WhatsApp Images and Media Not Downloading? Here's Why and How to Fix It

If you are having trouble downloading images and videos on WhatsApp, use these troubleshooting tips to fix the problem.

Are you having trouble downloading media (photos and videos) that you 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 but to no avail? Thankfully, this should be an easy fix.

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

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

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

Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues

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

Fix Cellular Data Issues

Try turning off cellular data (or mobile data) and then turning it back on again. If that doesn't help, enable airplane mode and turn it back off. You should also check that your internet plan is active and that you haven't run out of data.

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

2. Check Your Device Storage

This is the second thing to do if photos and videos are not 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 there's only 40MB of free storage space on your device, WhatsApp will not complete the download.

For Android, launch your phone's File Manager app and check how much free storage space your phone has. Alternatively, you could also go to Settings > About phone (this will vary from device to device) or search for storage in the search bar inside the Settings app.

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

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

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

3. Check Storage/Media Permission on Your Device

This is another important storage-related check you should carry out if WhatsApp is not downloading media files (or any other app, really). If WhatsApp doesn't have access to your phone's storage or photos, you will get an error message when you try to save media files.

In this case, you need to grant WhatsApp storage permissions.

How to Grant WhatsApp Storage Permission on Android

To grant WhatsApp access to access 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. Next, select Photos, choose WhatsApp from the list of applications, and make sure All Photos is selected.

4. Force Close WhatsApp

When an app gets stuck or some of its features don't 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 phone's Settings and click on Apps > Manage apps. Next, select WhatsApp from the list of installed applications. Finally, tap the Force Stop icon and select OK on the confirmation prompt. This procedure might be slightly different on your Android smartphone.

How to Force Close WhatsApp on iOS

Double click the physical Home button (for iPhone 8 or earlier and iPhone SE 2020) or swipe up from the bottom of your device's screen and release your finger when the app preview cards appear on the screen. Swipe up the WhatsApp preview to force close it.

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

5. Restart Your Device

Power-cycling your phone can also help resolve this problem. Shut down your device and when it comes back on, check if WhatsApp's media download functionality has been restored.

6. Check Whether WhatsApp Is Down

The problem could be on WhatsApp's end. Sometimes when WhatsApp's servers are down, 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.

7. 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 cause some features to fail. New versions come with bug fixes that restore the app to normalcy. Click the link below to update WhatsApp on your device.

Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS (Free)

8. Enable "Save to Camera Roll" (for iPhone)

If you notice that photos and videos that you received via WhatsApp are no longer automatically saved to your iPhone, make sure Save to Camera Roll is enabled.

Launch WhatsApp and go 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 the chat and go to the contact/group info page. Select Save to Camera Roll and choose Always from the options.

9. Reset Your Network Settings

If the problem persists after trying all of the solutions above, try resetting your device's network settings, especially if you're having trouble using Wi-Fi or cellular data.

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

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

You'll be required to authenticate the network settings reset by entering your phone's password/PIN.

Related: Forgot Your Android Passcode? Ways to Get Back In

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

10. If All Else Fails, Reinstall WhatsApp

By progressing through the troubleshooting guide above you should have fixed the issue and be able to download media files from WhatsApp once again. However, nothing in life is guaranteed.

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

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

Why I Am Not Able to Download Images From WhatsApp?

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

Hopefully, with the help of this guide, you can now download media from WhatsApp without any trouble.

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