How to auto save whatsapp media on sd card


How to Save WhatsApp Pictures to SD Card

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11 July 2019  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary

WhatsApp is a messaging app where more and more people communicate with friends, send pictures, videos and documents. In this essay, we will talk about how to save WhatsApp pictures to SD card and how to effectively back up these pictures.

Content

Part 1: How to Save WhatsApp Pictures to SD Card

  • 1. Automatically Save Pictures / Videos
  • 2. Manually Save Pictures / Videos

Part 2: How to Back up WhatsApp Pictures

  • Approach 1: Back up Pictures on PC
  • Approach 2: Use Renee Undeleter to Create SD Card Image

Part 1: How to Save WhatsApp Pictures to SD Card

If you are going to save WhatsApp pictures to the SD card, you should set the SD card as the storage position. Android users can go to [Advanced settings] > [Memory & storage] > [Default location] > [SD card]. These steps are simple although they are not identical among phone models.

1. Automatically Save Pictures / Videos

How to automatically save WhatsApp pictures? You need to accomplish these steps:

① In WhatsApp, go to [Settings] > [Data usage].

② Then, tap [Media Auto-download]. Select one of the options, [When using mobile data], [When connected on Wi-Fi] and [When roaming]. Then, check [Images] and the options and tap [OK]. After that, the pictures will be automatically saved to the SD card.

Although this way is very convenient, it consumes a great amount of storage space. If you join many chat groups, lots of pictures will be saved to the SD card, including those you don’t want to. Each time you use the app, new pictures will be saved.

2. Manually Save Pictures / Videos

How to save WhatsApp pictures to SD card manually:

① In WhatsApp, open the content you wish to download to your phone.

② Tap on the download/save button at the bottom left and then the content will be added to the phone’s gallery automatically.

Part 2: How to Back up WhatsApp Pictures

Since the SD card is easily damaged, we should back up the SD card in fear that the pictures saved in WhatsApp are lost from the SD card. Hence, you should back up the SD card well.

Approach 1: Back up Pictures on PC

① Use a card reader to connect the SD card to your PC.

② Open the File Manager and double-click on the SD card.

③ Go to [the folder WhatsApp] > [Media] > [WhatsApp images]. Find out the target pictures and copy them to the disk on PC.

Approach 2: Use Renee Undeleter to Create SD Card Image

Image creation is a way to back up. It is a file type that collects many files into one. For example, if you create an image for the SD card, all files saved in the card will be packaged to be one file. Once these files are lost from the card, you can recover them from the image file.

Image creation in Renee Undeleter supports to create image files and back up the source files. When the SD card is damaged, or the data is lost, you can recover from the image files.

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File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

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Steps:

① Install and launch Renee Undeleter. Go to [Image Creation].

② Select a target partition and set where the image file will be saved. Then, click [Create].

③ Finally, click [OK] to finish.

TipsIf you run out of the SD card space and need to change a new card, here is the tutorial about how to effectively clone/copy SD card.

Relate Links :

3 Proven Ways to Move WhatsApp to SD Card [2022]

"Can we move WhatsApp to the SD card of our Android and save space on its internal storage?"

If you also own an Android device and are running low on free storage, then you might be having a similar doubt.

These days, social apps like WhatsApp can consume a large chunk of the device’s data and can affect its processing as well. If the app has a lot of saved information like videos, photos, etc. Then you might wish to simply move WhatsApp media to an SD card.

While the app does not provide a native fix for it, read on and learn how to move WhatsApp data to SD cards in different ways.

Part 1: Can WhatsApp be Moved to SD Card Directly?

Before we discuss how to move WhatsApp to SD cards, it is important to have a look at its native features.

As of now, there is no inbuilt solution provided by WhatsApp to make SD card the default storage or move its data to the attached SD card.

Nevertheless, users can go to their device storage and manually move their WhatsApp media to SD cards.

Part 2: How to Move WhatsApp to SD Card with MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer

If your device is running low on space, then you should consider taking a backup of your WhatsApp data and later deleting its media files from the storage. To do this, you can take the assistance of MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer. With just one click, it will take an extensive backup of your WhatsApp data including chats, attachments, contacts, voice notes, and more. The application will make sure that the quality of the data would remain intact and 100% secure.

Apart from that, you can use it to directly transfer WhatsApp from one phone to another, and backup/restore other apps such as Kik, LINE, WeChat, and Viber. You can download it below.

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1. Connect your smartphone to the system and launch the MobileTrans on it. From its home page, visit the “Backup & Restore” module.

2. Connect your phone to the computer via USB Cable. Then go to App Backup & Restore > Backup, and choose to backup WhatsApp.

3. A new screen will be displayed, now you can start to backup your WhatsApp by simply clicking on the Start button.

4. In no time, the application will start saving all the WhatsApp data from your device to the local storage. Keep your device connected during the entire process to get the best results.

