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:
- Open the app by tapping the WhatsApp icon and go to “Settings”Press the three vertical dots at the top of your screen.

- Next, go to “Storage and data”and press “Manage storage”.

- 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.

- Select the media and files you wish to delete, then press the Trash button to delete them.

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 :
- Once you're on the WhatsApp app, press the “ " tab.“Settings”(gear icon, bottom right of screen).
- Then go to “Storage and data”, then press“Manage storage“.

- You'll see the distribution and a list of your discussions sorted by size. Select a thread.

- Select the media and files you wish to delete (photos, videos, documents, etc.), then press “Delete” to delete them from your iPhone.

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:
- Go to the conversation and press the three vertical points at the top right of the screen.

- Press “More”.

- Select “Delete content”. This option for clearing the history is particularly useful for very active groups generating hundreds of files.

- Confirm the operation to delete the chat history (text and voice messages as well as shared media).

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:
- 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“.

- Press the “To delete” to delete the WhatsApp message.

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.






