Smartphones
How to free up dozens of gigabytes of memory by emptying WhatsApp’s hidden trash can
Learn how to remove unnecessary files that slow down your phone and take up valuable storage space on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has become an essential part of our daily lives. We use it to chat, send photos and videos, and share documents. We can even make calls with it. It is so indispensable that any news about its operation, generates immediate concern. Beyond compatibility, however, there is another problem silently affecting millions of users: storage space.
The problem of the “Hidden Trash Can” in WhatsApp
With constant use, WhatsApp accumulates hundreds (or even thousands) of multimedia files. Even after deleting messages, photos, videos, and documents often remain in the phone’s memory. This phenomenon is popularly called the “hidden trash can,” though it is not a literal garbage can. Rather, it is an accumulation of invisible files that can occupy tens of gigabytes. Even if you no longer see them in your chats, they are still stored on your device. This accumulation not only consumes storage space, but it can also slow down your phone.
How can you free up space without deleting important chats?
Fortunately, WhatsApp offers a useful tool for managing these files and freeing up space without deleting valuable conversations. It’s called “Manage Storage,” and it allows you to see which files are taking up the most memory, identify which ones have been forwarded many times, and easily decide which to keep or delete.
Step by step to access Whatsapp’s “Manage storage”
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the Settings tab in the bottom right corner.
- Then, go to Storage & Data > Manage Storage.
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
- Then, go to Settings > Storage & Data > Manage Storage.
Once inside, you will see a summary of the space used, the largest files (typically HD videos), and the files that have been shared the most. You can select several files at once or review them individually. With just a few taps, you can free up a lot of memory.
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