How to keep whatsapp from saving pictures
How to Stop WhatsApp Auto-Saving Images and Video to Your iPhone's Camera Roll
Some 60 billion messages are sent over the WhatsApp chat platform every day. One of the reasons for the service's massive popularity is that it lets users send and receive as many media-rich messages as they want, which – as long as they've limited WhatsApp's use of their cellular data plan – costs them next to nothing.
That's great news for senders, but one of the drawbacks of receiving multiple images and video clips from your WhatsApp contacts is that they're automatically saved to your iPhone's Photo Library. Apart from being an unwelcome sight in your personal Camera Roll, they can start to take up valuable storage space. Fortunately, you can easily prevent this default behavior by following the steps below.
How to Stop WhatsApp Saving to Your Camera Roll
- Launch the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Settings icon (the small cog wheel) at the bottom right of the screen.
- Tap Chat Settings.
- Toggle off the Save Incoming Media option so that it no longer shows as green.
Once you've turned off the above setting in WhatsApp, you can still manually opt to save individual media files that you receive in a chat thread. If your iPhone supports 3D Touch, simply hard press on the photo or video clip in question and swipe up to reveal the Save option. Alternatively, you can access the Save option by tapping the photo or clip and selecting the Share icon in the lower left of the screen.
How to Limit WhatsApp Media Downloads to Wi-Fi
If receiving images or video over WhatsApp is sapping your cellular data when you're out and about, you can prevent them from downloading to your iPhone until you're safely back in range of a Wi-Fi connection.
To do so, return to WhatsApp's Settings tab and select Data and Storage Usage.
The options under Media Auto-Download let you dictate which types of media can be downloaded and under what circumstances. Make sure that the media types you're happy to wait for are set to Wi-Fi.
Tag: WhatsApp
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How To Stop Whatsapp From Saving Photos In 2022
Home » How To » How To Stop WhatsApp From Saving Photos Automatically To Gallery Or Camera Roll On Android And iPhone
by Akshay Thapliyal
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate of other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
WhatsApp has currently more than 1 billion users, where people send messages, share photos, videos, locations, and other files with their contacts.
As people receive long the WhatsApp app from the Play Store, followts of photos from their contacts, they look for ways to stop WhatsApp from saving pictures to the gallery. As there could be private or other personal photos that you do not want others to see when you hand over your phone to someone.
One way is to stop WhatsApp from Auto downloading photos and videos but still when a user views it on WhatsApp, it will appear in the Gallery. So to avoid that you can even hide WhatsApp images from Gallery or Camera Roll in Android and iPhone.
Contents
- 1 Prevent WhatsApp Media From Saving To Camera Roll
- 1.1 On iPhone (Video)
- 1.2 On Android (Video)
- 2 Stop WhatsApp From Saving Media Files Automatically
- 2.1 On Android
- 2.2 On iPhone
- 3 FAQs
- 3.1 Why WhatsApp photos are showing in gallery?
- 4 Wrap Up
Prevent WhatsApp Media From Saving To Camera Roll
On iPhone (Video)
- In WhatsApp, tap on Settings.
- Now tap on the Chats option and look for the Save to Camera Roll feature.
- Now, tap on the toggle button to switch off the setting.
This will stop all the images from showing on the Camera Roll of your iPhone.
You can also watch this video:
On Android (Video)
After updating the WhatsApp app from the Play Store, follow the steps below.
You can change either default settings that will be applied to all your WhatsApp chats or you can set individual settings on per chat basis.
Change The Default Settings
- In WhatsApp, tap on 3 dots and select Settings.
- In Settings, tap on Chats.
- Here, you should find an option called Media Visibility. This is toggled on as default but you can toggle it off.
From now, the received media from all the Chats will stay in WhatsApp only and won’t show in your phone’s Gallery. The photos and videos received earlier when the setting was enabled will still be there and will only be applied to newly downloaded media.
It is also possible to configure the setting on a chat-to-chat basis.
Set Media Visibility For Individual Chats
The option you set above becomes the default one for all the chats. But there are always exceptions. You might want to show media from certain contacts in your Gallery or vice versa. You can do that as well. Here’s how.
- In WhatsApp, select the conversation of the desired contact or group.
- Tap on the name at the top to go to the Contact/Group Info screen.
- Here, tap on Media Visibility.
- Select the desired option and tap on OK to save changes.
Similarly, you can do so for other contacts as well.
We receive all sorts of photos and videos on WhatsApp that don’t deserve to be on our phone’s Gallery to be seen by everyone. To take care of this, you can go ahead and use the Media Visibility feature.
