The default setting in WhatsApp is to automatically download and save photos to the Camera Roll on iPhone and to the Photo Gallery on Android Phone. This default setting ensures that WhatsApp photos remain on your device, even if they are deleted from the Chats.
However, this default setting can result in the internal storage of your mobile device being quickly filled up with a large number unwanted photos & videos; especially if you are part of active WhatsApp Groups or have a large number of Contacts.
In such cases, you can stop WhatsApp from automatically saving photos to iPhone and manually download selected WhatsApp photos to your mobile device.
Stop WhatsApp Saving Photos to iPhone
The first step is to prevent WhatsApp from automatically downloading and saving photos to the internal storage of your iPhone.
This will immediately ensure that the internal storage of your iPhone is no longer being littered with all kinds of photos & videos. If required, you can always manually download selected WhatsApp photos to your iPhone.
1. Prevent WhatsApp Automatically Saving Photos to iPhone
This method prevents WhatsApp from automatically saving Photos to iPhone, while still providing you with the option to manually Save WhatsApp photos to iPhone.
1. Open WhatsApp > tap on your Profile Icon located in bottom menu.
2. From WhatsApp Settings screen, go to Chats screen > disable Save to Camera Roll option by moving the slider to OFF position.
Once ‘Save to Camera Roll” option is disabled, WhatsApp won’t be able to to automatically save photos to the Camera Roll on your iPhone.
2. Manually Download WhatsApp Photos to iPhone
In order to manually download WhatsApp photos to iPhone, you need to make sure that WhatsApp has been provided with access to the Photos App on your iPhone.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > WhatsApp > select All Photos option.
Once, WhatsApp has been provided with access to Photos App, you will be able to manually download and save photos from any Chat in your WhatsApp Account to iPhone.
1. Open WhatsApp > tap on Chats tab in the bottom menu.
2. On the Chats screen, open the Chat containing Photos that you want to download to iPhone.
3. Once the Chat is open, tap and hold on the Photo that you want to download to iPhone and select the Save option in the menu that appears.
The selected WhatsApp photo will be downloaded and saved to the Photos App on your device.
3. Totally Prevent WhatsApp From Saving Photos on iPhone
You can totally prevent WhatsApp from saving Photos to iPhone by preventing WhatsApp from accessing the Photos App on your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Photos.
2. On the Photos screen, select the None option.
This setting prevents WhatsApp from accessing the Photos app on your iPhone, which totally prevents WhatsApp from saving photos to iPhone, both manually and automatically.