How to Disable WhatsApp from Saving Photos on Android

For WhatsApp on Android to not automatically save media to your phone, there are two settings you need to tweak. Note that you can disable these options only from the WhatsApp mobile app and not from the desktop client.

Turn Off All Media Auto-Download Options

Disable Media Downloads

Follow the steps below to disable media downloads.

How to Manually Save Images or Videos on Android

With this feature turned off, you may still want to save the occasional picture or video to your phone. Follow the instructions below to do that without much hassle.

How to Prevent WhatsApp from Saving Photos on iOS

Just like on Android, you’ll need to disable two options on iOS, although in this case, for the second one, you’ll have to make sure your iPhone is not saving images to the camera roll.

Turn Off All Media Auto-Download Options

Disable Save to Camera Roll

On iOS devices, photos you receive via WhatsApp are also saved to the camera roll. Even with the feature above disabled, your phone may still be holding on to images. Follow these steps to prevent your iPhone from saving WhatsApp images to the camera roll.

How to Manually Save Images or Videos on iOS

Similarly to Android, you can still save the occasional picture or image, even if WhatsApp no longer saves ALL images to your Gallery.

Alternative: Turn on Disappearing Messages for Select Chats

An alternative to disabling WhatsApp from saving messages sent in SOME chats is to turn on the disappearing messages option. Keep in mind that even if WhatsApp initially saves the media to your phone, after the chosen time period has expired, it will no longer be available in your gallery.

How to Manage Media Storage in WhatsApp for Android and iOS

Now that you’ve disabled WhatsApp’s auto option to save pics to your phone, you still have to deal with the media you’ve accumulated so far. You can easily wipe out all large files via WhatsApp’s settings.

Whether you’ve decided to allow WhatsApp to keep saving the images you receive or opted to manually save only the media that matters to you, a WhatsApp folder containing these will show up in your phone’s gallery. If you want to hide this folder, it’s possible. On Android, you just need to download a file manager/explorer app. Your phone’s default file manager might do the job, but in many cases it won’t. An app such as File Manager will allow you to access your phone’s main storage. From there, find the WhatsApp folder and go to “Media.” Tap on “WhatsApp Images” and create a .nomedia file. Configure the manager to show you hidden files if you want to view them. You will no longer see the WhatsApp folder in your Gallery app.

2. Does Google Photos back up my WhatsApp files automatically?

Google Photos used to back up WhatsApp files automatically, but that’s no longer the default. If you want to reenable the feature, open “Photos” and go to “Library -> Photos on device -> View all” and select your “WhatsApp Images” folder. Toggle on the “Back up & sync” option at the top.

3. How can I keep my WhatsApp photos even though my phone’s storage is low?

You can regularly transfer your WhatsApp media to your PC by using a USB cable. Once you’ve secured your files, go back to your phone and delete the WhatsApp image and video folders. (They are separate folders in your gallery app.) To make sure your storage doesn’t fill up again, you’ll need to make these transfers on a regular basis. Alternatively, you can make a backup of specific chats (media included). Open a chat in WhatsApp and press on the three dots in the upper-right corner. Tap “More -> Export chat.” Send the exports to your email or to other social apps for safekeeping. Image credit: Pexels