When the entire backup is saved, you will be notified. If you want, you can view the backup content from here. Later, you can even preview the backup data, export it as an HTML file, or even restore it to your target device.

Recommended reading: How to Delete WhatsApp Backup from Google Drive?

Part 3.

How to Move WhatsApp to SD Card with ES File Explorer

As you can see, the native settings of WhatsApp don’t allow us to move WhatsApp to SD cards. Thankfully, you can take the assistance of a file explorer app to do the same. If you don’t have a smart inbuilt file manager on your Android, then you can take the assistance of ES File Explorer. It is a freely available Android application that lets us manage and move our data from one source to another. Though, before you learn how to move WhatsApp media to an SD card, make sure that the target location has enough free space to accommodate the transferred data.

1. Install ES File Explorer on your Android by visiting the Play Store and launching it whenever you wish to move WhatsApp data to an SD card.

2. As you would open the file explorer, it will let you browse the device/SD card storage. From here, go to the internal storage > WhatsApp folder. Now, you can view all kinds of data stored by WhatsApp on your device’s internal storage. Simply select the folders or files you wish to move.

3. After making the appropriate selections, just tap on the “Copy” option on the toolbar. You can also go to the more options, and tap on the “Move to” feature as well.

4. Now, browse to your SD card and simply select the location where you wish to move WhatsApp media to your SD card. Confirm the location and transfer the selected data to your SD card storage instead.

Please note that if you are cutting the WhatsApp media from its source, then it would also make it unavailable on the app as well.

Part 4: How to Move WhatsApp to SD Card without Rooting

Most Android users choose not to root their devices due to different reasons. While rooting will let you set the connected SD card as the default WhatsApp storage, there’s still a solution for non-rooted devices. You can just connect your device to your system and go to the location where WhatsApp data is stored.

In this way, you can access your WhatsApp media and transfer it to any location of your choice. Here’s how to move WhatsApp to SD cards via Windows Explorer.

1. Using a working USB cable, connect your Android device to your computer.

2. After when the device would get detected, you will get a connection prompt on your phone. Tap on it and choose to connect your device for media transfer.

3. Now, go to Windows Explorer and open the device storage. Simply browse to the WhatsApp folder and copy/cut the files you wish to move.

4. That’s it! Later, you can just go to your SD card storage (or any other location) and paste the copied WhatsApp data to the target location.

Recommended reading: How to Move Apps to SD Card Huawei?

Part 5: Bonus Tip: How do I Set WhatsApp’s Default Storage to SD Card?

In case if your Android device is rooted, then you can also set the connected SD card as default storage for the downloaded WhatsApp media. To do this, you can take the assistance of multiple apps like Photo & File Redirect, XInternalSD, and FolderMount. Though, you should know that most of these apps would only work on a rooted device. Let’s consider the example of XInternalSD and how we can use it to move WhatsApp to SD card by setting it as default storage.

1. Unlock your Android device and download a secure copy of the XInternalSD apk file on it.

2. Once the app is installed, launch it and go to its settings. From here, enable the option to set a custom path for the SD card. Tap on the “Path to internal SD Card” and change it to an external SD card.

3. After when the path is changed to an external SD card, tap on the “Enable for apps” option.

4. This will display a list of all the apps that you can save on SD cards. From here, make sure the “WhatsApp” option is enabled.

5. That’s it! Now, you can exit the app and move the WhatsApp folder to the SD card. Delete it from the internal storage afterward and restart the device to apply these changes.

There you go! Now when you know not one, but three different ways to move WhatsApp to SD cards, you can easily meet your requirements. With these techniques, you can backup your WhatsApp data, free-up more space on the device, and do so much more. Though, if you want to manage your social app data like a pro, then simply use MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer. A highly professional tool, it can backup and restore your WhatsApp data in no time. Feel free to give it a try and share this guide with others to teach them how to move WhatsApp to SD cards easily.

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New Trendings

How to set up WhatsApp so that photos are saved to a memory card in Android

Read the article and at the end you will find a prize!

A huge stream of information in WhatsApp quickly fills up the smartphone's memory. As a result, there is a need to “unload” the telephone storage. For technical reasons, it is not possible to move the program to the SD card. However, there are effective methods and software tools that allow you to free up device memory from application files. Read on to find out how to transfer WhatsApp to your phone's memory card.

Settings for saving data to the memory card in the smartphone settings

In order for media files to be saved to the memory card and not to the internal storage, you need to change the settings. The sequence of actions for smartphones on Android and iOS is different.

On Android

To save media files to a memory card, you need to:

  • open the smartphone settings;
  • find the “Storage”, “Memory” or “Content settings” section;
  • select “Default storage location”;
  • check the box next to “SD card”.

This operation will save only new files to the flash drive. Photos and videos that were taken earlier must be transferred manually.