Video
You can also check our video:
Stop WhatsApp From Saving Media Files Automatically
As mentioned earlier WhatsApp also allows you to prevent from saving the images/videos automatically. If you are not aware of this setting then here we have shared the steps to stop WhatsApp from auto-downloading photos, videos, and other file types on Android and iPhone.
On Android
- In WhatsApp, go to Settings.
- Next, tap on Storage and Data. Here you will find different options under the Media Auto-Download section: When using mobile data, When connected on Wi-Fi, When roaming.
- You can set different options for each one of them separately. For now, let’s tap on When using mobile data.
- Uncheck all the other options aside from Photos.
- Tap on OK to save the changes.
The type of media that you want to automatically download is up to you. You can adjust the settings according to your preference.
Similarly, you can prevent auto-saving when connected to Wi-Fi and when you are on roaming as well.
Also Read: How to Take WhatsApp Backup Using Mobile Data Instead Of WiFi
On iPhone
- In WhatsApp, go to the Settings tab at the bottom right.
- Now, tap on Storage and Data.
- Under the Media Auto-Download section you will be able to set the preferences for the different types of files: Photos, Audio, Videos, Documents.
For the sake of this tutorial let’s tap on Photos. - To stop the auto-download tap on Never.
You can do the same for other file types.
With this, the next time you receive a photo or video it won’t download until you tap on it to initialize the download.
If you happen to use WhatsApp for calling a lot then you can lower data usage on that too. Follow the steps here.
And if your WhatsApp notifications stopped working, read our instructions about how to fix it.
FAQs
Why WhatsApp photos are showing in gallery?
WhatsApp photos are showing in the gallery because your WhatsApp settings are set in such a way. to disable it, go to Settings > Storage and Data > Media auto-download and disable it.
Wrap Up
I hope the above methods helped Android and iPhone users to stop WhatsApp from saving pictures to Gallery or Camera Roll or disable auto-downloading of media. If you have a similar issue with the backup, read our post about how to stop WhatsApp backup.
If you want to know more tips and tricks for WhatsApp, check out this post. And if you are concerned about privacy such as who can see your Last Seen status, this article can help you.
If you have faced any issues while following the above steps, do let us know via comments.
Akshay Thapliyal
Akshay Thapliyal is the Co-founder of TechUntold and mainly looks into the strategic planning at TechUntold. He also loves writing articles on apps & problems he faces related to tech. Follow him on Twitter.
How to stop saving photos from WhatsApp in the phone's memory
Messenger WhatsApp takes up a lot of space on your smartphone. Almost all photos and other multimedia files are automatically downloaded to your device without your knowledge.
Blocking automatic saving of photos and videos in WhatsApp will save the gadget's memory, as well as reduce its power consumption, battery consumption and data transfer volume. How to turn off automatic saving of whatsapp media files in phone memory here0005 .
- How to disable saving media from WhatsApp to Android phone memory
- How to disable saving media from WhatsApp to iPhone library
- How to stop saving files received in private or group chats
How to turn off saving WhatsApp media to Android phone memory
If you don't want WhatsApp media files to be automatically saved to your Android phone library, follow these few simple steps.
Open WhatsApp on your smartphone and click on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen. Go to Settings (Settings), then select Data and storage usage (Data and storage usage). On the screen that appears, under Media Auto-Download, select each of the three options: When using mobile data (When using mobile data), When connected via Wi-Fi (When connected on Wi-Fi), When roaming (When roaming), and in the new menu, select files to download automatically.
To not save any file, clear all checkboxes.
Of course, if you want some files to be saved automatically, such as working documents, check the box on the corresponding documents.
Do the same if you want to automatically save WhatsApp photos and videos to your phone again.
How to disable saving media from WhatsApp to the iPhone library
For owners of smartphones or tablets with the iOS operating system, the procedure is similar to the previous one. You will need to open WhatsApp app , go to Settings (Settings) > Data and storage usage (Data and Storage Usage) and then in section Automatic media download (Media Auto-Download) go to each category (photos, audio, video, documents) and select Never (Never) or choose only Wi-Fi , no cellular connection (Cellular)
On iPhone and Android, you can still save the received files at any time by clicking on the photo or video you are interested in.
How to stop saving files received in private or group chats
On Android
To have more control and therefore prevent media files from being saved automatically, whether they come from individual chats or groups, you can disable media visibility on your android phone. For private chats, this setting can be enabled or disabled by selecting Settings (Settings) > Chat (Chat) > Media Visibility (Media Visibility). For groups, go to Settings (Settings) > Show Contact (Show Contact) (or Group Information (Group Info)) > Media Visibility (Media Visibility). Answer No (No) to question Do you want to show newly downloaded media from this chat in your phone's gallery.
