WhatsApp Freezing when using Manage Storage, Fix
Many people use the WhatsApp app to call and send messages to friends and family. WhatsApp uses Wi-Fi or cellular data to send and receive calls and messages. In the past few months, WhatsApp users have had trouble when trying to manage their WhatsApp storage on their iPhones. It seems that for some users, WhatsApp freezes when they go to Manage Storage. In this article, we will give some general advice for dealing with freezing apps, explain how to use Manage Storage in WhatsApp, and tell you about a solution to the WhatsApp Manage Storage freezing problem that has worked for some users.
General Advice for When an App Freezes
Restart the App
- Close the frozen app.
- iPhone X, 11 and 12: On the Home Screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause about mid-screen until you see your open apps. Swipe left/right until your frozen app is visible. Swipe up on the app to close.
- iPhones with a Home button: Double-click the Home button to show your open apps. Swipe left/right until your frozen app is visible. Swipe up on the app to close.
- Reopen the app by tapping its app icon.
See also: How to Contact an App Developer
Restart your iPhone
Restart your iPhone, then reopen the app.
- iPhone X, 11 or 12: Press and hold either volume button and the side button. When the power off slider appears, drag the slider. Wait for your device to shut down, then press and hold the side button to restart.
- iPhones with a home button: Press and hold the side or top button until the power off slider appears, then drag the slider. Wait for your iPhone to power off. Press and hold the side or top button to restart.
If you are having trouble with an app freezing, not responding or crashing, you should also check that your iPhone is updated to the latest iOS and that there are no updates available for the app that is crashing.
See also: Cellular Data For Apps Keeps Turning Off On iPhone, Fix
Make Sure your iPhone is Up to Date
See also: iPhone or iPad Not Updating to the Latest iOS or iPadOS Version? How to Fix
- Open Settings.
- Go to General, then tap on Software Update.
- Download and install any available updates.
See also: Automatic App Updates Not Working, Fix
Check if There are Updates Available for the App
- Open the App Store.
- Tap on your profile icon at the top.
- Scroll down to see if any updates are available for the app.
See also: WhatsApp Calling not Working after iOS 14 Update
Manage Storage in WhatsApp
Manage Storage can be accessed from the WhatsApp main screen.
- If necessary, tap the back arrow to exit a chat conversation. Tap on Settings at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on Storage and Data, then tap on Manage Storage.
- Under Chats, you can select the name of friends you have chatted with to see the media (photos, videos, etc.) that has been exchanged and is stored within the app’s data.
- Tap the circle with three bars icon at the bottom-left of the screen to sort the media by size or date.
- Tap Select in the upper-right corner of your screen, then tap on any media items you want to select.
- Tap the trash icon to delete the selected media items.
See also: WhatsApp Push Notifications Not Working on iPhone, Fix
How to Fix Freezing in WhatsApp Manage Storage
Some users have found that changing the view or font size has fixed the freezing issue. These are options that are available in the Accessibility menu.
Change from Zoom to Standard View
- Open Settings. Go to Accessibility.
- Tap on Zoom.
- Toggle the switch to the Off position next to Zoom.
See also: Wrong Caller ID Showing on iPhone iOS 14
Change Font Size to a Smaller Font
- Open Settings. Go to Accessibility.
- Tap on Display & Text Size.
- Tap Larger Text.
- If Larger Accessibility Sizes is selected, toggle the switch to Off.
- On the text size slider at the bottom of your screen, choose the middle text size.
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Other Ideas
Save or Delete Selected Photos and Media
- Go to the conversation where the photo or other media was exchanged.
- Find any photo in the conversation and tap on it.
- Tap All Media in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Select in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Select the photos or other media you wish to save or delete.
See also: How To Delete Photo Albums On iPhone and Mac
To Save
- Tap the Action menu icon in the bottom-left corner.
- You can choose Save to Files, to save your media to a folder in your iCloud Drive. You can also choose Save [number] Images to save to Photos on your iPhone.
See also: How To Upgrade & Downgrade or Cancel Your iCloud Storage Plan
To Delete
- Tap the Trash icon in the lower-right corner.
- Tap Delete For Me.
Offload and Keep Data
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Find WhatsApp in the list and tap on it.
- Select Offload App. Your data will be preserved.
- Open the App Store and tap Search at the bottom of the screen.
- Search WhatsApp. Tap the download icon ( a cloud with a down arrow).
See also: “System” Storage And What Can You Do To Clear
Delete and Redownload
You might try deleting and redownloading WhatsApp. This will delete your data, however.
- Press and hold on the WhatsApp icon.
- Tap on Remove App.
- Tap Delete App. You will see a message that your data will be deleted.
- Tap Delete.
- Open the App Store and tap Search at the bottom of the screen.
- Search WhatsApp. Tap the download icon ( a cloud with a down arrow).
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