On iOS

iOS devices do not support removable media, so you can save extra data only on a cloud service. To do this, you need:

  1. Go to the application and click on 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner.
  2. In the list that appears, go to “Settings”.
  3. In the window that opens, click on “Chats”, and then select “Backup messages”.
  4. Confirm operation. The program will notify you when the information is saved.

How to move data to a memory card

It is recommended that you make a backup before moving information.

To transfer data to removable media for devices with the Android operating system, you must perform a series of actions:

  1. Enter phone settings. Most often, the icon is depicted as a gear.
  2. Find the Applications section.
  3. In the list that opens, click on WhatsApp.
  4. Scroll down the page and select “Move to SD card”.

You can also use the functions of the built-in explorer:

  • open the File Manager application;
  • enter the tab “Internal memory of the device”;
  • find WhatsApp folder;
  • call the context menu and move this folder to the flash card.

The operation will only move media. System files will remain in internal storage.

iOS devices cannot transfer data. But you can try to save photos, videos and backup copies of correspondence on cloud services.

With the help of third-party applications

Developers have created many programs that help bypass settings and transfer applications to a USB flash drive. They have an intuitive interface.

Lucky Patcher

You can transfer information to a memory card using the utility as follows:

  1. Download and install the Lucky Patcher application. It is distributed free of charge.
  2. Launch and scan the device.
  3. Find in WhatsApp list.
  4. In the window that opens, select “Move to memory card”.
  5. Wait for the procedure to complete and close the program.

ES File Explorer

After installing the application using the Play Market, you need:

  1. Launch the file manager from ES File Explorer.
  2. Swipe left to navigate to the device's internal folder.
  3. Find in the WhatsApp list, press and hold for a few seconds.
  4. In the window that appears, select “Move” and then “Memory card”.

Upon completion of the procedure, it is better to delete the WhatsApp folder from the phone storage.

Android FolderMount

For the utility to work correctly, you must activate root rights on the device, and then follow these steps:

  1. Open the program and click on the “+” icon.
  2. Enter any name in the Name line.
  3. Open the local smartphone folder and assign the WhatsApp folder to the Exclude section.
  4. Go to Destination or SD card and activate the required folder.
  5. In the list that appears, select Exclude from media scan. This operation will help you avoid creating duplicate media files.
  6. Confirm the action in the next window.

Main reasons for transferring data to a memory card

The weight of the application itself is small and is no more than 50 MB, however, during operation and outgoing updates, the size of all files may exceed 1 GB. If the amount of internal memory on the gadget is small, then the clogged memory will not allow the programs to function normally and they will constantly crash. The device itself may also begin to freeze. There are several reasons for transferring data:

  • the cache got full and programs started crashing;
  • something new needs to be installed;
  • system updates have arrived, but there is not enough space.

How to delete unnecessary WhatsApp files

Before deleting files, it is recommended that you back up your information on a computer or cloud service.

You can delete correspondence as follows:

  1. Open the messenger.
  2. Go to settings.
  3. Click on the "Chats" tab, scroll down and select "Delete all chats".
  4. In the window that opens, enter the phone number associated with the application.
  5. Press “Delete all chats” again.

To delete multimedia files, you need to:

  • go to the application settings, to the Data and Storage Usage section, and then to Storage Usage;
  • select correspondence with one of the users;
  • click on the “Manage” menu;
  • check the box next to the desired media file and click Clear;
  • repeat the procedure with each chat.

It is recommended to restart the application after removal.

Source

How to reduce WhatsApp storage space for Android

WhatsApp groups can be filled with memes and videos. All this takes up valuable space on your Android phone. Here's how you can reduce your WhatsApp storage without uninstalling the app.

WhatsApp has a built-in storage management tool. Using this tool, you can see which chat is taking up the most space and then clean up the space. For example, you can only remove videos from a group chat.

Reduce WhatsApp storage space for Android

You will find the storage management tool in the settings section. Open the WhatsApp application on your Android smartphone and press the three-dot menu button.

Here click on "Settings".

Now select Data and Storage.

Here you will see the "Storage" item. It will tell you how much storage space WhatsApp is using on your Android smartphone.

When you click on Storage, you will see a list of all WhatsApp chats sorted by how much space they take up. Click on chat at the top of the list.

See how many text messages, images, videos, and GIFs are associated with the conversation. Click on the "Free up space" button in the lower right corner of the screen.

Now click on the checkmark next to the type you want to delete. Then click on the "Delete object" button.

In the pop-up window, click "Delete Messages".

Messages and media will be removed from WhatsApp storage and you will get your storage space back.

If you use WhatsApp as your primary messaging service, you should be aware that you can turn off the autosave feature for incoming media. After you have deleted unwanted chats, we recommend that you turn off the auto-save and auto-load features from the settings. Thus, you will save yourself the hassle of repeatedly clearing WhatsApp messages.