On iPhone
On iPhone, you can also stop saving photos in group or private chats. To do this, you need to open a chat (group or personal) and click on Group or contact information (Group or Contact Info).
Then press section Save to Library (Save to Camera Roll) and select option Never (Never).
Image: Dimitri Karastelev - Unsplash.com
How to stop WhatsApp from automatically saving photos and videos
By default, the WhatsApp photo sharing process automatically saves media files to the recipient's device memory when they are opened in the messenger application. This approach is largely justified, but it can cause certain inconveniences and is often evaluated negatively by users. In the article, we will consider all aspects of using the function of uploading photos coming via WhatsApp to the device storage on Android and the possibility of configuring its operation.
With the default settings, when you open an image in WhatsApp for Android, it is automatically saved to your device storage and then displayed in your smartphone or tablet's Gallery. Further in the article, we will first consider setting a ban on the implementation of these two possibilities, and in the final third part of the material we will demonstrate how to clear the device’s memory from media files already downloaded from WhatsApp.
How to prevent automatic download of photos from WhatsApp for Android
So, the first thing you can do if the function of the messenger that involves downloading images has become inconvenient (for example, increased consumption of traffic by the device or too fast filling of free space in its memory), is to deactivate the option to automatically download media files. It is possible to establish a ban on its implementation in two ways.
Method 1: Android OS tools
The most radical approach to solving the problem of stopping uncontrolled saving of media files from WhatsApp to the memory of an Android device involves revoking the permission granted to the messenger to access the storage. The instruction below is suitable only for those users who do not plan to use the information exchange system in question for transmitting and receiving files, regardless of their type.
Please note that depending on the version of the mobile OS and the system shell launcher used, the names of options and menu items may differ from those described and captured in the screenshots below, but the general principle is the same in all versions of Android!
- Enter the "Settings" of the mobile operating system by any preferred method.
Next, open the settings category called Applications. - Click All Apps. Then find the “WhatsApp” item in the list of software installed on the device that opens and tap on its name.
- On the screen containing information about the messenger app, tap App Permissions. Next, move the switch located to the right of the name of the "Storage" ("Memory") option to the "Off" position. This completes the configuration - exit the "Settings" of Android.
- In fact, our task is solved - start WhatsApp and make sure that now any attempt by the messenger to carry out any manipulation with the image will fail and display a request for permission.
Method 2: WhatsApp settings
WhatsApp developers for Android have provided in this version of the service client application the possibility of quite flexible adjustment of various parameters, including those related to the function in question. This allows us to solve our problem more “elegantly” and “correctly” than the method proposed above in the article.
- Launch the messenger and go to its "Settings". To do this, click on the corresponding item in the menu called by touching the three vertically located dots in the upper right corner of the menu screen.
- Open the WhatsApp settings section entitled "Data and storage".
- Next, you need to configure the operation of two options:
- Click "Mobile network", uncheck the "Photo" checkbox in the window that appears, and then tap "OK".
- Tap "Wi-Fi" and, just as in the previous case, uncheck the "Photo" checkbox, and then confirm the changes to the settings by tapping "OK".
- After completing the configuration, exit the "Settings" of WhatsApp and you can start normal operation of the messenger - now the images received through it will not enter the device's memory uncontrollably.
How do I set up autoload?
WhatsApp will automatically download images using your cellular connection to give you quick access to your latest photos.
To set up auto-upload of photos, videos and audio files, just go to WhatsApp > Menu > Settings > Chats and calls > Media auto-download .
You can choose when WhatsApp automatically downloads media files.
When connected to a mobile network
Selected media files will automatically download when you connect to a cellular network.
When connected to a Wi-Fi network
The selected media files will automatically download when connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Disabling the display of photos from WhatsApp in the Android Gallery
If your goal is not to save space in the memory of your Android smartphone / tablet or the traffic consumed by the device, but to organize photos in the built-in OS tool for viewing and organizing them - "Gallery" , then you can use one of the following methods.
Please note that when using the first two instructions from the article presented later in this section, not only pictures will be hidden in the Gallery, but also videos received via the messenger, as well as GIF animation!
Method 1: Separate conversations and groups
First, you can disable the display in the Gallery of not absolutely all the pictures that you have viewed in WhatsApp, but only those that were received within a single conversation or group chat.
- Open the messenger and go to the chat configured above.
