How To Stop WhatsApp From Filling Your Phone Gallery With Unwanted Photos And Videos

Updated: NewsPoint | 29 Sept 2025, 5:58 pm

Is your WhatsApp gallery constantly crowded with unwanted photos and videos? Deleting them one by one can be tiring and time-consuming. The good news is that WhatsApp offers simple settings to prevent media from automatically downloading to your phone. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you declutter your gallery and save storage.

1. Disable Auto-Download on Android

To stop all media from automatically saving to your gallery on Android:

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
Tap Chats.
Turn Media Visibility off.

2. Block Auto-Download for Specific Contacts or Groups (Android)

If you only want to block media from certain chats:

3. Disable Auto-Download on iPhone

iPhone users can stop automatic downloads as follows:

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
Tap Chats.
Turn off Save to Photos.

4. Block Auto-Download for Specific Chats or Groups (iPhone)

To prevent media from a particular chat:

Open WhatsApp Settings.
Go to Chats and select the contact or group.
Tap the name of the contact or group.
Under Save to Photos, select Never.

5. Hide WhatsApp Photos Using a Folder

You can also hide media from appearing in your gallery:

Download a File Explorer app from Google Play Store.
Navigate to the WhatsApp Images folder.
Create a new file called .nomedia (include the dot).
To view hidden photos later, simply delete the .nomedia file.

Tip: Disabling auto-download not only saves storage space but also keeps your gallery organised. You can enjoy WhatsApp without worrying about unwanted media cluttering your phone.