WhatsApp’s New Storage Feature Gives You Full Control Over Chat Space

WhatsApp is preparing to address one of its users’ most persistent frustrations – the endless buildup of photos, videos, and documents that quietly consume valuable phone storage.

A new feature, now being tested in beta, promises to give users precise control over how much space each individual chat or group occupies, without the drastic step of deleting everything at once.

Until now, the only way to manage WhatsApp’s growing digital footprint was through the global Manage Storage option hidden deep in the app’s settings. While that option provides an overview of your media, it isn’t designed for precision – it treats all chats equally. WhatsApp’s upcoming update will finally fix that limitation by adding a new ‘Manage Storage’ section within the info page of each conversation, letting you see exactly which files are hogging your storage and take action right there.

According to insights from WaBetaInfo, the feature introduces a clean and visual grid layout of shared media – images, videos, and documents – allowing users to organize or sort them by size or by the time they were shared. Imagine being able to open a cluttered group chat and instantly view which 200 MB videos or random memes are eating up your phone space, then delete them all in seconds without leaving the chat view. It’s a simple, yet incredibly practical improvement.

More importantly, this update represents WhatsApp’s growing awareness of how people actually use the app. For heavy users or members of lively group chats, the cumulative weight of shared files can quickly balloon to gigabytes. The new feature helps you clean selectively, keeping important messages and files intact while clearing away what you no longer need. It’s a small quality-of-life upgrade that could make a huge difference in daily use.

Currently, the feature is being tested among a small circle of iOS beta users, but a wider rollout is expected soon. Android users should also expect the same capability in future updates. The gradual rollout suggests WhatsApp wants to ensure smooth integration before global availability.

For anyone juggling multiple busy chats – family groups, work projects, or hobby circles – this update will feel like a breath of fresh air. One user described it perfectly: “I love my group chats, but they fill my storage faster than I can clear them.” Now, those users will finally have a better way to take control. And perhaps in the next iteration, WhatsApp might even add a smart toggle to limit how much space each chat can use automatically – the ultimate solution to storage chaos.

While we wait for the global release, it’s clear that WhatsApp is evolving beyond just messaging. It’s becoming a smarter platform that respects your device’s limits and your time – one thoughtful feature at a time.