WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging applications in the world, has become an essential tool for daily communication. With millions of users constantly sending and receiving photos, videos and documents, It is easy for these files to accumulate and clutter the device’s memory. This can slow down your phone’s performance, making applications take longer to open or the operating system becoming less efficient.
Fortunately, WhatsApp offers various ways to manage these files, allowing himUsers can free up space and improve the performance of their phones.
On this note, We show you how to empty the hidden WhatsApp “trash” and how to optimize your phone’s storage in a simple and effective way.
What happens with the files you receive via WhatsApp?
The multimedia files you receive on WhatsApp, such as photos, videos, audios and documents, They are automatically stored in your device’s memory. Over time, this accumulation can take up a large amount of space, especially if you participate in many groups or receive large files frequently.
This file overload can make the cell phone slow down, affecting both the operation of WhatsApp and other applications. Additionally, users often forget to delete these files once they are no longer needed, which exacerbates the problem.
That is why regularly cleaning multimedia files is key to maintaining the performance of your phone.
How to empty the WhatsApp “trash” on Android
Although WhatsApp does not have a visible recycle bin, on Android devices It is possible to permanently delete files through the system file manager. Below we explain how to do it step by step:
1) Access the file manager. Depending on your device, this tool may be called “Files” or “File Manager.”
2) Go to Internal Storage or Primary Storage.
3) Navigate to the Android folder > media > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Media.
4) Select the files to delete. In this folder you will find subfolders organized by file type, such as images, videos, audios, and documents. Choose the folders or files you want to delete.
5) Delete the selected files. Once this is done, the files will disappear from your device and will not take up any more space.
This simple process will allow you to empty what we could consider the “hidden trash” of WhatsApp, freeing up a significant amount of space.
In addition to multimedia files, WhatsApp saves a series of files in its databases folder, where it stores backup copies of conversations. Over time, these databases can accumulate, taking up unnecessary space on your device.
To delete files from the WhatsApp database, follow these steps:
1) Access the file manager of your mobile and go to Internal or main storage.
2) Navigate to the Android folder > media > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Databases.
3) Select the database files you no longer need. These usually have names that include the date of creation.
4) Delete old backups. This way, you can free up a considerable amount of space without affecting current conversations.
5) Deleting these backups is particularly useful for those users who do not require saving multiple versions of their chats and want to avoid the accumulation of data in the system.
Another efficient way to free up space on WhatsApp without losing conversation history is to empty all chats. This method is ideal for deleting old messages and multimedia files in bulk, without having to delete chats completely.
Follow these steps to clear all chats:
1) Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
2) Tap the 3 dots icon in the top right corner and select Settings.
3) Access Chats and then Chat History.
4) Select the Empty all chats option. WhatsApp will ask you if you want to delete media files as well. If you select this option, photos, videos and documents will be deleted from both the application and your mobile gallery.
5) Confirm the action by tapping Clear chats.
This method is very useful for those who want to free up space quickly, since it removes all unnecessary files, keeping conversation history intact. Plus, if you’ve previously made a backup, you can restore messages and files whenever you need.
Regularly cleaning WhatsApp multimedia files and databases is essential to prevent your device’s performance from being affected. Additionally, we recommend:
* Disable automatic file downloading in WhatsApp, to prevent media from being automatically saved to your mobile.
* Make backup copies in the cloud, so you can delete files from the device without losing them.
* Periodically review WhatsApp folders to delete files that are no longer necessary.
By following these tips, you will keep your cell phone optimized and WhatsApp running smoothly, allowing your device to remain fast and efficient in daily use.
Keep reading:
* Easy trick on WhatsApp to avoid scams: activate this function
* WhatsApp reinforces the security of your chats
* WhatsApp update: How to keep the app working on my cell phone