Source

Radical content cleaning

If you have hundreds of contacts, and you don’t have the time or desire to clean each one manually, you can delete all data through the application menu on your smartphone. The disadvantage of this method is that it also deletes all information about the account. You will have to re-verify the number, come up with a name, put an avatar and so on. If this is not a problem for you, then do a few simple steps:

1. Go to your phone settings and find the "All applications" section or similar.

2. Select WhatsApp from the list and click on "Clear" or "Delete data" depending on your Android version.

3. Confirm the deletion.

Remember that this method completely rolls back the application, so authorization will have to be repeated.

Official version

According to the official version of the developer, it is currently impossible to transfer WhatsApp to an SD card! The news is disappointing and very sad.

Let's hope for the best, as the company announced the following:

  • Currently, the specialists are working on the technical possibility of the transfer;
  • Improves memory usage and application size.

The only solution that the developers offer right now - if you need to free up space, transfer other media files and programs (where such a technical possibility exists).

Is there another way to transfer WhatsApp to a memory card? Cunning users have long found workarounds - we will tell you about additional features!

How to transfer WhatsApp files with application media content?

The first method is quite simple, but it does not completely solve the problem. The program itself will still not move to the memory card. We will transfer only WhatsApp data, but it is they that take up so much memory. The fact is that when you first download this messenger, it weighs a little - only about 50 MB. But then, when you actively use it, it saves all correspondence, photos and videos from your correspondence. It is this data that takes up so much space in the storage of the smartphone. They can be saved to a memory card, that's what we'll turn on. But we will not transfer whatsapp to sd card.

To transfer data, do the following:

Now use any convenient file manager and transfer existing data to a memory card, for this:

If you do not need your correspondence, you can simply delete the WhatsApp folder, while the application itself won't get hurt.

For more convenient data transfer, you can enable cloud data synchronization through the WhatsApp settings, for this: There are no SD media on iPhones, the internal storage is the same.

First, let's note how to transfer WhatsApp to an Android memory card without touching the root system. There is a completely official way that uses the default functions of the phone - you can transfer multimedia files to another storage. In this case, the installation data will be stored in the same place.

  • Open media folder from application;
  • Open the menu and click on the "Move to SD" button.

IMPORTANT! The names of the menu items may differ depending on the brand and model of your smartphone.

Now we can set up SD as a permanent storage for downloaded media files. We quickly figure out how to transfer Vatsap to a memory card (more precisely, the contents of the dialogs):

  • Reopen the device settings and find the tab "Memory";
  • Select the required storage as the preferred download location.

Done! Now multimedia from Votsap will not fill the main data storage location - all files will automatically start flying to removable media.

Third-party programs

If this is not enough, you want to figure out how to transfer WhatsApp to a memory card completely - we will use a third-party application. You need to find one of the following programs in the Google Play Market.

Lucky Patcher

  • Run the software and scan the device;
  • In the list that opens, find the name of the messenger;
  • Click on the transfer icon and wait for the operation to complete.

ES File Explorer

  • Launch and swipe left to open internal file messenger;
  • Find the folder with the name of the messenger;
  • Tap and hold for a few seconds;
  • Select "Transfer" from the menu that appears.

Android FolderMount (only works with root rights)

  • Open the downloaded software and click on the plus sign;
  • Enter any name in the "Name" line;
  • Enter the local folder of the device and pin the folder with the name of the messenger in the “Exclude” section;
  • Find the "Destination" section and activate the directory with the desired name;
  • In the menu that opens, look for the line "Exclude from media scan" and confirm the action.

You can easily download WhatsApp to a memory card! Use special software and achieve the desired result in five minutes. Most programs are distributed free of charge.

Source

Saving WhatsApp files to a memory card

Telegram channel Programmer and business. Every day there are interesting stories about how a programmer builds a business.

A huge stream of information in WhatsApp quickly fills up the smartphone's memory. As a result, there is a need to “unload” the telephone storage. For technical reasons, it is not possible to move the program to the SD card. However, there are effective methods and software tools that allow you to free up device memory from application files. Read on to find out how to transfer WhatsApp to your phone's memory card.

Why is my phone running out of space?


What to do if Whatsapp clogs up space on the phone

WhatsApp is located in the main memory of the phone by default and cannot be installed on an external SD card at the moment. All received and sent files in the process of communication - videos, images, etc. are stored in the main memory. It also regularly backs up chats. This sooner or later leads to the fact that the main memory of the smartphone runs out of space, which in turn can lead to problems in the operation of the entire phone.

Can I move WhatsApp to an SD card?

At first glance, the "weight" of the WhatsApp program is small. The size of the apk installer is 34 Mb. After installation, the amount of device memory to be filled is 50 Mb. In addition, the program creates a folder with backup copies of text correspondence for the last week in the internal memory of the device. Do not forget about the received multimedia files. Therefore, many users are interested in how to install whatsapp on a phone flash drive. According to the official requirements of the developers, such an operation cannot be performed. But with the help of a special program, you can "deceive" the application, pretending that the root folder is still located in the internal memory of the smartphone.

