How to disable automatic download in whatsapp
How to stop WhatsApp from downloading photos automatically
This article was published on February 18, 2019
Image by: PexelStory by
Ivan Mehta
Story by
Ivan Mehta
Ivan covers Big Tech, India, policy, AI, security, platforms, and apps for TNW. That's one heck of a mixed bag. He likes to say "Bleh." Ivan covers Big Tech, India, policy, AI, security, platforms, and apps for TNW. That's one heck of a mixed bag. He likes to say "Bleh."
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and connected services.
It’s quite annoying when your phone’s running out of the storage, and the reason is usually the random photos and memes that your friends sent you on WhatsApp. By default, WhatsApp downloads photos to your phone automatically. We’ll show you how to stop this monstrosity.
On iOS
- Head to Settings>Data and Storage Usage
- Click on Photos
- Select Never option to stop downloading photos automatically.
You can repeat the process for any type of media like videos and audio.
On Android
- Head to Settings>Data and storage usage.
- Scroll down to Media auto-download.
- Choose When using mobile data.
- Uncheck Photos option from the dialog box.
- Repeat this for When connected on Wi-Fi and When Roaming options.
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And that’s it! Now you can safely open WhatsApp without it highjacking your storage.
Check out all our Basics articles here.
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How to Stop Auto Download in WhatsApp [iPhone & Android]
by Jenefey Aaron Updated on 2022-06-23 / Update for WhatsApp Tips
Many WhatsApp users know that when they receive media messages, WhatsApp will automatically downloads the media (photos, audios, videos or documents) sent to their device and stores it in their phone's gallery or files.
Though WhatsApp auto-download is a convenient feature, it sometimes can be annoying when there is limited storage available on your phone.
To avoid phone gallery being cluttered with massive WhatsApp media files, you must wondering how to stop auto download in WhatsApp. This guide will teach you how to turn off auto-download in WhatsApp, so that your phone storage won't be filled up quickly.
- Part 1: How to Stop Anto Download in WhatsApp on iPhone
- Part 2: How to Stop Anto Download in WhatsApp on Android
- Part 3: How to Stop Auto Download in Whatsapp in Windows 10
- Extra Tip: How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Android
Part 1: How to Stop Anto Download in WhatsApp on iPhone
For WhatsApp users on iPhone who want to know how to stop auto download in WhatsApp, simply follow the steps below to disable WhatsApp auto download.
1.1 Turn off Media Auto Download in WhatsApp on iPhone
WhatsApp on iPhone allows you to select how media is downloaded to your device on different networks or to set it not to auto downlaod media.
Here's how to turn off media auto download in WhatsApp on iPhone.
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
- Go to Settings > Storage and Data.
Under the label "Media Auto-Download", set each option – Photos, Audio, Video, and Documents to "Never".
Now, none of the media will be downloaded automatically on your iPhone.
If you want to stop WhatsApp from saving photos only, here is an alternative way: Go to Settings > Chats and turn off the switch for Save to Camera Roll. By doing so, you will stop WhatsApp from automatically saving received photos and videos to your iPhone's Camera Roll.
1.2 Stop Auto Download in WhatsApp Group on iPhone
If you'd like to stop auto-download in one single WhatsApp group, you can do that too. When you disable auto-downlaod in the group, media received from this goup won't be downloaded to your phone's storage, but it will still be visible on WhatsApp.
That said, here's how to stop auto download in WhatsApp group.
- Open WhatsApp and tap the group you'd like to stop auto-download of photos and videos.
- Tap the title of the group.
Tap "Save to Camera Roll" and set it to "Never".
Once done, you won't find any media files received from the group on your phone gallery anymore.
Part 2: How to Stop Anto Download in WhatsApp on Android
Due to different navigation system, the method to stop auto download in WhatsApp on Android is slightly different from that on iPhone, and we're going to walk you through how to turn off auto-download in WhatsApp Android.
2.1 Disable Auto Save Media WhatsApp Android
Just like how you turn off auto-download on iPhones, you can turn off media auto-download on Android too via Settings. Here's how to disable auto save media whatsapp Android.
- Open WhatsApp on your Android phone.
- Tap the 3 dots on the top-right corner, select Settings and then open Storage and data.
- Under "Media auto-download" section, tap on each option and uncheck all the media types from the pop-up menu.
Tap OK to save the change.
If you wonder if there is a quick way to stop WhatsApp from saving photos on Android, the good news is there is. Go to Settings > Chats and turn off the toggle for Media Visibility. Now, the downloaded media won't be shown in the gallery.
