WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by over 2 billion people worldwide. With its growing features, WhatsApp can take up a lot of storage space on your phone. If you are someone who sends and receives a lot of media files like photos, videos, GIFs, etc., your phone’s internal storage may fill up pretty fast.
One of the ways to free up space is to set the SD card as the default storage on WhatsApp instead of internal storage. This will store all future WhatsApp media and files on the external SD card automatically. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set SD card as default storage on WhatsApp.
Requirements
Before you change the default storage location, ensure the following requirements are met:
- Your phone must have an SD card slot.
- An SD card should be inserted in the slot.
- The SD card should have sufficient free storage space.
- You must have the latest version of WhatsApp installed.
- Your phone should be running on Android 5.0+.
Steps to Change Default Storage to SD Card
Follow these steps to set SD card as default storage location on WhatsApp:
1. Check SD Card Storage
First, go to your phone’s Settings > Storage to view details about the inserted SD card. Check the available free storage space on the card. Make sure there is enough free space to store WhatsApp media files.
2. Enable Developer Options
The developer options contain hidden settings for apps. To enable developer options:
- Go to Settings > About Phone.
- Tap on the Build Number 7 times until you see a message that developer options have been turned on.
- Go back to Settings, you will now see Developer Options there.
3. Force Allow Apps on External
Go to Developer Options and enable the setting ‘Force allow apps on external’. This will force WhatsApp to use the SD card when available.
4. Migrate WhatsApp to SD Card
Now, open WhatsApp and go to its Settings. Tap on Storage Usage and tap on CHANGE next to the Storage location option. Select your external SD card here.
This will migrate WhatsApp from internal storage to the SD card. Wait for some time while the migration completes.
5. Confirm Default Storage Change
Once migration is complete, go back to WhatsApp Settings > Storage Usage. It should now show the SD card as the default storage location.
That’s it! WhatsApp will now store all media and files on your SD card automatically. New WhatsApp media will no longer consume internal storage space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this method work on all Android phones?
This method of changing default WhatsApp storage works on Android 5.0 and above. It may not work properly on older Android versions.
Can I migrate old WhatsApp media files to SD card?
Unfortunately, you cannot automatically move existing WhatsApp media on internal storage to the SD card. You will have to manually move old media files.
What happens when I remove the SD card?
Removing the SD card will set WhatsApp storage back to internal storage by default. All new data will be stored on the phone again.
Will my chats and messages move to SD card?
Only media files like photos, videos, documents, etc. will be stored on the SD card. Your chats/messages will continue being saved internally.
Can I set SD card as default on iPhone?
iPhones do not support expandable storage using SD cards. So this method does not apply to iPhones.
Pros and Cons of Using SD Card for WhatsApp Storage
Here are some important things to note about using external SD card as default WhatsApp storage:
Pros:
- Frees up internal storage space on your phone.
- Future WhatsApp media will automatically save to SD card.
- Cheap and easy way to expand storage if you have SD card slot.
- Useful when you have limited internal phone storage.
Cons:
- Old WhatsApp media remains on internal storage.
- Does not work properly on older Android versions.
- You have to be careful while removing SD card to avoid data loss.
- SD cards are slower than internal storage.
- Not as secure as internal storage.
Conclusion
Changing the default media storage location to the SD card is very useful to free up space, especially if you exchange a lot of WhatsApp media files. With just a few simple steps, you can set the SD card as the default storage on WhatsApp.
Just make sure your SD card has enough free space and is inserted properly into the phone. Also, remember to be careful while removing the SD card to avoid any data loss issues.
Setting the SD card as default storage might not work reliably on older Android versions. In that case, you may have to resort to manually moving media files from time to time. But in recent Android versions, this storage setting works seamlessly so you can automatically save WhatsApp media files on SD card.
WhatsApp also lets you free up space by managing large files and media through the storage usage screen in settings. You can delete old files or media that you don’t need anymore to clear up storage. With SD card integration and storage management, WhatsApp provides useful options to organize your storage effectively.
If you found this guide helpful, please share it with your friends who may also want to change default WhatsApp storage location to SD card on their Android phones. Stay connected with the latest tips and tricks for WhatsApp!