and videos you don't need and empty them. The method is almost identical on Android and iPhone, we detail both below.

But deleting is not enough : to delete media WhatsApp To be effective, you need to combine manual cleaning with disabling automatic downloads.

In this guide, you'll learn

  • How free up storage space Step by step: identify the most time-consuming discussions,
  • Select and delete the items you no longer need,
  • Then prevent the application of any Download again.

These steps apply to both Android and iOS, regardless of your device.

How to delete media on WhatsApp on Android?

With WhatsApp, it's easy to identify which discussions are taking up the most time.’storage space on your device that may slow it down.

Using the storage manager, You can sort conversations by size, select files you no longer need and delete them. Here are the steps to follow in the application settings:

  1. Open the app by tapping the WhatsApp icon and go to “Settings”Press the three vertical dots at the top of your screen.
Settings option on WhatsApp
Settings option on WhatsApp. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  • Next, go to “Storage and data”and press “Manage storage”.
Storage and data on WhatsApp
Storage and data section on WhatsApp. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. You'll see a breakdown of the storage space used by WhatsApp afterwards, and suggestions as well as a list of chats sorted by media size. Select a discussion to see the media.
Selecting the thread in which to delete media
Selection of the discussion in which to delete media. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Select the media and files you wish to delete, then press the Trash button to delete them.
Selecting media for deletion
Selection of media to be deleted. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

Repeat this same process with the other threads to free up storage space on Android. And that's it, you're done cleaning out unwanted files on your device. This is the fastest way to sorting through incoming items in a group.

Ratings :

  • Once deleted from WhatsApp, media is erased permanently, unless you have activated a backup (Google Drive or iCloud) beforehand.
  • On iPhone, a photo already saved in the Photos app keeps a separate copy: remember to delete it too (see end of article for details).

Discover also where to find the WhatsApp recycle garbage can through our guide to the subject.

How do I delete media on WhatsApp on iPhone?

Is your iPhone running slower or unable to store large files? If so, it may be because it is full of unwanted filesespecially on instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp.

Data and unnecessary items can easily take up a lot of storage space on your iPhone. Some are larger than others.

  • Among the more important, These include photos, videos, attachments, downloaded files, sent and received messages.
  • Among the less important, These include temporary files, the WhatsApp application cache, corrupted files, etc.

Here's how to delete WhatsApp junk files of your iPhone storage space :

  1. Once you're on the WhatsApp app, press the “ " tab.“Settings”(gear icon, bottom right of screen).
  2. Then go to “Storage and data”, then press“Manage storage“.
WhatsApp storage management option for iPhone
WhatsApp storage management option for iPhone. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. You'll see the distribution and a list of your discussions sorted by size. Select a thread.
Selecting the discussion to delete on iPhone
Selection of the discussion whose media are to be deleted on iPhone. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Select the media and files you wish to delete (photos, videos, documents, etc.), then press “Delete” to delete them from your iPhone.
Delete media from WhatsApp on iPhone
Delete media from WhatsApp on iPhone. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

Whether you're on Android or iOS, the principle remains the same: the storage manager helps you identify the heaviest discussions and select the items to be deleted.

Before deleting items en masse, remember to check messages and files saved in the same discussion, as some are worth keeping.

How to prevent WhatsApp from refilling your phone?

You've just cleaned up, but WhatsApp will start again with your next conversation. Before touching the settings, ask yourself one question: is it your storage that's saturating, or your picture gallery that fills up? The setting is not the same.

1. Stop automatic download

Your storage saturation ? By default, WhatsApp downloads all photos, videos and files received. To stop it:

Go to Settings > Storage and data > Download media automation.
Uncheck mobile data, Wi-Fi and roaming media.

Bonuses You also save on mobile data. Media no longer downloads itself, you just press it when you want to see it.

2. Cut gallery visibility

Your gallery fills up with WhatsApp photos ? Here the problem is different: the media are saved in your gallery, in the middle of your real photos.

On Android Open the discussion > tap on the contact/group name > deactivate «Media visibility».

On iPhone go to WhatsApp Settings > Discussions > deactivate «Save in Photos».

This setting deletes nothing : media can still be viewed in WhatsApp, they just no longer appear in your gallery.

How do I delete an unwanted chat history on WhatsApp?

If you want free up additional storage space on your device, you can delete the history of certain discussions, particularly those of a very active group. To do this:

  1. Go to the conversation and press the three vertical points at the top right of the screen.
Button to access chat options on WhatsApp
Button to access chat options on WhatsApp. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Press “More”.
Option Plus on WhatsApp
Option Plus on WhatsApp. Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Select “Delete content”. This option for clearing the history is particularly useful for very active groups generating hundreds of files.
Delete the content of a WhatsApp discussion
Delete the content of a WhatsApp chat. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Confirm the operation to delete the chat history (text and voice messages as well as shared media).
Confirm deletion of content from a WhatsApp discussion
Confirming the deletion of content from a WhatsApp chat. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

How do I delete a specific unwanted WhatsApp message from my phone?

Now that you know how to delete unwanted media files on WhatsApp, you're wondering how to delete a precise message to free up some space? Here's how:

  1. To delete a message, long press scroll up until you see the “Delete" option with a trash can icon at the top of the screen. WhatsApp will then suggest “Delete for me" Where "Delete for everyone“.
Long press on a WhatsApp discussion
Long press on a WhatsApp chat. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr
  1. Press the “To delete” to delete the WhatsApp message.
Button for deleting a WhatsApp discussion
Button for deleting a WhatsApp discussion. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

Please note :

  • In the same way, you can delete a WhatsApp story by long-pressing it from the Status tab, then choosing Delete.
  • Deleting media in WhatsApp removes it from the discussion. If it has already been saved in your gallery, you can also delete it from the Photos/Gallery app. two locations are independent.

And now you know how delete unwanted multimedia files on WhatsApp from your smartphone.

  • Use the WhatsApp storage manager to identify and delete large, unnecessary files in order to free up space on Android and iOS devices.
  • The media removal process can be done via the app's storage settings, allowing you to specifically choose which files to delete in order to optimize storage.
  • It is also possible to manage chat history to optimize storage space management.

In a nutshell, clean up WhatsApp media is essential to free up space and keep your device running smoothly.

The most effective reflex is to stop download automatic file clean-up, so you don't have to clean up your files every week, and you can keep control of what you really want to record.

For more tips on WhatsAppour article how to find someone on WhatsApp without a phone number can help you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comment area.

👍Your opinion
The article is informative
The article is objective
The article answers my question
Content up to date
🔍 Found any errors? Tell us where!

Found this helpful? Share it with a friend!

This content is originally in French (See the editor just below.). It has been translated and proofread in various languages using Deepl and/or the Google Translate API to offer help in as many countries as possible. This translation costs us several thousand euros a month. If it's not 100% perfect, please leave a comment for us to fix. If you're interested in proofreading and improving the quality of translated articles, don't hesitate to send us an e-mail via the contact form!
We appreciate your feedback to improve our content. If you would like to suggest improvements, please use our contact form or leave a comment below. Your feedback always help us to improve the quality of our website Alucare.fr


Alucare is an free independent media. Support us by adding us to your Google News favorites:

Post a comment on the discussion forum

WhatsApp

Edited by : WhatsApp, Inc.

Available on : PC, Mac, Android, iOS