WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. As you send and receive messages, photos, videos and other files, the app stores all of this data on your phone’s storage. Over time, this can take up a significant amount of space. If you need to free up storage space, deleting WhatsApp data is an effective way to do so.
Why might I want to delete WhatsApp data?
Here are some common reasons you may want to delete WhatsApp data:
- Your phone storage space is full or nearly full. Deleting WhatsApp data can free up a lot of space quickly.
- You have a new phone and don’t need the WhatsApp data from your old phone.
- You want to wipe the WhatsApp slate clean and start fresh.
- You’re giving away or selling your phone and want to delete personal data.
- You no longer use WhatsApp and don’t need any of the data.
What types of data does WhatsApp store?
WhatsApp stores the following types of data:
- Messages – All the chats and messages you’ve sent and received.
- Media – Photos, videos and other media files you’ve shared or that have been sent to you.
- Voice messages – Any voice message recordings.
- Call logs – Logs of all calls made using WhatsApp.
- Backups – Any backups you’ve created of your WhatsApp data.
- Cached data – Data temporarily stored from your usage and activity.
- Account information – Your account details, settings and preferences.
How much storage space does WhatsApp take up?
The amount of storage space used by WhatsApp depends on factors like:
- How long you’ve used WhatsApp.
- How many chats/groups you have.
- How many media files you’ve sent and received.
- How often you back up your WhatsApp data.
- The size of the media files exchanged.
On average, WhatsApp uses about 100-200 MB of storage. But this number can be higher or lower depending on the above factors. Some users report WhatsApp taking up over 1 GB or even 2 GB of space. The more you use WhatsApp to chat, share media and back up your data, the more storage it will consume.
Will deleting WhatsApp data free up space?
Yes, deleting your WhatsApp data will free up space on your phone’s storage. The more data you delete, the more storage space will be freed up. Any media files, call logs, messages, backups and cached data you delete will be removed from your phone’s storage. So deleting WhatsApp data can be an very effective way to quickly recover a lot of storage space.
How much storage space can I recover?
It depends on how much WhatsApp data you currently have stored. But to give you a rough estimate:
- Deleting only media/files can free up 50-100 MB.
- Deleting all chats might recover up to 200 MB.
- Deleting everything including backups can recover 500 MB to over 1 GB.
The more comprehensive you are in deleting all WhatsApp data, the more storage space you’ll be able to get back. You can potentially recover over 1 GB or more of space if you delete absolutely everything.
How do I delete WhatsApp media/files?
Here are the steps to delete WhatsApp media or files:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the chat that contains the media you want to delete.
- Tap and hold on the media file to select it.
- This will bring up options – tap on the trash can icon to delete.
- You can also tap the forward arrow icon to forward the file, which will also give the delete option.
- Repeat this process for all media files you want to delete.
Doing this will delete the files from your phone’s storage and free up space. The files will still be visible in chat history but can no longer be accessed.
Other ways to mass delete WhatsApp media:
- In Settings > Data and Storage Usage, you can see all files larger than a certain size and delete them.
- You can install third party apps to manage, delete and clean up WhatsApp media and files.
- Use your phone’s file manager to browse to the WhatsApp media folder and delete files.
How do I delete all WhatsApp chats?
To delete all your WhatsApp chats:
- Open WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat History.
- Tap “Delete All Chats” and confirm when prompted.
This will delete all chat history from your phone’s storage. Media and files exchanged will still be saved and must be deleted separately.
To delete an individual chat:
- Open the chat you want to delete.
- Tap the contact name at the top and select “Delete chat”.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
How can I delete WhatsApp backups?
Follow these steps to delete WhatsApp backups:
- Go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap “Delete All Backups” to delete any Google Drive backups.
- On Android phones, you can also delete backups saved locally on your phone’s storage.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Manage Storage > WhatsApp and delete backups.
This will delete all backups saved to your cloud or device storage and free up space.
How do I delete my WhatsApp account?
To completely delete your WhatsApp account and all associated data:
- Open WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Account.
- Scroll down and tap “Delete My Account”.
- Enter your phone number and tap “Delete My Account” to confirm.
This will erase your account, profile, chats, media files, everything. You won’t be able to retrieve any of the deleted data.
Does deleting WhatsApp also delete it from iCloud/Google Drive backups?
No, deleting WhatsApp data on your phone does not automatically delete it from cloud backups on iCloud or Google Drive. Even if you delete your WhatsApp account or app, any backups on these cloud services will remain intact.
To completely delete WhatsApp data from the cloud, you will have to:
- On iPhone, disable iCloud backups for WhatsApp in Settings.
- On Android, delete WhatsApp backups in Google Drive storage settings.
How can I prevent WhatsApp from storing so much data?
Here are some tips to limit how much data WhatsApp stores:
- Frequently clear out old chats and media you no longer need.
- Enable auto-delete of old chats after a duration you set.
- Limit how often backups are created.
- Use Google Photos or iCloud Photos to store shared media you want to keep.
- Turn off saving media to your phone’s gallery.
- Limit size of media files exchanged on WhatsApp.
Should I be concerned about deleting WhatsApp data?
Here are a few things to keep in mind when deleting WhatsApp data:
- The deleted data will be permanently erased and unrecoverable.
- You will lose chat histories, media, files and backups – so be 100% sure before deleting.
- If you delete your WhatsApp account, you will lose your account and WhatsApp number.
- Always backup important data and files before deleting anything.
- Erasing data can take time depending on how much there is to delete.
As long as you are comfortable losing the data and don’t delete anything by mistake, then clearing out WhatsApp storage can be done without issues. But be thoughtful before deleting large amounts of conversations or your account.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp data?
Unfortunately, once WhatsApp data is deleted it is generally unrecoverable. However, here are some ways you may be able to get back deleted data:
- If the data was deleted recently, a file recovery app may be able to retrieve some files.
- If you have a recent backup, you can restore data from the backup.
- On Android, some data files may remain in the WhatsApp folder till overwritten.
- Your chat history may remain on the phones of the people you chatted with.
But beyond these options, there is no way to get back deleted WhatsApp data. This is why it’s critical to back up important WhatsApp data before proceeding with deletion.
Conclusion
Deleting WhatsApp data is an effective way to free up storage space if the app has accumulated a large amount of files, media and backups. Make sure to backup anything important before deleting. Carefully consider whether to delete entire chat histories or your account, as the data will be permanently gone. Following the steps outlined, you can safely clear out unused WhatsApp data and recover valuable storage capacity on your phone.