WhatsApp Will Soon Let You Manage Storage on a Per-Chat Basis

WhatsApp is developing a feature that will let users micro-manage the storage taken up by shared files in individual chat threads, greatly expanding the current storage management tools offered by the Meta-owned app.

Whatsapp Feature
In its existing form, WhatsApp lets you manage storage globally by going to Settings ➝ Storage and Data ➝ Manage Storage, where files and media can be browsed from every conversation.

There's also a "Media, Links, and Docs" option within each chat's info page where you can look at all of the shared files in a conversation, but it doesn't tell you how much space each file takes up.

To improve the situation, a new "Manage Storage" option has been added directly to the chat info page in the latest WhatsApp beta. As spotted by WaBetaInfo, the new section shows you how much storage each conversation takes up on your device. You can also view a grid of media shared within a chat, including photos, videos, and documents, organized by file size. There are also sorting options like "Newest," "Oldest," and "Largest" to help quickly locate specific items.

Whatsapp MANAGE STORAGE FROM THE CHAT INFO SCREEN FEATURE IOS
The change should make it easier to learn which files are taking up the most storage on your device within a given conversation, rather than having to trawl through a global gallery of files to find them. It's not clear when the new storage management tool will go live for users, but given its advanced development progress in the beta, we shouldn't have to wait too long.

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Top Rated Comments

Steve Job's Cousin Avatar
14 weeks ago

Whatsapp is a security liability. Stick to iMessage and encourage friends and family to use iPhone.
Nobody I know uses iMessage.

I think I'll stick with WhatsApp.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple-achian Avatar
14 weeks ago
Whatsapp is a security liability. Stick to iMessage and encourage friends and family to use iPhone.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radin.Y Avatar
14 weeks ago

Everyone I know uses Facebook Messenger but for whatever reason that's being discontinued in a month or so, so we'll see if everyone moves to WhatsApp. It's a much better app but no one I know uses it. But there isn't really anything else out there (iMessage doesn't count – I can't force all my hundreds of friends/family/colleagues to use Apple devices when almost none of them do).
You’re misunderstood. Meta is discontinuing the desktop application for Messenger. It will continue working on the web on your desktop.
They won’t discontinue the Messenger mobile app. It’s too popular.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mity Avatar
14 weeks ago
It would be great if we can choose the back up location IN THE APP. Maybe I want my chats in Google Drive or OneDrive or DropBox or whatever. GoodNotes allows this and I'm not sure why WhatsApp cannot as well. It would be so much easier to switch to/from iOS/Android if they did this.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radin.Y Avatar
14 weeks ago
‎WhatsApp’s storage management options faaar exceed iMessage’s.
Sadly, iMessage is buggy, inconsistent, and inconvenient. Would love to use it more, but Apple hasn’t fixed iMessage issues that I have personally continuously experienced year after year.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocoua Avatar
14 weeks ago
Best update ever
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)