Part 2: What is an SD card?

Most digital devices have memory cards, most of which are SD cards. SD cards, which stand for Secure Digital cards, are small, non-volatile memory cards that are installed on phones, cameras, camcorders, and other portable devices to create more storage space. This type of card was developed by the SD Card Association. An SD card allows you to store photos, videos, and other files on your portable device.

SD card types :

Secure Digital Standard Digital Card (SDSD)

This kind of SD card supports a small amount of 2 GB or less. Secure Digital High Capacity Cards (SDHC) This type of SD card offers up to 32 GB of storage.

Secure Digital Extended capacity cards (SDXC)

This is one of the largest capacity cards that offer users up to 2 TB.

There are a few things you need to consider when moving to an SD card.

SD card cost : You have always heard the phrase "Cheap and expensive", so when buying an SD card, choose expensive SD cards as they are of good quality. Speed: Depending on the task you are doing, different views with different speeds are used to suit each task. For example, for your smartphone, class 2 is fine, but for a photographer who needs a high-speed SD card, class 4, 6, or 10 is fine.

Capacity: For capacitive files, it is better to use cards with more memory.

Physical size: SD cards come in different sizes, so choose one that is compatible with your device's memory slot.

SD cards are important on our phones and other portable devices because they provide great storage. This means that we must always handle these cards with care. Also, SD cards allow you to transfer or move files from the internal memory to the memory of the SD card. Apart from data, you can also store apps on your SD cards and use them on your phone. After all, if data is lost from SD cards, you can easily recover it with data recovery software.

Source

Using third-party applications

In order to move WhatsApp, you will need to install an auxiliary program - ES File Explorer. You can download the program on your Android device for free from Google Play. After installation, you will need to perform the following actions:

  1. Run the installed "File Manager" on the device, that is, ES File Explorer.
  2. To access the local folder (internal phone storage), swipe left on the desktop screen.
  3. From the list presented, press WhatsApp, hold your finger for a few seconds.
  4. In the context menu that opens, tap "Move", select the path to move "SD card".

In order to transfer the multimedia files of the application to the memory card, you need:

  • Go to the local folder, select WhatsApp.
  • Find "Media", then press.
  • Check the box next to the files you want to transfer.
  • Then click the option "Move" and "SD card".
  • You can use the "Cut and Paste" functions to move files from a local folder to a flash drive.
  • Now give the new folder a name.
  • Click "OK".

After completing the steps, it is recommended to go to the local storage and delete the WhatsApp folder. ES File Explorer can be used to manage files stored on your smartphone's built-in memory and SD card. You can move the WhatsApp root folder to the SD card using another utility - Android FolderMount. Initially, you need to activate root rights on the device.

To move the program, follow these steps:

  1. Download and install FolderMount on your Android smartphone. After the installation process is complete, open the program, then confirm the request for root rights.
  2. In the utility menu, click on the "+" icon.
  3. Fill in the "Name" line with any name.
  4. Move the WhatsApp folder from the device's local folder to the "Exclude" section on the memory card.
  5. Under "Destination" (SD card), select the desired folder.
  6. Check the corresponding box "Exclude from media scan". These steps will help you avoid repeating video files and photos.
  7. In the new dialog box, confirm your actions by pressing the "Yes" button.

Changing the content storage in the settings

In order to set up saving WhatsApp multimedia content on an SD card, you need to set the memory card as storage in the smartphone settings. Do the following:

  1. Go to "Settings" of your smartphone.
  2. Select the "Memory" tab.
  3. Click "Preferred installation location", then "SD card".

After completing the steps, WhatsApp will create the appropriate folders and save new media files in them. Previously saved videos, photos and pictures will remain in the device's local folder. If you need to transfer them to the SD card, do it manually using the file manager.

How to set up saving WhatsApp on a memory card

A huge stream of information in WhatsApp quickly fills up the smartphone's memory. As a result, there is a need to “unload” the telephone storage. For technical reasons, it is not possible to move the program to the SD card. However, there are effective methods and software tools that allow you to free up device memory from application files. Read on to find out how to transfer WhatsApp to your phone's memory card.

Can I move WhatsApp to an SD card?

At first glance, the "weight" of the WhatsApp program is small. The size of the apk installer is 34 Mb. After installation, the amount of device memory to be filled is 50 Mb. In addition, the program creates a folder with backup copies of text correspondence for the last week in the internal memory of the device. Do not forget about the received multimedia files. Therefore, many users are interested in how to install whatsapp on a phone flash drive. According to the official requirements of the developers, such an operation cannot be performed. But with the help of a special program, you can "deceive" the application, pretending that the root folder is still located in the internal memory of the smartphone.

