WhatsApp remains the world’s most widely used instant messaging platform, connecting over three billion users globally. Owned by Meta, the app enables secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging and calls across multiple platforms, making it a go-to service for chatting with friends, family, and even AI assistants like ChatGPT.
However, convenience comes at a cost. With the constant exchange of photos, videos, and documents, WhatsApp can quickly turn into a storage hog—especially for users juggling multiple work, family, and friend groups. This problem is particularly frustrating for people using older smartphones or devices with limited storage space, who must frequently clean up their chats to free up memory.
Meta is addressing this issue with a new feature currently in testing: per-chat storage management. Reported by WABetaInfo, a trusted source for early WhatsApp feature discoveries, the update will allow users to monitor and manage storage directly from individual chats. Initially spotted in a beta version for Android, the same feature has now surfaced in the TestFlight beta for iPhone.
With the upcoming update, iPhone users enrolled in the WhatsApp beta will find a new “Manage storage” option within the contact or group info screen. This move builds on the existing “Manage storage” tool found inside WhatsApp’s Settings menu but brings it closer to where users actually interact. The result: easier, more targeted cleanup across personal and group chats that tend to consume large amounts of storage.
Meta’s new approach isn’t entirely groundbreaking—you can already delete files from specific chats on both Android and iPhone. To do so, open a chat, tap the contact or group name, then select “Media, links, and docs.” From there, you can review and delete unnecessary files. Alternatively, you can manage storage globally by going to Settings → Storage and data → Manage storage, where chats are listed by how much space they occupy.
The difference with the new system lies in its simplicity. By embedding the “Manage storage” feature directly into each chat, WhatsApp will make it far easier to pinpoint which files are filling up your phone. The interface will also offer helpful filters such as “Largest,” which identifies space-hungry videos and high-resolution photos, and “Newest” or “Oldest,” to help locate recent or archived content.
Whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, this upcoming update promises a smarter, more intuitive way to keep your phone’s storage in check—without leaving your chat window.
