Are you having trouble downloading media (photos and videos) that you lot 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 just to no avail? Thankfully, this should be an like shooting fish in a barrel fix.

In this article, nosotros'll guide you through the steps to take to troubleshoot the WhatsApp media not downloading issue. And hopefully, by the finish of the article, you lot'll be able to download media from WhatsApp without whatever 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 connectedness is working correctly. This could be the reason why your WhatsApp images are not downloading.

Attempt using other apps on your phone and check if they can access the internet. You lot tin can also try visiting a webpage on your preferred browser.

If other applications are also experiencing similar connectivity bug, check that you're connected to the internet.

Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues

Start by power-cycling your Wi-Fi router. If the connectivity consequence persists when the router comes back on, refer to our guide detailing how to prepare slow Wi-Fi connections.

Fix Cellular Information Issues

Endeavor turning off cellular data (or mobile data) and then turning information technology back on again. If that doesn't help, enable airplane mode and turn it dorsum off. You lot should as well cheque that your internet plan is active and that you haven't run out of data.

WhatsApp on iPhone

If you yet cannot download media files on WhatsApp (despite having a data plan), try speeding up your mobile data connectedness.

2. Bank check Your Device Storage

This is the second affair to do if photos and videos are non downloading on WhatsApp. You cannot download files from WhatsApp and other applications if you don't have sufficient space on your phone's internal or external storage.

If you're unable to download WhatsApp images and storage is an issue, that's a no-brainer. Say you're trying to download a 50MB video and at that place's only 40MB of gratis storage infinite on your device, WhatsApp volition not consummate the download.

For Android, launch your telephone'due south File Manager app and bank check how much free storage infinite your phone has. Alternatively, you could besides go to Settings > Nigh phone (this volition vary from device to device) or search for storage in the search bar within the Settings app.

Ideally, the available storage on your phone should exist sufficient to accommodate the media file you desire to download. If you lot're running low on storage space, refer to our guide on how to gratuitous up storage space on Android devices.

If you use an iPhone or iPad, become to Settings > General > iPhone Storage/iPad Storage to check how much storage you've used and how much you have left to employ.

If your iPhone or iPad is low on storage space, our guide explaining how to create gratuitous space on iOS should come in handy.

This is another of import storage-related check you should carry out if WhatsApp is non downloading media files (or whatsoever other app, really). If WhatsApp doesn't have access to your phone'due south storage or photos, yous volition get an mistake message when you endeavour to save media files.

WhatsApp Permission Error on iPhone

In this case, y'all demand to grant WhatsApp storage permissions.

How to Grant WhatsApp Storage Permission on Android

To grant WhatsApp access to admission your storage, follow these steps. However, keep in mind that the procedure will vary depending on your device. Go to Settings > Apps > Manage apps > WhatsApp > App permissions > Storage and click Allow.

How to Grant WhatsApp Permission to Access Photos on iOS

Launch the Settings app and select Privacy. Adjacent, select Photos, choose WhatsApp from the list of applications, and make certain All Photos is selected.

4. Force Close WhatsApp

When an app gets stuck or some of its features don't piece of work correctly, force-closing the app is an effective way to eliminate snags that are causing the app to malfunction.

Follow the steps below to force-close apps on your smartphone...

How to Force Close WhatsApp on Android

Access your telephone'due south Settings and click on Apps > Manage apps. Next, select WhatsApp from the listing of installed applications. Finally, tap the Force Stop icon and select OK on the confirmation prompt. This procedure might exist slightly different on your Android smartphone.

How to Force Close WhatsApp on iOS

Double click the physical Dwelling button (for iPhone 8 or before and iPhone SE 2020) or swipe upward from the lesser of your device's screen and release your finger when the app preview cards appear on the screen. Swipe upwards the WhatsApp preview to strength close it.

Launch WhatsApp again and check if you're able to download media files.

5. Restart Your Device

Ability-cycling your phone tin can also assist resolve this problem. Shut downward your device and when it comes back on, cheque if WhatsApp'southward media download functionality has been restored.

6. Check Whether WhatsApp Is Down

WhatsApp on iPhone

The problem could exist on WhatsApp's end. Sometimes when WhatsApp'due south servers are downward, 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.

seven. 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 crusade some features to fail. New versions come with bug fixes that restore the app to normalcy. Click the link beneath to update WhatsApp on your device.

Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS (Free)

viii. Enable "Salvage to Camera Scroll" (for iPhone)

If yous detect that photos and videos that you received via WhatsApp are no longer automatically saved to your iPhone, make sure Salve to Photographic camera Roll is enabled.

Launch WhatsApp and become to Settings > Chats and toggle the Save to Camera Roll option.

You can also configure your WhatsApp to save media files from individual or group messages automatically. Simply open up the chat and go to the contact/grouping info page. Select Relieve to Photographic camera Roll and cull Always from the options.

9. Reset Your Network Settings

If the problem persists later on trying all of the solutions above, endeavor resetting your device's network settings, particularly if yous're having trouble using Wi-Fi or cellular information.

If you lot employ an Android device, go to Settings > Connectedness & sharing > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and Bluetooth.

If you're using a Pixel, open Settings, go to System > Avant-garde > Reset options, and select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. Keep in mind, specific steps for different Android devices will vary.

Y'all'll be required to authenticate the network settings reset by entering your phone'southward password/PIN.

To reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad, become 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 volition delete all previously-saved Wi-Fi networks and cellular data configurations.

ten. If All Else Fails, Reinstall WhatsApp

By progressing through the troubleshooting guide to a higher place yous should accept fixed the issue and exist able to download media files from WhatsApp once once more. Yet, nothing in life is guaranteed.

If none of the above steps work, try deleting WhatsApp from your device and and so reinstalling it from scratch. This nuclear choice should fix the problem when all else fails.

Simply recollect to back up your messages before uninstalling WhatsApp and so you don't lose important conversations and files.

Why I Am Not Able to Download Images From WhatsApp?

There are many reasons why yous are not able to download images from WhatsApp.

Hopefully, with the assistance of this guide, you tin can at present download media from WhatsApp without whatsoever trouble.

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Nigh The Author

Sodiq Olanrewaju (4 Articles Published)

Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 3 years to assistance people solve issues with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He besides enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, and accessories) and rampage-watching one-act serial in his spare time.

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