Moving data to SD card

You can move application data using system settings and utility programs. To apply the first method, you will need:

  1. Go to "Settings", then to "Applications".
  2. Select Whatsapp.
  3. Then tap "Move to SD card".

Changing the content storage in the settings

In order to set up saving WhatsApp multimedia content on an SD card, you need to set the memory card as storage in the smartphone settings. Do the following:

  1. Go to "Settings" of your smartphone.
  2. Select the "Memory" tab.
  3. Click "Preferred installation location", then "SD card".

After completing the steps, WhatsApp will create the appropriate folders and save new media files in them. Previously saved videos, photos and pictures will remain in the device's local folder. If you need to transfer them to the SD card, do it manually using the file manager.

Third party apps

In order to move WhatsApp, you will need to install an auxiliary program - ES File Explorer. You can download the program on your Android device for free from Google Play. After installation, you will need to perform the following actions:

  1. Run the installed "File Manager" on the device, that is, ES File Explorer.
  2. To access the local folder (internal phone storage), swipe left on the desktop screen.
  3. From the list presented, press WhatsApp, hold your finger for a few seconds.
  4. In the context menu that opens, tap "Move", select the path to move "SD card".

In order to transfer the multimedia files of the application to the memory card, you need:

  • Go to the local folder, select WhatsApp.
  • Find "Media", then press.
  • Check the box next to the files you want to transfer.
  • Then click the option "Move" and "SD card".
  • You can use the "Cut and Paste" functions to move files from a local folder to a flash drive.
  • Now give the new folder a name.
  • Click "OK".

After completing the steps, it is recommended to go to the local storage and delete the WhatsApp folder. ES File Explorer can be used to manage files stored on your smartphone's built-in memory and SD card. You can move the WhatsApp root folder to the SD card using another utility - Android FolderMount. Initially, you need to activate root rights on the device.

To move the program, do the following:

    Download and install on Android smartphone > How to delete WhatsApp files?

In order to free up the internal memory of your phone, you need to delete saved text messages, videos, pictures and photos from WhatsApp. Before deleting the backup storage of the messenger, you will first need to save them on a PC or in the "cloud". This will restore valuable correspondence. You can delete messenger files using WhatsApp itself. For iOS devices, the procedure is as follows:

  1. Start the messenger.
  2. Go to "Settings".
  3. If a chat is open, press the "Back" button.
  4. Select the "Chats" tab, then click "Delete All Chats" at the bottom of the screen.
  5. An information window will open asking for a phone number.
  6. Enter the phone number associated with the account.
  7. Press the "Delete all chats" button again.
  8. After completing the steps, restart the applications to unload the internal memory of the device.

Android device owners need:

  1. Launch WhatsApp on your mobile phone.
  2. At the top of the screen, look for an icon with three vertical dots.
  3. In the phone settings, select the "Chats" tab.
  4. Touch "Chats history", then "Delete chats history".
  5. Check the box next to "Delete media files from your phone".
  6. Touch "Delete".

The procedure for deleting media files on both platforms is as follows:

  • In the "Settings" section, go to the "Data and Storage Usage" tab, then "Storage Usage".
  • Select the desired chat.
  • Tap "Manage".
  • Mark the desired file, then tap "Clear".

Why is my phone running out of space?

What to do if Whatsapp fills up space on your phone

WhatsApp is located in the main memory of the phone by default and cannot be installed on an external SD card at the moment. All received and sent files in the process of communication - videos, images, etc. are stored in the main memory. It also regularly backs up chats. This sooner or later leads to the fact that the main memory of the smartphone runs out of space, which in turn can lead to problems in the operation of the entire phone.

How do I delete WhatsApp files?

This can be easily done through the phone's regular file manager. Moreover, if necessary, you can pre-save the files somewhere on your computer, in the cloud or some other place where there is no shortage of disk space.

How to see the volume of Whatsapp files

Whatsapp chat backups also take up space in memory and grow

I do this in a very non-standard way, which, however, is most convenient for me. I connect to my android smartphone via ssh and using rsync or scp downloading files to my linux computer. And then I delete the files in the Whatsapp folders on the phone. Most likely this method will not work for you, but this is a topic for another article.

If you are interested in the topic of connecting and managing a phone via ssh and in general connecting a computer to a smartphone, write about it in the comments and we will definitely consider the issue.

How to save WhatsApp files to external memory?

The developers of the messenger say that this is not possible for technical reasons. Whatsapp does not have any settings to change this.

Why whatsapp can't store files in SD

Changing the default content storage in settings .

Old files that have already been saved to the main memory will remain there. But they can be manually transferred to the new storage using the file manager. Or leave it there, and if you need files from there, just find them not through the WhatsApp itself, but through the gallery or file manager.

Using a file manager to view Whatsapp folders

Using third-party applications

I do not recommend using them at all. Especially if you feel insecure in setting up programs and devices. But there is also such a way to solve the problem of lack of space in the main memory of the phone, although it can be called a “crutch”, that is, a working, but temporary and suboptimal solution, bypassing the problem.

