WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. By default, WhatsApp stores your messages, media, and other data on your phone’s internal storage. While this works fine for most people, you may eventually start running out of space on your phone as your WhatsApp data grows. The good news is that WhatsApp allows you to change the storage location to an external SD card or USB drive.
Why would you want to change the WhatsApp storage location?
Here are some common reasons why you may want to move your WhatsApp data storage location:
- Running out of internal storage space on your phone
- Wanting to free up internal storage for other apps and files
- Having a large external SD card or USB drive with spare capacity
- Needing to transfer your WhatsApp data to a new phone
By default, WhatsApp will store your data in your phone’s internal storage in the WhatsApp folder. This folder contains all your messages, media, voice messages, and more. Depending on how heavily you use WhatsApp, this folder can grow to several gigabytes in size.
If you are running low on internal storage, moving WhatsApp to an external SD card or USB drive can free up a significant amount of space on your phone. This lets you install more apps and store more photos/videos from your phone’s camera.
Requirements for changing WhatsApp storage location
Before you change WhatsApp’s storage location, your phone needs to meet the following requirements:
- Your phone must have an external SD card slot or USB OTG support
- The external SD card or USB drive must have at least a few GB of free space for WhatsApp
- The external storage must be formatted as portable storage
- Your phone must be running at least Android 5 or newer
- You must have the latest version of WhatsApp installed
Without meeting these requirements, WhatsApp will not allow you to change the storage location. Most modern Android phones meet these requirements, but double check before trying to change the storage location.
How to Change WhatsApp Storage Location
Changing the WhatsApp storage location is easy and straightforward when your phone meets the requirements above. Here are step-by-step instructions:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the More Options (3 dot) menu
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Tap “Change” next to the “Backup to” option
- Select your preferred external storage location, either SD card or USB drive
- Confirm the change when prompted
That’s it! WhatsApp will now begin backing up your future messages and media to the new storage location.
Moving Existing WhatsApp Data
The steps above only change the storage location going forward for new WhatsApp data. To move your existing WhatsApp folder containing all your old messages and media, you need to manually move the folder:
- Open your phone’s file manager app and navigate to the WhatsApp folder on internal storage
- Long press on the WhatsApp folder and select Move
- Choose your SD card or USB drive as the destination
- Confirm the move to copy the entire WhatsApp folder
This may take a while depending on how much WhatsApp data you have. Once finished, your old WhatsApp data will now be stored on your external storage!
What happens when changing WhatsApp storage location?
Here are some key things that happen when you change the WhatsApp storage location:
- New WhatsApp data including messages, media, and files will be saved directly to your SD card or USB drive
- Your old WhatsApp data will remain in internal storage until you manually move it
- Media like photos/videos will appear in your phone’s gallery app no matter where they are stored
- You can continue using WhatsApp normally even while data is on external storage
- Backups will continue to happen but be stored in the new location
- You can reverse the changes at any time to store WhatsApp data internally again
In summary, only new data will be stored externally by default. You’ll need to manually move your old WhatsApp folder if you want that data on your SD card or USB drive as well.
What happens when you run out of external storage space?
If your external SD card or USB drive starts running out of space after changing WhatsApp’s storage location, you may again see low storage warnings in WhatsApp when there isn’t enough room for new data.
In this case, you have a few options:
- Free up space on your external storage by deleting apps, photos, or files
- Uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall it to delete backed up messages
- Disable media auto-download in WhatsApp settings
- Change the storage location back to internal storage
- Get a new SD card or USB drive with more capacity
To avoid running into this situation, make sure you have adequate free space on your external storage before changing the WhatsApp storage location. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 5GB free.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp storage location issues
In some cases, you may run into issues when trying to change WhatsApp’s storage location or moving your WhatsApp data. Here are some common problems and solutions:
WhatsApp won’t give storage location change option
- Make sure your Android version is 5 or above
- Check that you have the latest WhatsApp update installed
- Try force closing and restarting the WhatsApp app
WhatsApp crashes when changing storage location
- Free up more storage space on destination drive
- Reboot your device and try again
- Clear WhatsApp cache and data before changing location
Moving WhatsApp folder fails or gets stuck
- Check for errors with the source or destination storage
- Make sure you have enough free space on the destination
- Try moving smaller batches of files instead of whole folder
Some WhatsApp data remains on internal storage
- Manually move all relevant WhatsApp folders from internal storage
- WhatsApp may recreate small cache/data files internally
- Re-check storage location change in WhatsApp settings
As a last resort, you can always uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to start fresh. Just remember to backup your WhatsApp data first!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp take up a lot of storage space?
Yes, WhatsApp can take up several gigabytes of storage space on your phone due to all the messages, media files, and backups it stores. The exact amount depends on your usage, but it’s common for WhatsApp to occupy a few GB of storage after prolonged usage.
Is my WhatsApp data still secure if I move it to external storage?
Yes, your WhatsApp data remains fully secure and encrypted when you move it to an SD card or USB drive. WhatsApp employs end-to-end encryption for messages as well as encryption for media files and backups. The files are only accessible after you authenticate your device.
Can I move WhatsApp back to internal storage after changing the location?
Yes, you can freely change the WhatsApp storage location back to internal storage at any time. Just go back to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup and tap Change to switch it back. You can then move the WhatsApp folder itself back to internal storage.
Will my chat history and media still show in WhatsApp after changing storage locations?
Yes, all your WhatsApp chats and media will continue displaying in the app normally even when their actual files are stored externally. You can access all prior chats and media files regardless of where the storage location is set to.
Is it better to use SD card or USB drive for WhatsApp storage?
It mainly depends on how much storage capacity you need. SD cards typically offer up to 512GB while USB drives can be 1TB or larger. SD cards are portable while USB drives require an OTG adapter. Both options work well for WhatsApp storage as long as you have sufficient free space.
Conclusion
Changing your WhatsApp storage location can be a handy way to free up internal storage space on your phone when you are running low. Simply go into WhatsApp Settings, tap Chat backup, and select your preferred external storage location. Make sure you have enough free space on the external drive.
Manually move your existing WhatsApp folder to your SD card or USB drive if you want to transfer your chat history and media files. The process is straightforward on Android phones meeting the requirements. Change the location back in WhatsApp Settings if needed.
Moving WhatsApp storage does not impact the usability or security of your messages. Troubleshoot any file transfer issues and clear WhatsApp cache/data if necessary. With an expanding WhatsApp storage footprint, optimizing your phone’s storage is essential.