WhatsApp on smartphones Honor can take up gigabytes of memory, even if you are not actively downloading files. The reason is the automatic saving of media, cache, backups and system data of the messenger. If your Honor 50/70/90/X7/X8/X9 or another model starts to slow down, and in the storage settings you see that WhatsApp eats up 5+ GB, it's time to act.

In this article - 7 working methods cleaning messenger memory, including hidden settings that are rarely mentioned in standard instructions. We will look at how to delete unnecessary files without losing chats, what data can be safely cleaned, and what data should not be touched. Let us separately dwell on the features of firmware Magic UI and EMUIwhich are used on smartphones Honor.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly is taking up memory

Before cleaning, you need to understand whether which files the memory is inflated WhatsApp. On smartphones Honor this can be done in two ways:

  • 📊 Via built-in storage utility: go to Settings → Memory → Storage analysis. Here the system will show how much space is occupied by media files, cache and application data.
  • 🔍 Via Whatsapp menu: open the messenger, press ⋮ → Settings → Storage. Here files are sorted by size and type (videos, photos, documents).

Pay attention to the following categories:

  • 🎥 Video — usually take up the most space (up to 70% of total volume). Even a 10-second video in HD can weigh 20-30 MB.
  • 📷 Photo - especially if you are in chats where images are actively sent (memes, screenshots).
  • 📄 Documents - PDF, Excel, Word. Users often forget that these files are automatically downloaded.
  • 🗑️ Cache - temporary files to speed up the messenger. Can reach 1-2 GB.
  • 🔄 Backups —if you did not transfer them to Google Drive, they are stored locally and can weigh up to 3-4 GB.

On Honor s Magic UI 7.0+ has a feature: the system can duplicate media files from WhatsApp to the gallery. Check the folder Internal Storage → WhatsApp → Media —if there are files with the extension .nomedia, they can be deleted without consequences.

⚠️ Attention: If you see a folder Databases in the directory WhatsApp, do not delete it manually! These are chat backups. To clean them, use only official methods (see section 5).

2. Clearing the WhatsApp cache through Android settings

The fastest way to free 100-500 MB is to clear the messenger cache. On Honor this is done like this:

  1. Open Settings → Applications → Applications.
  2. In the search bar, enter WhatsApp and select the application.
  3. Click Storage → Clear cache.

If the button Clear cache is inactive, then the cache is already empty. In this case, proceed to the next method.

On some models Honor (for example, Honor 30 Pro or Honor V40) after clearing the cache, a notification about “unstable operation of the application” may appear. This is normal - the messenger will simply rebuild the temporary files the next time you start it.

Close WhatsApp through the multitasking menu|Restart your smartphone (optional, but recommended)|Check for errors when sending media|Open 2-3 chats so that the cache begins to recover-->

⚠️ Attention: Do not confuse Clear cache i Clear data! The second option will delete all your chats, settings and account linking. Use it only if you are ready to lose your correspondence history.

3. Removing media files from chats (without losing messages)

Media files are the main memory hog. Fortunately, you can delete them selectivelywithout touching your text messages. Here's how to do it:

Method 1. Through the WhatsApp storage menu

  1. Open WhatsApp, click ⋮ → Settings → Storage.
  2. Select a category (for example, Video or Photo).
  3. Sort files by size (click on the filter icon in the upper right corner).
  4. Select unnecessary files and click 🗑️ Delete.

Method 2. Through the file manager

If you want to delete files package (for example, all videos for the last month), use Honor files or any other manager:

  1. Go to Internal Storage → WhatsApp → Media.
  2. Open the folder with the desired file type (for example, WhatsApp Video).
  3. Select files and delete them. For convenience, sort by date or size.

On Honor s Magic UI 6.0 and older there is a built-in function "Cleaning large files". To find it:

  1. Open Settings → Memory → Cleaning.
  2. Select Large files.
  3. In the list, find files from WhatsApp (they usually have paths like /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/...).
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If you often receive unnecessary media (for example, memes in group chats), disable their automatic downloading. To do this, go to WhatsApp Settings → Data and storage → Autoload media and select Never or Only via Wi-Fi

File type Average size Can I delete How to restore (if necessary)
Video 20-100 MB per file Yes, if not needed Ask to resend or restore from backup
Photo 1-5 MB per file Yes, but check the duplicates in the gallery Similar to video
Voice messages 0.5-2 MB per minute Yes, if not important Impossible (unless saved separately)
Documents (PDF, Excel) Variable (from 100 KB to 50+ MB) Yes, if not used Download again from chat or cloud

4. Disabling automatic media downloading

By default WhatsApp downloads all photos, videos and documents in chats. data-i="168">this can lead to Honor this may lead to filling memory by 1-2 GB per month, especially if you are in active group chats. To stop this:

  1. Open WhatsApp, go to ⋮ → Settings → Data and storage.
  2. Select Autoload media.
  3. For each network type (Mobile data, Wi-Fi, Roaming) set:
  • 📷 Photo — Never or Only via Wi-Fi.
  • 🎥 Video — Never (videos "weigh" the most).
  • 📄 Documents — Only via Wi-Fi.
  • 🎵 Audio — Only via Wi-Fi (if you are not listening voice often).

After these settings, media files will be downloaded only when done manually. pressed to them in the chat. This will reduce the load on memory and traffic.

