How to not download whatsapp photos


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

  1. Launch the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Settings icon (the small cog wheel) at the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Tap Chat Settings.

  4. 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)

  1. In WhatsApp, tap on Settings.
  2. Now tap on the Chats option and look for the Save to Camera Roll feature.
  1. 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
  1. In WhatsApp, tap on 3 dots and select Settings.
  2. In Settings, tap on Chats.
  3. 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.

  1. In WhatsApp, select the conversation of the desired contact or group.
  2. Tap on the name at the top to go to the Contact/Group Info screen.
  3. Here, tap on Media Visibility.
  1. 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

  1. In WhatsApp, go to Settings
  2. 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.
  1. You can set different options for each one of them separately. For now, let’s tap on When using mobile data.
  2. Uncheck all the other options aside from Photos.
  3. 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

  1. In WhatsApp, go to the Settings tab at the bottom right.
  2. Now, tap on Storage and Data.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

WhatsApp: how to stop auto-uploading photos and videos

How to remove saving photos in WhatsApp?

How to disable auto-saving of photos to iPhone and Android gallery in Whatsapp

  1. Open Whatsapp.
  2. In the lower right corner, click on the gear "Settings"
  3. Select the menu item "Chats"
  4. 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

  1. Open WhatsApp on iPhone and go to the "Settings" tab.
  2. Go to the Chats menu.
  3. 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

  1. Open WhatsApp.
  2. Click on More Options > > Settings > Chats .
  3. 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".

How to 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 of where Whatsapp photos are stored - in the smartphone gallery, with any download method they will be transferred there.

Android

  1. Open WhatsApp and click on the "Chats" button on the top bar;
  2. Select the desired conversation and open it;
  3. You will see a gray “Save” arrow above the picture;

How to turn off 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.

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 on iPhone?

To turn off iCloud Photos on all devices:

  1. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Photos, then tap Disable & Delete.
  2. On a Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.

How to turn off WhatsApp backup?

How to turn off WhatsApp backup

  1. Open WhatsApp, click on the vertical dots.
  2. Enter "Settings".
  3. Click the "Chats" section.
  4. Now in the Google Drive settings, click on Backups.
  5. Check the box next to “Never”.

How to save WhatsApp photos to a memory card?

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

  1. open smartphone settings;
  2. find the “Storage”, “Memory” or “Content settings” section;
  3. select “Default storage location”;
  4. 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. And now everything that comes will be in the gallery.

How can I remove the video call?

The company's clients - individuals and legal entities (except for PRIVET subscribers), if necessary, can disable the "Video Call" service by submitting a written application in the form established by the company to the A1 sales and service center or to the company's official attorneys.

How to turn off the camera in WhatsApp?

During a video call, press Turn off camera . In this case, your interlocutor will receive a corresponding notification. When your interlocutor turns off his camera, you will switch to an audio call.

How to prevent 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's 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 fundamental approach to solving the problem of stopping the 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!

  1. Enter the "Settings" of the mobile OS by any preferred method. Next, open the settings category called Applications.
  2. Click All Apps. Then find the “WhatsApp” item in the list of software installed on the device that opens and tap on its name.
  3. On the screen containing information about the messenger application, click "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.
  4. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Open the WhatsApp settings section entitled "Data and storage".
  3. 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".
  4. 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".
  5. 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 photo, video 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 be automatically downloaded when you connect to a cellular network.

When connected to a Wi-Fi network

The selected media 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.

  1. Open the messenger and go to the chat configured above.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 of

To deactivate the saving in the Gallery of absolutely all media files received from WhatsApp:

  1. Launch the messenger and open its main menu, tap "Settings".
  2. From the app settings category list, go to Chats. Next, deactivate the "Media Visibility" toggle.
  3. That's all - close "Settings" and proceed to use 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).

  1. Open the file manager and use it

    to follow the path: WhatsApp / Media / WhatsApp Images /.

  2. While in the WhatsApp Images folder, call up the action menu - tap on the vertically arranged dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Select "+NEW" and then "File".
  3. Enter .nomedia as the name of the file to create. Tap "OK" to complete the operation.
  4. 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 tools integrated into the media viewer application itself.

  1. Enter the Gallery and then open the Albums tab.
  2. 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. 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 have to leave the application, and clearing the smartphone storage from media files is quite flexible here.

    Chat settings

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. If the photo files to be deleted 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.

    1. Launch File Explorer for Android and navigate to the Media folder from the WhatsApp directory in your device's storage.
    2. Long press on the WhatsApp Images directory name to 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.

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