- Identify the chats that take up the most space with “Manage/Storage Usage.”
- Delete large files (especially videos) without deleting the conversation.
- Optimize: limit downloads, clear cache and control cloud backup.
With daily use it is normal for the phone to start running low on memory, and many times the silent culprit is WhatsApp. Between photos, videos, voice notes, stickers and documents, Chats accumulate files that weigh a lot and they end up filling the storage without us noticing.
To put things in order, the app itself includes a management function that helps you identify which conversations are taking up the most space and allows you to empty your WhatsApp chats without losing what's important. Also, it's good to know that if the free space drops to very low levels, WhatsApp may stop working normally.And be careful: when you delete items from the app, a copy may still be on your device if you saved a duplicate copy outside of WhatsApp.
How to know which chats are taking up the most space on Android
En AndroidThe route may vary slightly depending on the version, but the procedure is very similar. The app will show you a list of conversations sorted by their weight, from highest to lowest, so you can find the most “greedy” chats in seconds.
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the three point icon in the upper right corner.
- In the menu, go to Settings.
- Accede to Storage and data (in previous versions it may appear as Data usage and storage).
- Sign in Manage storage (o Storage usage).
- You will see the list of chats sorted by space occupied and, when you tap one, the breakdown by file type (photos, videos, audios, documents…).
- Select the items you want to delete to free memory without deleting the conversation.
From that screen, you'll also find shortcuts to detect large and repetitive files. Videos often consume a lot of space, while images and documents tend to be smaller. Take a minute to review the larger clips It usually releases hundreds of megabytes, even gigabytes.
What you'll see under “Manage/Storage Usage”
The tool first shows you how much space WhatsApp is taking up on your phone and how much total storage you have. Just below that, you'll see shortcuts to large files The most shared ones, to speed up the cleanup. Scrolling down reveals a list of chats, with groups and individual conversations sorted by space usage.
When you enter a specific conversation, the content is broken down into categories: photos, youtube, voice notes y documentsYou can select items one by one or in batches and delete them, keeping the text messages intact if you prefer.
Please note this warning from WhatsApp: if you delete an item from the app, that file will disappear from the WhatsApp gallery, but may still be stored on the device if there is another copy saved outside the app. If you want to free up as much space as possible, delete all the duplicates you have or transfer them to the SD card.
It's also worth remembering that if available storage gets too low, the app may behave erratically: Download errors, messages not appearing, or failures to updateBefore that happens, it's a good idea to use this section to regularly lose weight.
WhatsApp has evolved a lot since its beginnings in 2010 (and its purchase by Facebook in 2014 for almost 20.000 billion dollars), going from being a simple app to the queen of messaging with an ecosystem full of multimedia. This evolution explains why active groups, where videos are the most popular, are the ones that consume the most memory.
How to Check Chat Storage on iPhone
En iOS The process is similar, although the interface changes slightly. From the app's settings, you can see what's taking up the most space and delete what you don't need without touching the conversations themselves. The goal is the same: Identify heavy chats and clean them up wisely. If you use iPhone, you can also see how Prevent WhatsApp from saving photos on iPhone so as not to automatically accumulate images.
- Open WhatsApp and tap Configuration in the lower right corner.
- Sign in Storage and data.
- Accede to Manage storage.
- Check the total usage, the list of conversations sorted by size and the details of multimedia files and documents.
- Select and delete what you don't need for reclaim space without losing text messages.
On iPhone you can also filter by size to locate the largest files At a glance. It's a very effective way to keep only what's useful and get rid of old videos, long audio files, or documents you no longer need.
Tricks to free up memory without losing what's important
If you notice that your phone is slow, it has difficulty opening apps or gives errors when downloading, you're probably at the limit of storage. WhatsApp can be a big contributor, especially in very active groupsWith these tips, you can free up some air without sacrificing valuable conversations.
- Check the larger files from “Manage Storage” and delete everything you don’t need. Focusing on videos often frees up more space than anything else; also review the sticker packs, which can accumulate.
- Archive or delete entire conversations you no longer need. On Android, you can long press on the chat and choose Delete; on iPhone, swipe left, tap More, then Delete Chat.
- Turn off the automatic download photos, videos, and audio to prevent everything from being saved by default. You'll find this in Settings > Storage & data > Automatic file downloads.
- On Android, clean the whatsapp cache From the system settings: Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage > Clear Cache. This doesn't delete your chats, just temporary data.
- Activate cloud backups (Google Drive or iCloud) and, once safe, erase it from the phone local files that you no longer needIt will give you leeway for everyday life.
- Delete old local backups from your file manager if you use Android, and use cleanup tools to detect duplicate files that take up space foolishly.
By regularly managing the content that enters your chats, you'll prevent your phone from becoming overloaded. You'll see how, with two or three cleanups a month focused on long videos and audios, phone performance improves and app crashes disappear.
Check how much your backup weighs
It's not just local files that take up memory: your cloud backup can be huge if you save absolutely everything. Checking its size helps you plan and decide if you want to. export your chats or debug them before the next copy.
On Android, you can view a summary of your data usage with a section dedicated to Google Drive. Go to Settings > Data & storage > Use of data. There you will see the actual size of your backup. There are cases where it reaches very high figures; for example, a backup of 15,7 GB, consisting of 12,3 GB of received data and 3,4 GB of sent data, when the statistics haven't been reset. It's a good reality check to assess what needs to be cleaned up.
If you want to save a copy outside of Google services, you can export your chats with your photos, videos, and documents to a folder on your phone and move it to an external drive. This allows you to have a separate copy and review conversations from your computer, as well as knowing how much space you'll need in advance.
Remember that the more multimedia content you accumulate, the larger your automatic backup will grow. If your priority is to preserve texts and certain documents, consider excluding old videos or large audio files before the next backup. backup so that the size does not shoot up.
The key is to understand what consumes the most power, use the management tool regularly, and implement small habits: limit automatic downloads, clean up the chats with the most traffic, and monitor the size of your cloud backup. With these guidelines, you will have WhatsApp under control and your phone will run more smoothly, without any problems due to lack of space or loss of important information.
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