WhatsApp Storage Full? Here’s How to Clean It Up Easily
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If your WhatsApp has started slowing down or glitching, your phone’s storage might be running low. WhatsApp needs a good chunk of space to function smoothly. The good news? You don’t have to delete the app—just manage its storage smartly. Here's your complete, easy-to-follow guide to freeing up WhatsApp storage without messing up your chats.
Step 1: Check How Much Space WhatsApp Is Using
At the top, you’ll see how much storage WhatsApp is taking up. You'll also get suggestions like “Files larger than 5 MB” or “Forwarded many times”—these are great places to start your cleanup.
Step 2: Review and Delete Unnecessary Media
You can sort your files by Newest, Oldest, or Largest. Tap an item to preview it, see the file size, and check which chat it came from. Long press to star, unstar, or delete. To delete multiple files:
Tip: Deleting an item from WhatsApp won’t always delete it from your phone’s storage. You might need to remove duplicate files separately.
Step 3: Use Search to Delete Files by Type
To delete specific files like photos or documents:
Step 4: Clear Entire Chat Contents (If Needed)
If a chat is filled with heavy media or years of messages, you can wipe it clean:
Note: This won’t delete the chat itself or remove you from a group—it only clears the content.
A Few Important Things to Remember
Low Storage? WhatsApp Might Stop Working
If your phone’s storage hits a critically low level, WhatsApp may stop working correctly. In such cases, it might ask you to delete some data to continue using the app. If that still doesn’t help, consider clearing storage outside of WhatsApp or contact your phone manufacturer for tips.
Stay connected without the clutter. Take a few minutes to clean up your WhatsApp—and give your phone some breathing room!
Step 1: Check How Much Space WhatsApp Is Using
- Start by finding out how much space WhatsApp is occupying on your phone.
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the three dots (More options) on the Chats screen.
- Go to Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage.
At the top, you’ll see how much storage WhatsApp is taking up. You'll also get suggestions like “Files larger than 5 MB” or “Forwarded many times”—these are great places to start your cleanup.
Step 2: Review and Delete Unnecessary Media
You can sort your files by Newest, Oldest, or Largest. Tap an item to preview it, see the file size, and check which chat it came from. Long press to star, unstar, or delete. To delete multiple files:
- Tap and hold one item.
- Select others or choose Select all.
- Tap Delete, then confirm.
Tip: Deleting an item from WhatsApp won’t always delete it from your phone’s storage. You might need to remove duplicate files separately.
Step 3: Use Search to Delete Files by Type
To delete specific files like photos or documents:
- Tap the Search bar on the Chats screen.
- Choose a media type (e.g., Photos, Videos, Documents).
- Select and delete unwanted items.
- To remove it from your phone’s gallery too, tap Also delete media received in this chat from the device gallery.
Step 4: Clear Entire Chat Contents (If Needed)
If a chat is filled with heavy media or years of messages, you can wipe it clean:
- Open the chat.
- Tap More options > More > Clear chat.
- You can also delete downloaded media and starred messages here.
- Tap Clear chat to finish.
Note: This won’t delete the chat itself or remove you from a group—it only clears the content.
A Few Important Things to Remember
- Back up your chats to your Google Account before deleting anything important.
- Deleted media cannot be redownloaded from the original chat.
- Deleted files are removed only for you—others in the chat will still have them.
- You must delete all copies of a file to free up actual space.
Low Storage? WhatsApp Might Stop Working
If your phone’s storage hits a critically low level, WhatsApp may stop working correctly. In such cases, it might ask you to delete some data to continue using the app. If that still doesn’t help, consider clearing storage outside of WhatsApp or contact your phone manufacturer for tips.
Stay connected without the clutter. Take a few minutes to clean up your WhatsApp—and give your phone some breathing room!
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