Overview

• Automatic downloads of photos, videos, audio and documents can rapidly fill Android devices (in WhatsApp folders or on an SD card) and iPhones via the Photos app
• Android users can turn off media visibility under Settings > Chats and customize auto-download rules for Wi-Fi, mobile data or never in Storage and Data
• iPhone users can disable “Save to Photos” globally in Settings > Chats and set per-chat options to always save, never save or follow the global setting
• The Storage and Data > Storage Management tool shows a breakdown of large or aged files so users can select and delete media in bulk
• Experts emphasize that turning off auto-download and manually vetting received files reduces storage bloat and thwarts malware aimed at stealing banking credentials