2.2 Disable Auto Download in WhatsApp Group Android
Similar to how we did on iPhone, you can turn off auto-download for each specific group, which would stop the media from showing up in your gallery.
Here's how to disable auto download in WhatsApp group Android via the from the WhatsApp Group info menu.
- Open WhatsApp and open a group you'd like to stop auto-download for.
- Tap on the 3 dots on the top-right corner in the group and select Group info.
- Find and tap on Media visibility.
- Change the auto download settings from Default (Yes) to No.
Tap on "OK" and that's it.
Now all the media files from this group will not be automatically downloaded and saved in your Android phone.
Part 3: How to Stop Auto Download in Whatsapp in Windows 10
If you're using WhatsApp on your computer and want to know how to stop auto download in WhatsApp Web, this section is for you.
Unlike mobile WhatsApp which offers you options to turn off auto-download, WhatsApp web doesn't come with such options since it doesn't download media to your device automatically anyway. Whenever you want to download something, you have to manually click the download button. So, you don't have to do anything to make this change.
Extra Tip: How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Android
If you have accidentally deleted your WhatsApp messages and media, you may be thinking whether there's a way to get them back without uninstalling WhatsApp. Luckily, there's a way, and it's called Tenorshare Ultdata for Android, a well-known WhatsApp data recovery tool for Android. With UltData for Android, you can recover your WhatsApp data, including messages, photos, and videos, in just a couple of minutes.
What's more, it can help you download WhatsApp backup from Google Drive.
Without any further ado, let's see how to recover deleted WhatsApp messages on Android.
- Download and install UltData for Android on your computer.
Once installed, run the program and click "Recover WhatsApp Data" from the presented options.
Connect your phone to the PC and enable USB Debugging on the phone.
When your phone gets detected, click "Start" to allow UltData for Android to scan for your deleted WhatsApp data.
Make sure you're logged in to your WhatsApp account, then click "Yes, I want to continue." To avoid data loss, it's recommended that you should backup your WhatsApp cahts first.
When UltData for Android finishes the scanning, you will all WhatsApp data including the deleted WhatsApp messages. Select the messages you want to recover and click on Start.
You'll be notified when the deleted WhatsApp messages are recovered successfully!
Conclusion
There you go.
If you've been annoyed by WhatsApp automatically downloading stuff to your gallery, now you know how to stop auto download in WhatsApp. Plus, you've also learned about Tenorshare Ultdata for Android, the perfect tool for you if you have lost your precious WhatsApp messages or media.
How to disable auto-download in WhatsApp
Do you know how to disable auto-download in WhatsApp for any type of media to save bandwidth? If you haven't heard it yet, let's talk! There is a great way to save precious megabytes of data that are wasted on content that is not always needed.
Disable auto-upload on iPhone
You can disable auto-upload of photos in WhatsApp in a few seconds - first, let's figure out why you need to be able to work with the option? You can independently regulate which types of content you prioritize. nine0003
As a reminder, any documents or multimedia should be downloaded when connected to a wireless network. If you allow uploading data on the mobile network, you can lose a large number of megabytes and significantly increase traffic consumption.
If you want to save the Internet and increase the speed of work, think about how to disable the automatic download of photos from WhatsApp. Attention! Don't confuse this with the autosave feature.
The instruction is simple:
- Open the application and click on the settings gear from the bottom right; nine0014
- Go to the Data and Storage section;
- Find the Media Startup tab.
Here are several subsections: photos, audio, video and documents. You can click on each icon to select the download source. Three options are available to users:
- WiFi. Content only downloads when connected to a wireless network;
- Wi-Fi and cellular. Content will be loaded in the presence of any connection; nine0014
- Never. The name speaks for itself.
We want to stop auto-uploading photos in WhatsApp (and other types of content), so we select the Never option. Changes made are saved automatically, so you just need to exit the menu.
Important! Voice messages are always downloaded automatically.
Learn how to pin a message to a conversation here. If you decide to disable auto-download of media files in WhatsApp, be prepared for the following:
- Media will not download automatically - you need to click on each file to transfer it to the smartphone gallery;
- Videos are not downloaded in autoload format! But if you click on the "Play" button, the video will start playing, which will automatically entail a background download.
Done - the option can be canceled at any time, set up data download in a convenient way.
Disable autoload on Android
Now we answer the question of how to stop downloading photos in WhatsApp on Android. The instruction has certain differences specific to this operating system - we will not work with content types, but with available download networks. nine0003
What needs to be done?