⚠️ Attention: On Honor s Magic UI 7.1+ there is a bug: after updating WhatsApp, the startup settings may be reset. Check them once every 1-2 months.
📊 How often do you clear the WhatsApp memory on your Honor?
Once a week
Once a month
Only when running out of space
Never cleared

5. Cleaning and managing backups

WhatsApp creates local backups chats every day at 2:00 am. These files are stored in the folder WhatsApp/Databases and can occupy up to 3-4 GB. On Honor they can be cleared like this:

Method 1. Deleting old backups

  1. Connect your smartphone to your PC or open a file manager.
  2. Go to Internal Storage → WhatsApp → Databases.
  3. Delete all files except the most recent one (it usually has a name msgstore.db.crypt14 and today's date).

Method 2. Disabling local backups

If you use Google Drive for backup, local copies can be disabled:

  1. Open WhatsApp, go to ⋮ → Settings → Chat → Backup.
  2. Click Backup to Google Drive and select Only via Wi-Fi or Never.
  3. Delete old local copies (see Method 1).

On Honor s EMUI 10 and older there is a nuance: if you disable backup completely, then when you reinstall WhatsApp, the chat history will be lost without the possibility of recovery. Therefore, it is better to leave copying to Google Drive, but delete local files.

What happens if you delete all files from the Databases folder?

If you delete ALL files from WhatsApp/Databases, including the last one msgstore.db.crypt14, then the next time you backup, WhatsApp will create a new copy from scratch. This means that you will lose chat history older than your last Google Drive backup (if you have one). If there are no backups on Google Drive, the history will be completely lost.

6. Transferring media files to a memory card or cloud

If you do not want to delete files, but the memory on your smartphone is running out, you can transfer them:

  • 📁 To a card memory (if your Honor supports microSD):
  1. Open the file manager, find the folder WhatsApp/Media.
  2. Select the desired files (or the entire folder) and click Move.
  3. Select the memory card (SD Card) as the destination.
  4. In WhatsApp go to Settings → Data and storage → Media folder and specify the path on the SD card.
  • ☁️ To the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk, Dropbox):

To do this:

  1. Download cloud storage from AppGallery or Google Play.
  2. Manually download files from WhatsApp/Media to cloud.
  3. After downloading, delete the originals from your smartphone.

On Honor s Magic UI 7.0+ there is a built-in Cloud Disk function (Huawei Cloud), which gives 5 GB for free. To use it:

  1. Open Settings → Huawei Account → Cloud.
  2. Enable file synchronization.
  3. Select a folder WhatsApp/Media for backup copying.
⚠️ Attention: If you are transferring files to an SD card, make sure it is formatted as Internal memory (in storage settings). Otherwise WhatsApp will not be able to read them.

7. Resetting WhatsApp to factory settings (last resort method)

If the previous methods did not help, and WhatsApp still takes up several gigabytes, you can run full reset messenger. This will delete:

  • 🗑️ All media files (photos, videos, documents).
  • 💬 Chat history (if there is no backup).
  • ⚙️ Settings applications.

To reset WhatsApp:

  1. Make a backup copy of chats to Google Drive (if you need to save the history).
  2. Go to Android Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Storage.
  3. Click Clear data and confirm the action.
  4. Reinstall WhatsApp from AppGallery or Google Play.
  5. When you first start, restore chats from a backup copy (if you have one).

After the reset, the messenger will be like new, without unnecessary files. However, this method is not recommended use frequently, since:

  • You will lose unsaved media.
  • You will have to re-configure notifications, themes and other settings.
  • If the backup is on Google The disk is old, some of the correspondence may be missing.
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Before resetting WhatsApp, be sure to check that the backup copy on Google Drive is up to date. To do this, open WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup and look at the date of the last backup.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about clearing WhatsApp on Honor

Is it possible to clear WhatsApp memory without deleting chats?

Yes, to do this, delete only the media files and cache, but do not touch the folder Databases (chats are stored there). You can also disable media auto-download so that new files are not downloaded automatically.

Why does the memory quickly fill up again after cleaning?

Most likely, you have media auto-download enabled. Disable it in WhatsApp Settings → Data and Storage → Autoload Media. Also check if the files in the gallery are duplicated (this is a common problem). Honor this is a common problem).

How to transfer WhatsApp to a memory card on Honor?

Official WhatsApp does not support transfer to SD card, but you can:

  1. Transfer media files only (see section 6).
  2. Use SD card as Internal memory (in the storage settings), but this can slow down the messenger.

The messenger itself and the chat database cannot be transferred - they are always stored in the internal memory.

What to do if WhatsApp does not see files after transferring to SD card?

Check:

  • The card is formatted as Internal memory (in the storage settings).
  • The path to the files is specified correctly in Whatsapp settings → Data and storage → Media folder.
  • The files are not damaged (try opening them manually through the file manager).

If all else fails, return the files to the internal memory.

How to clear WhatsApp on Honor without losing data?

Follow this algorithm:

  1. Back up your chats to Google Drive.
  2. Delete unnecessary media files via Whatsapp Settings → Storage.
  3. Clear the cache in settings Android.
  4. Delete old local backups from the folder Databases (except the last one).
  5. Disable auto-download of media.

This will free up maximum space without the risk of losing correspondence.