For this you need:

  1. You must have root access to the device.
  2. Install the Folder Mount app (on Google Play, free)
  3. Use it to point the Whatsapp folder to some folder on your SD card

For the same purpose, you can use another application Link2SD, with a name that speaks for itself, but it is paid.

Folder Mount application for redirecting Whatsapp files to SD card

So, the point of the method is to programmatically mount some folder on the SD to the folder that Whatsapp is using. This is a standard technology based on the principles of file systems in any unix-like operating systems, including Android.

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Comments

How can I view saved files later?

Specify the question, please. What is meant by "later", after what actions? The article describes several solutions.

But in any case, the answer remains the same - you need to look at them where whatsapp saves 🙂 If you still set it to an external card, then look there.
For example, when using the Folder Mount application, you will have two file paths - and using the file manager you can find files on both - the old path will simply be a link to the new one, but the software will perceive it as a regular path.

To be honest, I would never have thought that such a small program could eat so much memory) I have such a question, but how to make it eat it less from the smartphone, otherwise you’ll delete everything every time.

The amount of memory that whatsapp takes depends on the intensity of your communication. One way to reduce this is to turn off automatic media downloads. For example, I left only a photo. By default, these files will not be saved to the phone, so they will not take up space. You can do this in Settings > Chats & Calls > Auto Download Media. There you can disable and enable auto-upload of files for video, audio and photo.

In any case, you will always have the opportunity to download only the files you need manually by simply clicking on it in the chat.
And you can view large videos or listen to audio, watch a lot of pictures on your computer by turning on whatsapp in your browser.

But media files are only half the problem. There is also automatic backup, which was mentioned in the article. By default, Whatsapp keeps backups for the last few days (like 7). For example, after six months of using the messenger, I get 1 backup file of about 20 MB in size. 20*7=140. And it is already palpable.

And if in a year 1 backup will weigh 200 MB? But the main problem is not how much it weighs, but that there is no way to turn it off or change the backup settings. For example, make a copy once a week, not daily. Keep backups for 2 days, not 7. I wrote to whatsapp support about these issues, we will wait for an answer, which I will definitely report here, stay tuned.

Nothing can be done about this at the moment other than deleting the extra files manually.

Of course, due to the fact that now smartphones carry a full-fledged operating system on board, this problem can be solved at its level by doing some kind of automatic cleaning of unnecessary WhatsApp files on a schedule. But this decision is one of those that in information technology is called a "crutch" 🙂

I never wrote back about the results of my appeal. Just because then they answered me with a general reply that they say that there we have the opportunity to make backup copies in the settings.

However, today it was discovered that WhatsApp has a google drive backup. I just opened the WhatsApp in the morning - and he offered me to use my google account, which is used on the smartphone by other applications.

I was very glad and even flattered myself with the thought that exactly two months ago it was my appeal to the support that benefited the progress 🙂 Or maybe not, maybe it was planned.

In general, customize. You can enable WhatsApp backup of chats and files to the cloud (Google Drive) in "Settings> Chats and calls> Chat backup". There you can specify the backup frequency (daily, weekly, etc.) and Google account.

Oh my God! And I kept thinking how can I free the memory! The phone is buggy due to lack of memory is just awful. Actually, that's where the problem was. I did everything as you wrote, now the phone works almost like new. Hooray.

The only question that remains open for me is “how often do I need to clean the memory in my phone, so that it lasts longer and at the same time I personally do not have to do, for example, daily cleanings”?

Alas, this question is open to me too. Waiting for whatsapp support reply. There are no available tools for scheduling tasks in android at all.

I could not use the advice from this article because I did not find such folders on my phone at all, tell me how to do this at least a little more clearly. And so an interesting article, I'll try to download another file manager on my phone, otherwise there is no such folder as “phone memory” in my native one.

Do you even use Whatsapp on your phone?) If so, then the folder should definitely be. Perhaps you are using a non-android smartphone - then something may also be different.

I wish I had seen this sooner... in fact, the memory occupied by the application is perhaps the main reason why I finally switched to Telegram from WhatsApp. What do you think about the new messenger from Durov?

I can't say anything about this messenger because I've never used it. There was simply no need - the people I communicate with use whatsapp. Through telegramm, I simply have no one to communicate with. Now, if it is possible to send messages from one messenger to users of another, then there will be some point in trying.

Clearly and understandably, I try to install all sorts of applications less, I understand that you just need to change the file storage location and that's it. And the settings do not go astray when the phone is turned off?

If you set the default storage, then no, nothing should go wrong.

And for the first time I had a surprised face when I noticed that my smartphone was running out of free space, at first I didn’t understand what was the matter, then I figured it out, as it turned out, the application saves all our photo files and documents, after which I use The file manager was able to clear the memory without much difficulty, and now there is a lot of free space on my smartphone again, but it is better to perform such a cleaning operation once every half a month, then there will be no memory problems.

Now is not the time when the user bakes for every megabyte! Just think it took an extra couple of meters, but the application is good! I personally love the design. Is this the only reason why Whatsapp didn't please you?