- Enter the application and tap on the three dots at the top right;
- Open Settings and find the Data & Storage tab.
Now you can select the type of network you are using:
- Mobile network. This is mobile internet;
- WiFi. Wireless connection;
- Roaming. Connection while abroad.
To disable the download of photos from WhatsApp through any source, you need to open each of the three menus presented above and uncheck all the boxes. nine0003
The following options are available:
- Photos;
- Video;
- Documents;
- Audio.
If you want to disable the automatic upload of photos in WhatsApp, uncheck the box opposite (green checkmark) and save the changes. Don't forget to open the menu of all connection types - mobile, wireless and roaming, to disable auto-download exactly.
You have learned how to remove autoload in WhatsApp - a great solution to save traffic. If you want to opt out of automatic downloads in order to hide content from the smartphone gallery, you can go the other way without disabling the option.
nine0003
- Open the internal file storage and find the folder with the name of the messenger;
- Create a new folder inside and name it ".nomedia".
The multimedia content will now be hidden! If necessary, you can easily restore pictures in the gallery by deleting the ".nomedia" folder.
Finally, we note that the developers of the messenger are trying to reduce the load on mobile networks during the COVID-19 pandemic, so in a number of regions it was decided to disable the download of photos in WhatsApp. Disable downloading photos in WhatsApp. Measures taken to prevent problems with mobile network bandwidth. nine0003
Manage the option as you wish - if you want to reduce network load, save traffic, quickly disable autoload. Now you are familiar with the detailed settings of the messenger and you can choose the best option yourself.
Next, we will tell you how to transfer pictures from WhatsApp to a computer.
Whatsapp: how to stop auto uploading photos and videos
How to remove saving photos in WhatsApp?
How to turn off autosave photos to gallery in Whatsapp iPhone and Android
- Open Whatsapp.
- In the lower right corner, click on the gear "Settings"
- Select the menu item "Chats"
- Uncheck "Save Media"
How to remove WhatsApp autoload on iPhone?
Incoming images and videos will no longer be saved to the Camera Roll.
…
How to turn off automatic uploading of photos and videos in WhatsApp for iPhone
- Open WhatsApp on iPhone and go to the "Settings" tab. nine0014
- Go to the Chats menu.
- Set the switch opposite the "To Film" item to the inactive position.
How to disable autosave in WhatsApp Android?
How to stop WhatsApp media from being stored in the phone gallery
- Open WhatsApp.
- Click on More Options > > Settings > Chats .
- Disable media visibility.
How to remove a video call from WhatsApp?
From your profile menu, go to the "Settings" section. Open Notifications. Press the "Sound" button located in the "WhatsApp Call" section. Select "Mute". nine0025
How do I enable saving photos in WhatsApp?
Launch WhatsApp and go to the "Settings" of the program by touching the corresponding icon in the lower right corner of the screen. Open the settings section called "Data and storage". The category of settings we are interested in is titled "AUTO LOAD MEDIA" - tap here "Photo".
How to save photos from WhatsApp to gallery?
We will immediately give an answer to the question where Whatsapp photos are stored - in the smartphone gallery, with any download method they will be transferred there.
nine0025 ...
Android
- Open WhatsApp and click on the "Chats" button on the top panel;
- Select the desired conversation and open it;
- You will see a gray “Save” arrow above the picture;
How to disable auto upload photos on iPhone?
How to enable or disable auto download and sync
In the upper right corner of the screen, tap your profile picture or initial icon. Autoload and sync. Enable or disable auto download and sync. nine0003
How to remove auto-upload photos in WhatsApp?
On Android smartphones, you can easily turn off automatic saving of files sent by your contacts. Open WhatsApp and go to the "Settings" menu. Navigate to the "Data & Storage" section and look for the "Media Startup" category.
How to turn off photo saving in iPhone?
To turn off iCloud Photos on all devices:
- On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Photos, then tap Disable & Delete.
nine0014 - On a Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
How to turn off WhatsApp backup?
How to turn off backup in WhatsApp
- Open WhatsApp, click on the vertical dots.
- Enter "Settings".
- Click the "Chats" section.
- Now in Google Drive settings, click on Backups.
- Check the box next to “Never”. nine0014
How to save WhatsApp photos to a memory card?
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”.
Why doesn't WhatsApp save photos to the gallery?
WhatsApp files are stored on the phone in a special WhatsApp folder. But in order for them to be saved, you need to make a note in the WhatsApp settings to always save files. … The application itself creates a new WhatsApp folder.