- Click on the three dots to the right of the contact name or group name at the top of the screen and select "View Contact" or "Group Details" respectively.
- On the next screen, find the name of the Media Visibility option and tap it. In the window that opens, move the radio button to the "No" position, tap "OK".
Method 2: All photos
To deactivate saving in the Gallery of absolutely all media files received from WhatsApp:
- Launch the messenger and open its main menu, tap "Settings".
- From the app settings category list, go to Chats. Next, deactivate the "Media Visibility" toggle.
- That's it - close Settings and start using WhatsApp normally. The Android Gallery will no longer display images received through the messenger.
Method 3: File Manager
Another method by which you can prevent the display of photos from WhatsApp in the Gallery is available for implementation using many "Explorers" for Android (hereinafter referred to as ES File Explorer).
- Open the file manager and use it
to follow the path: WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images/.
- While in the WhatsApp Images folder, call up the action menu - tap on the vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Select "+NEW" and then "File".
- Enter .nomedia as the name of the file to create. Tap "OK" to complete the operation.
- That's all - images from the "WhatsApp Images" directory in the Gallery will not be displayed until you delete the .nomedia file created in the step above.
Method 4: Gallery tools
Among other methods, you can hide pictures received via WhatsApp from the Gallery using the tools integrated into the media viewer application itself.
- Enter the Gallery and then open the Albums tab.
- Find "WhatsApp Images" in the list of albums and long press on its name to bring up the menu.
Select the "Make invisible" option, which will make the catalog no longer visible in the Gallery, but will not cease to exist.
How to manually clear WhatsApp cache
Step 1. Open WhatsApp.
Step 2. Go to Settings.
Step 3. Expand the Data and Storage menu.
Step 4. Pay attention to the "Storage management" item.
Modern instant messengers are almost the main source of wasted memory in the storage of every mobile device. Using the above menu of the WhatsApp application, you can assess the "scale of the tragedy" and carry out the necessary cleaning.
⚠️ If the instruction stopped working or you have problems at some step, please report it in the comments. We will definitely investigate the issue and update the article.
Source
Clearing memory from photos downloaded from WhatsApp
The methods described above in this article, which involve disabling automatic saving of pictures from WhatsApp and / or their visibility in the Android Gallery, are effective in relation to those media files that will be received after performing one or more other procedure.
To get rid of “old” images, for example, to free up the space they occupy in the device’s storage, either the tools provided in the messenger or manual deletion are used.
Method 1: Messenger tools
In order to delete photos received via WhatsApp for Android, you don't even need to leave the application, and clearing media files from your smartphone's storage is quite flexible here.
Chat settings
- Open an individual or group chat in the messenger. Photos received within the selected conversation, and only these, will be erased from the smartphone's memory as a result of following the instructions. Touch the title of a conversation to go to a screen with information and options.
- Click on the name of the area, which is located under the avatar of the interlocutor or group and contains previews of pictures and videos from the chat. On the screen that opens, in the "Media" tab, select the photos to be deleted - the first one by long pressing on its thumbnail, and the rest - with short taps.
- Touch the "Trash" icon at the top of the screen and confirm the messenger's request by clicking "DELETE ME" in the window that appears.
Application settings
- Launch WhatsApp for Android and go to the "Settings" of the application from the tapped application using the three menu points located at the top right of the screen.
- Click Data and Storage and then Storage. On the next screen, tap on the title of the conversation in which the erased data was generated. By the way, the names of the interlocutors and the names of the groups in the list are sorted by the amount of device memory occupied by information from them.
- Click FREE SPACE at the bottom right corner of the screen. Uncheck the boxes located to the right of all types of information received as part of the correspondence, except for "Photo" (unless you want to delete other information at the same time as the pictures).
Next, click "DELETE OBJECTS" at the bottom of the screen on the right. Confirm the request received from WhatsApp by tapping "DELETE MESSAGES" in the window that appears. - If you want to delete photo files that are not from a single conversation, repeat the instructions for each of the conversations to be cleared.
Method 2: File Manager
Of course, if there are many dialogs and groups open in WhatsApp, and a large number of images have accumulated in the device’s memory in the process of receiving information from them, cleaning using the above method can take a long time. It is more convenient and in order to destroy all the photos downloaded by the messenger at a time, use any file manager.
- Launch File Explorer for Android and navigate to the Media folder from the WhatsApp directory in your device's storage.
- Long press on the name of the WhatsApp Images directory and highlight it. Click on the trash icon in the action menu that became available after checking the box on the folder and then confirm the file manager prompt.
