WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of WhatsApp’s key features is the ability to send and receive photos, videos, GIFs, documents, and other media. When you receive a photo or video on WhatsApp, it gets downloaded and saved to your device’s storage. But where exactly does WhatsApp store these downloaded images and media files?
Where are WhatsApp media files stored on Android?
On Android devices, WhatsApp stores all incoming media files in the following location:
Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Images
So when you receive a photo or video on WhatsApp, it gets saved to the WhatsApp Images folder in your phone’s internal storage. The folder path may look something like this:
/storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images
In addition to photos and videos, any documents, GIFs, voice messages or other files you receive will also be stored in subfolders within the WhatsApp/Media folder.
WhatsApp also maintains a database index of all your chats and media files in the following location:
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db
This database file keeps track of all your WhatsApp data and allows the app to organize your chats and media efficiently behind the scenes.
Custom WhatsApp media folder location
By default, WhatsApp saves incoming media to your phone’s internal storage as described above. However, you can customize the download location and make WhatsApp store media files in a different folder of your choice. Here are the steps to change the default media storage location on Android:
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Media visibility.
- Tap on the option that says ‘Media saved to your phone’.
- Select the desired storage location from the list shown. This can be an external SD card or another folder on your device storage.
- Confirm the change when prompted.
Going forward, any new media received on WhatsApp will be saved to the newly selected location. The folder structure will remain the same, so your files will go into WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images in the new location.
Where are WhatsApp media files stored on iPhone?
The file storage system is quite different on iOS compared to Android. But the concept remains the same – all files sent or received on WhatsApp get stored within the app’s designated data folders.
On an iPhone, incoming WhatsApp media gets stored in the following folders:
On internal storage: /var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/237A1284-FE61-42D4-84C3-BA1E2AE5B8EE/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images
On iCloud Drive (if enabled): /WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images
So if you have iCloud backup enabled for WhatsApp, your media files will be stored both locally on the device storage as well as on iCloud Drive when available.
Accessing WhatsApp media files on iPhone
While the WhatsApp images folder is easily accessible through the Android file manager, it’s not directly exposed on iOS. This is due to the sandboxed nature of apps on iPhone.
But you can still view and manage WhatsApp media files on an iPhone using the following methods:
- Within the WhatsApp app: Open any chat, tap the attachment icon, and you will see all past media files exchanged in that chat thread.
- Through the iPhone’s Photos app: WhatsApp media gets saved to the Camera Roll and is visible like any other photos or videos.
- Using the Files app: Go to Browse > On My iPhone > WhatsApp to see your stored media.
- Through iTunes File Sharing: Connect your iPhone to a computer and you can access WhatsApp media files to download them.
So while the folder path is not directly accessible, there are plenty of first-party ways to view, export and manage your WhatsApp media library on an iPhone.
WhatsApp media storage on Windows Phone
On Windows phones, WhatsApp stores all incoming media in the following folder:
StorageFolder.GetFolderFromPathAsync(“WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images”)
So it’s inside WhatsApp/Media just like other platforms. And you can access the folder to view files through the File Explorer on your Windows phone.
Does WhatsApp media take up phone storage space?
Yes, any photos, videos and files sent to you on WhatsApp will take up space on your phone’s storage. The amount of space used depends on the number and size of media files you have received.
For example, a typical photo shared on WhatsApp is usually a few MBs in size. So if you exchange lots of photos, videos and other media constantly, the WhatsApp media folder can slowly eat up chunks of storage space.
Here are some points to note regarding WhatsApp media storage:
- It’s a good idea to occasionally clear old media that you no longer need to free up storage space.
- You may want to enable auto-deletion of media after a certain period.
- Backing up your photos/videos to another storage location is recommended.
- Large media files like videos occupy the most space compared to photos.
- Audio messages and voice notes also take up storage, albeit smaller in size.
If you find your phone low on storage, remember to check the WhatsApp media folder and clear out unneeded files periodically. Or you can set up automatic deletion of older files from chats.
How to free up WhatsApp media storage space?
Here are a few tips to free up storage space from WhatsApp media content:
Delete old media
Open WhatsApp > Tap the 3 dots (top-right) > Settings > Data and storage usage > Media auto-download. From here, browse through various chat threads and delete old or unwanted media files manually.
Enable auto-delete
In Data and storage usage, enable the option to auto-delete old media after a fixed duration (24 hours/7 days/4 weeks etc). WhatsApp will automatically clear outdated media files periodically based on this setting.
Take backups
Regularly take backups of important media or move files you want to keep to another storage location. This will clear up space on your phone’s internal storage.
Clear app cache/data
Alternatively, try clearing the WhatsApp cache or app data from your phone’s Storage settings. This will wipe all WhatsApp media but can free up a significant amount of space if the media folder has become bloated in size.
How to find and manage your WhatsApp media storage
To summarize, here are some tips on locating your WhatsApp media storage and keeping it under control:
- On Android, use a file manager app to browse to the WhatsApp/Media folder on device storage or SD card if moved.
- On iPhone, access media through the Photos app, Files app or within WhatsApp chats.
- Check Data and storage usage in WhatsApp Settings to monitor size of stored media.
- Set auto-delete duration to automatically remove old media periodically.
- Back up important media to another location.
- Delete unwanted media manually from time to time.
- Transfer media to a computer to free up space on phone.
With these tips, you can effectively find and manage your WhatsApp media storage on Android, iPhone or Windows phone. Taking simple steps to delete or backup old media can help free up a lot of space over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp store deleted media?
No, WhatsApp does not continue storing media files that you have deleted from chats or your phone’s storage. When you delete a media file in WhatsApp, it is permanently deleted from the app’s databases and file storage.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp media files?
Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to recover deleted media files from WhatsApp directly. However, if you had previously backed up your WhatsApp media to another location, you may be able to restore the deleted files from the backup.
Why does my WhatsApp media storage keep growing?
Frequent exchange of photos, videos and other files on WhatsApp can quickly fill up your media storage. An unchecked media download setting or not deleting old files can also result in a bloated storage folder. Enable auto-delete, take backups and remove unwanted files regularly to free up space.
Where are my WhatsApp wallpapers saved?
Any photos you set as WhatsApp chat wallpapers will be saved under the same WhatsApp/Media folder, inside the Wallpaper subfolder on Android and in the custom iOS directories mentioned earlier.
Can I copy WhatsApp media to my computer?
Yes, you can transfer WhatsApp media files from your phone to a computer. On Android use a USB cable and transfer media using MTP. On iPhone, use iTunes File Sharing to access WhatsApp media folders and export files to computer.
Conclusion
WhatsApp automatically stores all incoming and outgoing media in dedicated folders on your phone’s storage. On Android devices, it’s in the WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images folder on internal or external storage. On iPhone, media gets saved to local and iCloud Drive app directories. Knowing the exact media storage location helps you free up space by deleting unwanted files. You can also set auto-delete durations and take backups regularly to manage your WhatsApp media storage efficiently.