If your WhatsApp storage is full, you can easily delete files through the app’s settings. There, you can not only see how much space is being used, but also directly remove items.

How to clear WhatsApp storage quick guide

  1. Go to the WhatsApp settings.
  2. Click on ‘Memory and data’ and then ‘Manage memory’.
  3. Sort, filter, and delete data as required.

Your WhatsApp storage fills up fast

Anyone using the popular messaging app frequently will sooner or later encounter a full WhatsApp storage. This tends to happen a lot faster the more photos and videos you share with others. Fortunately, the app provides a solution to empty your storage via WhatsApp. Read on to find out how this works on Android and iPhone following the step-by-step instructions below.

Tip

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How to clear WhatsApp storage on Android

On Android, you can clear WhatsApp storage space either selectively or entirely. Deleting files works as follows:

  1. Launch WhatsApp and click on the three-dot symbol in the upper right corner.
Image: Screenshot of start menu in WhatsApp
Clear storage via Settings menu.
  1. Select ‘Settings’.
  2. In seventh place you’ll find the ‘Storage and data’ option. Click on it.
Image: Screenshot of WhatsApp Settings on an Android phone
Under ‘Storage and data’, you will find all information about your storage usage.
  1. Select the ‘Manage storage’ option from the top.
  2. The app will now show you at the top how much storage space is used and how much storage is still available for WhatsApp. This gives you a clear overview.
Image: Screenshot of the ‘Manage storage’ section on WhatsApp
Under ‘Manage storage’, you can see how much space is available and delete items if needed.
  1. Now you have several options to clear up full storage on WhatsApp. If you select Larger than 5 MB, you can delete particularly space-consuming files. Frequently forwarded filters out files that may have been sent or received across multiple chats. Alternatively, you can select a specific chat to view only the files shared within that conversation.
  2. Sort files by size or date with the sort icon.
  3. Now you can either select individual photos or videos or select all files from the upper right corner.

How to clear WhatsApp storage on an iPhone

iPhone users can clear their WhatsApp storage just as easily following these steps:

  1. First, open the app and then go to ‘Settings’ from the home menu (bottom right).
  2. Tap ‘Storage and data’, then ‘Manage storage’. At the top, you will now see how much storage space is used by WhatsApp.
  3. If you want to free up storage space in WhatsApp, you have three options: Larger than 5 MB, Frequently forwarded, or selecting a specific chat. The size of each item is displayed in the top right corner. You can also sort the files by size or date (ascending or descending).
  4. To select multiple files, tap ‘Select’ at the top right. You can then mark as many files as you like. To delete them, tap the rubbish bin icon and confirm the action by selecting ‘Delete items’.
  5. If you want to delete all files stored in WhatsApp, tap ‘Select all’ in the middle of the bottom of the screen.
Image: WhatsApp storage management
Select individual files or tap ‘Select all’ to delete them.
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How to delete entire chat history

Alternatively, you can delete your entire chat history and restore storage space on WhatsApp.

  1. First, open the chat you want to manage and tap the three dots at the top or the settings within the chat.
  2. Scroll down and select ‘More’.
  3. Then tap ‘Clear chat’ and confirm your selection. This will delete not only all files but also all voice and text messages.

How to enable disappearing messages

To permanently reduce storage usage, you can also use the disappearing messages feature. With this option, messages are automatically deleted after a set period of time. Here’s how it works:

For individual chats:

  1. Open the chat you want to manage.
  2. Tap the contact or group name to open the settings.
  3. Select ‘Disappearing messages’ and choose the duration (24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days).

To enable it by default for all new chats:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Default message timer.
  2. Select your preferred time period, and all new chats will automatically use this setting.
Image: Setting the default message timer on WhatsApp
In the WhatsApp settings, you can set a default message timer for disappearing messages, so that new chats are automatically deleted after the selected time period.

Disappearing messages help minimise WhatsApp’s storage usage by automatically removing old content. Keep in mind that media files saved to your device are not deleted automatically unless you disable automatic media downloads in the settings.

How to clear WhatsApp storage and restore app functions

Importantly, you’ll want to clear WhatsApp before the storage space gets completely full. If you wait too long and storage space is severely limited, the app may stop working properly. The ‘Manage storage’ option allows you to view how much storage you’ve got available. Before deleting any data to free up WhatsApp storage space, you can also archive it to another device or the cloud.

Tip

We answer the question ‘How do you change the WhatsApp language on Android and iOS?in our Digital Guide article.

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