How to Clear WhatsApp Cache on iPhone and Android

All mobile and desktop apps collect cache to improve performance. WhatsApp is no exception, as it collects cache files on Android and iPhone to open chats quickly. But when the cache goes corrupt, you face issues with sending messages, media, and other functions in the app. You must clear the WhatsApp cache on your phone.

Clearing the cache fixes WhatsApp glitches on iPhone and Android and frees up internal storage. It’s an effective way to free up storage without deleting apps. Let’s see how to clear WhatsApp cache on iPhone and Android.

WhatsApp Cache Explained

The cache is a collection of small files that WhatsApp stores on your phone to improve app performance. Due to cache, WhatsApp doesn’t need to load everything from scratch on your phone. It can use offline cache files to quickly load messages, display pictures, and thumbnail previews to save time and internet data. Over time, WhatsApp collects a huge amount of cache on your phone. That might occupy a lot of storage on your phone and it might become slow or crash if the cache data is corrupt. It’s advisable to check and clear the cache of your frequently used apps.

Clear WhatsApp Cache on Android

Android OS displays cache data for WhatsApp in the app info menu. To quickly clear the cache, follow these steps on your Android phone:

Step 1: Long-press the WhatsApp app icon.

Step 2: Tap the ‘i’ button to open the app info.

Step 3: Select ‘Storage and data.’

Step 4: Check WhatsApp’s cache amount and clear it.

WhatsApp power users can free up storage by clearing the cache. You can access the same WhatsApp info menu from Android Settings. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Swipe up from your Android phone home screen.

Step 2: Find the Settings app with a gear icon.

Step 3: Select Apps and tap ‘all apps’ from the menu.

Step 4: Find a list of installed apps. Scroll to WhatsApp.

Step 5: Open the app info menu. Clear cache from the ‘Storage and data’ menu.

If you’re low on-device storage, do the same for your most-used apps on Android.

Clear WhatsApp Cache on iPhone

iOS doesn’t allow you to delete individual app cache. You’ll need to delete WhatsApp documents and data from the Settings menu. The iPhone Storage menu in Settings lets you check the total WhatsApp data space on your phone. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll to General.

Step 3: Open ‘iPhone Storage’.

Step 4: Glance over a detailed storage breakdown on your iPhone. Find WhatsApp from the list. Check WhatsApp to be taking around 10GB of data on our iPhone. Tap on it.

Step 5: iOS offers two options to deal with the cache.

Offload App: This option will free up storage used by WhatsApp while keeping documents and data. Reinstalling WhatsApp from the App Store will restore your data.

Delete App: This option will delete WhatsApp and all related data from your iPhone.

Before you choose the ‘Delete App’ option, be sure to back up your WhatsApp data on iCloud or your desktop (via iTunes). If you encounter issues restoring WhatsApp backup on your iPhone, refer to our dedicated post for troubleshooting.

Step 6: Select Delete App and confirm.

Step 7: Reinstall WhatsApp from the App Store and restore WhatsApp backup on your iPhone.

Consult our troubleshooting guide to fix issues and glitches with restoring WhatsApp backup.

What Happens When You Clear WhatsApp Cache

Clearing your WhatsApp cache doesn’t delete your personal chat data. It only removes temporary files from your phone’s RAM and storage. Your messages, photos, videos, group chat, call history, and voice clips remain intact on Android. However, clearing the cache will result in a longer startup time as the app reloads everything from scratch.

Deal With WhatsApp Cache on Phone

Deleting the WhatsApp cache has two advantages: it frees up internal storage and resolves any issues with the app. iPhone users should backup WhatsApp data before deleting the cache. Remember to backup first.