Are you having trouble downloading media (photos and videos) that you receive through WhatsApp on Android or iOS? Have you been trying to save some memes or funny videos that your friends sent you on WhatsApp but to no avail? Thankfully, this should be an easy fix.
In this article, we'll guide you through the steps to take to troubleshoot this issue. And hopefully, by the end of the article, you'll be able to download media from WhatsApp without any trouble...
1. Check Your Internet Connection
When you're having difficulties using an app that requires the internet to work, you should check that your internet connection is working correctly.
A good way to do this is to use other apps on your phone and check if they are able to access the internet. You can also try visiting a webpage on your preferred browser.
If other applications are also experiencing similar connectivity issues, check that you're connected to the internet.
Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues
Start by power-cycling your Wi-Fi router. If the connectivity issue persists when the router comes back on, refer to our guide detailing how to fix slow Wi-Fi connections.
Fix Cellular Data Issues
Try turning off cellular data (or mobile data) and then turning it back on again. If that doesn't help, enable airplane mode and turn it back off. You should also check that your internet plan is active and that you haven't run out of data.
If you still cannot download media files on WhatsApp (despite having a data plan) try speeding up your mobile data connection.
2. Check Your Device Storage
You cannot download files from WhatsApp and other applications if you don't have sufficient space on your phone's internal or external storage. That's a no-brainer. Say you're trying to download a 50MB video and there's only 40MB of free storage space on your device, WhatsApp will not complete the download.
For Android, launch your phone's File Manager app and check how much free storage space your phone has. Alternatively, you could also go to Settings > Storage.
Ideally, the available storage on your phone should be sufficient to accommodate the media file you want to download. If you're running low on storage space, refer to our guide on how to free up storage space on Android devices.
If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage / iPad Storage to check how much storage you've used and how much you have left to use.
If your iPhone or iPad is low on storage space, our guide explaining how to create free space on iOS should come in handy.
3. Check Storage/Media Permission on Your Device
This is another important storage-related check you should carry out if you cannot download media files on WhatsApp (or any other app, really). If WhatsApp doesn't have access to your phone's storage or photos, you might get an error message when you try to save media files.
In which case you need to grant WhatsApp storage permission.
How to Grant WhatsApp Storage Permission on Android
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > WhatsApp > Permissions > Storage and click Allow.
How to Grant WhatsApp Permission to Access Photos on iOS
Launch the Settings app and select Privacy. Next, select Photos, choose WhatsApp from the list of applications, and make sure All Photos is selected.
4. Force Close WhatsApp
When an app gets stuck or some of its features don't work correctly, force-closing the app is an effective way to get rid of snags causing the app to malfunction. Follow the steps below to force-close apps on your smartphone.
How to Force Close WhatsApp on Android
Launch your phone's Settings menu and click on Apps & notifications. Next, select WhatsApp from the recently opened apps section or click See All Apps and select WhatsApp from the list of installed applications. Finally, tap the Force Stop icon and select OK on the confirmation prompt.
How to Force Close WhatsApp on iOS
Double click the physical Home button (for iPhone 8 or earlier & iPhone SE 2020) or swipe up from the bottom of your device's screen and release your finger when the app preview cards appear on the screen. Swipe up the WhatsApp preview to force close it.
Launch WhatsApp again and check if you're able to download media files.
5. Restart Your Device
Power-cycling your phone can also help resolve this problem. Shut down your device and when it comes back on, check if WhatsApp's media download functionality has been restored.
6. Check Whether WhatsApp Is Down
The problem could be from WhatsApp's end. Sometimes when WhatsApp's servers are down, certain app features and functionalities may fail to work. You can use trusted third-party platforms like DownDetector or Outage.Report to check for possible problems with WhatsApp servers.
7. Update WhatsApp to the Current Version
Another thing to check is that you're running the latest version of WhatsApp on your device. Old versions of the app sometimes contain bugs that cause some features to fail. New versions come with bug fixes that restore the app to normalcy. Click the link below to update WhatsApp on your device.
Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS (Free)
8. Enable "Save to Camera Roll" (for iPhone)
If you notice that photos and videos that you received via WhatsApp are no longer automatically saved to your iPhone, make sure Save to Camera Roll is enabled. Launch WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats and toggle the Save to Camera Roll option.
You can also configure your WhatsApp to automatically save media files from individual or group messages. Simply open the chat and go to the contact/group info page. Select Save to Camera Roll and choose Always from the options.
9. Reset Your Network Settings
If the problem persists after trying all of the solutions above, try resetting your device's network settings. Especially if you're having trouble using Wi-Fi or cellular data. If you use an Android device, go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options and select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
You'll be required to authenticate the network settings reset by entering your phone's password/PIN.
To reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Reset Network Settings. Enter your iPhone's passcode and click Reset Network Settings on the prompt to proceed.
NB: Resetting your device's network settings will delete all previously-saved Wi-Fi networks and cellular data configurations.
If All Else Fails, Reinstall WhatsApp
By progressing through the troubleshooting guide above you should have fixed the issue and be downloading media files from WhatsApp once again. However, nothing in life is guaranteed.
If none of the above steps work, try deleting WhatsApp from your device and then reinstalling it from scratch. This nuclear option should fix the problem when all else fails.
Just remember to back up your messages before uninstalling WhatsApp so you don't lose important conversations and files.
