How to delete photos, docs and links on your WhatsApp

Here’s how to delete photos, documents, and links in WhatsApp. These actions only remove the files from your device (they remain visible to others unless you use “Delete for Everyone” on individual items within the time limit).WhatsApp doesn’t have a one-tap option to delete all media across every chat at once, but you can efficiently manage and delete them per chat, by type, or using storage tools.

Delete Media, Links, and Docs from a Specific Chat

(Recommended for targeted cleanup)This is the most direct way and works on both Android and iOS.

1. Open the chat (individual or group).
2. Tap the contact/group name at the top to open Chat info.
3. Tap Media, links, and docs.
4. Switch between tabs: Media (photos/videos), Docs (documents/PDFs/etc.), or Links.
5. On Android: Tap and hold an item, then select more if needed.
   On iPhone: Tap Select, then tap items to choose them.
6. Tap the trash/delete icon and confirm (Delete for me).

This removes the selected files from your WhatsApp storage without deleting the entire chat history.

Use WhatsApp’s Manage Storage

(Best for freeing up space quickly)This shows chats by storage usage and lets you delete large files or all media from specific conversations.

On Android:

1. Go to Settings (three dots or bottom menu) > Storage and data > Manage storage.
2. You’ll see a list of chats sorted by size (often with “Larger than 5 MB” highlighted).
3. Tap a chat.
4. Select individual files or tap Select all (or review categories like photos, videos, docs).
5. Tap the trash icon to delete.

On iPhone:

1. Go to Settings (bottom right) > Storage and Data > Manage Storage.
2. Tap a chat from the list.
3. Review and select photos, videos, documents, etc.
4. Tap the trash icon and confirm.

You can sort by size, newest, or oldest in some views.

Delete via Global Search (Quick for specific file types)

1. From the main Chats tab, tap the search bar at the top.
2. Tap Photos, Videos, or Documents (categories may vary slightly).
3. Browse or search for items.
4. Tap an item to open it, then tap More (three dots) > Delete (or long-press to select multiple).

This is useful for scattered files across chats.

Clear Media from a Chat (Bulk option while keeping text)

1. Open the chat.
2. Tap the name at the top > Clear chat (or More > Clear chat).
3. Choose Clear media files (or similar option).
4. Select/deselect categories: Photos, Videos/GIFs, Stickers, Documents, Audio, etc.
5. Tap Clear media to confirm.

Note: This keeps the chat and text messages but removes the selected media types.

Important notes:

• Delete for me vs. Delete for Everyone: Deleting media usually only affects your side. For sent items, you can sometimes choose “Delete for Everyone” (limited time window, usually ~2 days).
• Media files (photos/videos) are often saved to your phone’s gallery (WhatsApp Images/Videos folders). Deleting them in WhatsApp removes them from the app, but check your gallery/File Manager separately if you want to free device storage completely. On Android, you can also use the Files app’s “Clean” tool for WhatsApp media.
• Clearing a chat does not delete the chat itself or remove you from groups.
• To prevent future buildup: Go to Settings > Storage and data > Media auto-download and turn off or limit auto-download for photos, videos, and documents (especially on mobile data).

These steps are based on the latest WhatsApp versions (as of 2026). If your app looks slightly different, update WhatsApp from the Play Store/App Store. If you’re low on storage, start with Manage Storage—it often highlights the biggest culprits like large videos or forwarded media.