So there was no question that Whatsapp did not please me in some way. Great service, great program. And the described problem is not so serious, I agree. Surely the developers will soon make it possible to customize the use of the file system, content storage and backups - it's just a matter of time. The article is only about how to solve the problem at the moment. Since many smartphones do not have tens of gigabytes of free space, the problem manifests itself. If there is not enough space on the file system, it becomes impossible to install new applications, for example.

By the way, I wrote above that I sent requests to whatsapp support. So, they answered me with a standard response to frequently asked questions and recommendations on how to manually backup, etc.

hello! I can’t clear the chat. I press it, the vatsap freezes and doesn’t clear anything. The chat group is 2 years old, there are correspondence, photos, videos. I tried to leave the group and then delete the chat, also nothing. Maybe in the folders of whatsapp, nati text chat and delete it? There are no other ways. Chats are not stored in the device's file system, as far as I know, only videos and photos are stored there. They can be removed from the file system. But even if you delete them from your device, they will remain on the smartphones of other chat participants.

The chat has not been read for 2 years and it is not deleted. It hangs and that's it. No movements. It only helped to remove the WhatsApp and install it again.)

And I have exactly the opposite situation
Huawei phone, android kitkat. All settings in the phone are set to "internal" memory. Vatsap itself was installed in the phone's memory, but the files stubbornly downloaded to the SD card. Of course, there is an idea to pull out the card and reinstall the vatsap, then it simply will not be able to upload to SD due to its absence and will create a directory in the phone, and then return the card, but this is hemorrhoids and the loss of correspondence (for some reason he refused to cling backups during installation).

There is a nuance that there are technically 3 mounts - 1 mount is the phone's memory allocated for the OS and programs (about 2.5 GB), the second mount is the phone's memory allocated in the form of an SD card (about 1.2 GB), the third mount This is the SD card itself (3.76 GB). The partition of the main partition (system) into 2 logical ones was done at the factory, I have nothing to do with it, but the bottom line is that this mount number 2 ignores all programs - they are placed on mount 1, and download everything on mount 3. Mount 2 uses only the camera and bluetooth…

And for security reasons, I would like the vatsap and viber to save everything on mount 2, because you can pull out the SD card and view everything that is saved there, which is fraught.

Good morning! I would like to ask you for step-by-step help)))) Indeed, watsap takes a lot of memory. Is it possible or how to do so that all the videos are saved to an external drive. and make room for the new one. Thank you

Well, this is exactly what the article describes, look carefully at the screenshots, study. And look on your phone, change the appropriate settings. Where else "step by step" - I do not know.

Good afternoon! How to recover photos and videos after switching main storage to SD card. In WhatsApp, the photos are cloudy and writes: unfortunately, this file is not on the CD card. Thanks in advance for your reply!

There are two options:
1. Return the main storage back to the smartphone's memory.
2. Copy Whatsapp folder to SD card.

And what if in the memory settings on Android 5.1.1. no option to save by default? I transferred the Whatsapp application itself to SD, and whatsapp memory, it is written, is also on SD. but actually transferred files are stored in the internal memory of the smartphone. Reconcile?))))

Maybe you just see old files there? Some other phones do not support installing apps to the SD card. In general, I don’t know what to tell you right off the bat. Make sure that new files are saved there, and not old ones.

"Change default content storage in settings"
WhatsApp ignores this.

Hello. Please tell me, if I delete my WhatsApp account, will all the received photos and videos from the phone be deleted automatically?

Most likely yes, all data will be deleted. But it is not exactly. If you need them, it’s better to back up beforehand 🙂 Now whatsapp already knows how to do this, when backing up, chats and media files are saved, for example, to the Google cloud.

Changing the default content storage in the settings - on GHS5 there is no such item in the settings. Or am I looking in the wrong place.

Hello! Tell me, is it possible to restore a Whatsapp backup from those files that were written to the internal memory? I need a copy for a certain date, the file is there, but when I update the application, Whatsapp persistently downloads a fresh backup from Google Drive. And I need the copy that I have as a file from the DataBase folder.
Thank you

Well, whatsapp can restore any copy, as far as I know. At least earlier it was possible to manually specify the archive. As a last resort, you can try to remove the last copies from Google Docs, and put the necessary copy in the storage so that WhatsApp finds and restores it automatically.

Folder Moubt is the first thing that came to my mind. WhatsApp folder successfully mounted. Votsap sees all the old files, but when new messages are received from the media, it says that the file is not in the phone's memory. It's not clear why. In the file manager, you can see that the folders are mounted correctly. Maybe the votsap developers compare the size of the partition on which their main folder is located and block the recording if the size does not match the size of the internal (emulated) memory card. And Link2sd can't manage the media folder (it just doesn't see it) I don't know what to do, but I'll continue searching for options

To free up memory on your Android smartphone, transfer data from WhatsApp to SD card.


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