WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. By default, WhatsApp stores all media like photos, videos, voice messages, documents etc. in your phone’s internal storage. This can quickly eat up your internal storage space especially if you exchange a lot of media files over WhatsApp.
The good news is that WhatsApp allows you to change the default media storage location to an external SD card. This helps free up space on your phone’s internal storage.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process to change WhatsApp media storage location to SD card on both Android and iOS devices.
Prerequisites
Before you can change WhatsApp media storage location, ensure you meet these requirements:
– Your phone must be running Android 5.0+ or iOS 12+ operating system. Older versions do not support changing default media storage.
– You need to have an external SD card inserted in your phone. WhatsApp can only save media to external storage.
– Your SD card must have enough free storage space for WhatsApp media files. At least 500MB free space is recommended.
– You should backup your WhatsApp data before changing media storage location to avoid any data loss.
How to Change WhatsApp Media Storage Location on Android
Follow these steps to change default media storage location to SD card on Android:
Step 1 – Open WhatsApp Settings
– Open WhatsApp on your Android phone.
– Tap on the 3-dot menu icon at top right.
– Select Settings.
Step 2 – Storage Usage
– In WhatsApp Settings, select Storage Usage.
– This will show storage usage breakdown for WhatsApp data on your phone.
Step 3 – Change Media Storage Location
– Tap on Change next to Media Storage Location.
– Select your external SD card from the list.
– Confirm change when prompted.
Step 4 – Migrate Existing Media Files
– WhatsApp will ask if you want to migrate existing media files to the new storage location.
– Tap Move to transfer all previous WhatsApp media files to your SD card.
– This migration process may take some time depending on how many media files you have.
That’s it! WhatsApp will now start saving all new media to your SD card automatically.
How to Change WhatsApp Media Storage on iPhone
Here are the steps to change WhatsApp media storage location to SD card on iPhone:
Step 1 – Plug in SD Card Reader
– Connect an SD card reader to your iPhone.
– You can use the official Lightning to SD card reader from Apple.
– Insert the SD card you want to use into the card reader.
Step 2 – Launch Files App
– Open the Files app on your iPhone.
– Select Browse from the menu at the bottom.
– Tap on your SD card under Locations.
Step 3 – Move WhatsApp Media Folder
– Go to On My iPhone > WhatsApp > Media.
– Select all folders you want to move:
– WhatsApp Animated Gifs
– WhatsApp Audio
– WhatsApp Databases
– WhatsApp Images
– WhatsApp Profile Photos
– WhatsApp Stickers
– WhatsApp Video
– WhatsApp Voice Notes
– Move the selected folders to your SD card storage.
Step 4 – Change Setting in WhatsApp
– Open WhatsApp Settings.
– Go to Storage Usage > Media Auto Download.
– Select When Using Mobile Data.
– Similarly, disable media auto download when connected to WiFi.
This will prevent WhatsApp from auto saving any new media to your iPhone storage. All new files will only be accessible through your SD card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my data safe when changing WhatsApp media storage location?
Yes, your WhatsApp data remains safe when you change the media storage location. No messages, contacts or chat history is lost. Only the location where your future media files are saved changes.
Can I transfer WhatsApp backup from phone to SD card?
Unfortunately, you cannot directly transfer WhatsApp backup files from internal storage to SD card. However, you can use a file manager app to manually copy the WhatsApp folder from phone memory to your SD card.
How to revert WhatsApp media storage back to phone memory?
To revert WhatsApp media storage back to your phone’s internal storage, simply repeat the steps above but choose Phone Storage as the new location instead of SD card.
Will my old media files remain on the SD card after changing location?
Yes, existing WhatsApp media files moved to your SD card will continue to remain there even if you revert storage location back to phone memory for new media.
Can I use WhatsApp on multiple devices with different storage locations?
At present, WhatsApp does not support syncing media files across multiple devices. So if you link another device, its media storage location will be independent of your primary device.
Conclusion
Changing default media storage location to SD card is an easy way to free up space on your phone’s internal storage when using WhatsApp. Both Android and iPhone users can follow the simple steps outlined in this guide to start saving new WhatsApp media directly to external storage. Remember to backup chats before changing locations for a smooth transition without losing data.
| Platform | Steps |
|---|---|
| Android |
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| iPhone |
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