Viber messenger accumulates gigabytes of hidden files over time, which quietly fill the internal memory of your smartphone. Users often encounter a situation where the device starts to slow down or displays a warning about low space, although the user has not downloaded anything new. The main culprits are usually media filesautomatically saved from chats, and overgrown application cache.
Clearing Viber data on Android is not just deleting correspondence history, but a complex process that requires an understanding of the file storage structure. Wrong actions can lead to the loss of important photos or documents, so it is necessary to clearly distinguish between deleting temporary files and erasing the message database. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the safe methods for freeing up space.
You will learn how to use the built-in messenger tools, Android system settings and file managers for deep cleaning. We will look at the nuances of working with different versions of the operating system, since the paths to folders in Android 11 and newer differ from previous versions. By following this guide, you can restore your device's performance without losing valuable information.
Using the built-in cleaning function in Viber
The safest and easiest way to start cleaning up is to use the standard tool that the developers have built directly into the application. This feature allows you to analyze the amount of space occupied and selectively remove unnecessary items. To access it, open the messenger and go to menu More → Settings → Memory.
In this section, the system will automatically calculate how many megabytes are occupied by photos, videos, audio files and other documents. You can click on any category to see a list of files sorted by size or date. This allows you to quickly find and delete heavy videos that were sent months ago and are no longer relevant.
Pay attention to the "Clear cache" button. It deletes temporary files that are used to quickly display pictures and avatars, but does not affect your personal correspondence. Regular use of this option helps keep the work Viber in a stable mode without the need for a complete reinstallation.
- 📸 Photos take up the largest amount of memory in most chats.
- 🎥 Video messages and forwarded videos can weigh hundreds of megabytes each.
- 🗑️ The cache can be cleared weekly without the risk of data loss.
It is important to understand that deleting a file from this menu erases it only on your device, but not on the other person. If you delete a photo from the Viber memory gallery, it will disappear from viewing in the chat, but the interlocutor will keep it. This is standard behavior for decentralized messengers.
Cleaning through Android system settings
If the built-in messenger tools did not give the desired result or the application does not work correctly, you should turn to the system settings of your smartphone. This method allows you to manage data at a deeper level, including forcing processes to stop and resetting settings. Go to Settings your phone and find the section Applications or Application Manager.
In the list of installed apps find Viber and click on it. The app information screen opens and displays the total amount of space used. Here you will see two main buttons: "Clear cache" and "Clear data" (or "Reset"). The first button is safe and deletes only temporary files, speeding up the app.
The "Clear data" button is much more radical. It returns the application to the “as after installation” state, deleting the entire chat database, settings and downloaded media files. Use this option only in extreme caseswhen you need to completely reinstall the messenger without removing it from the system, and be sure to make a backup copy beforehand.
⚠️ Attention: Clicking the "Clear data" button in the Android settings will delete all chat history on this device without the possibility of recovery, unless you have a recent backup copy in Google Drive or local storage.
On modern versions of Android, such as Android 13 or 14, the interface may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same. Some smartphone manufacturers, for example Xiaomi or Samsung, add their own proprietary cleaning utilities, which can also find garbage in messenger folders.
☑️ Check before clearing data
Manually deleting files through the file manager
For advanced users, For those who want total control over the contents of memory, the manual clearing method through Explorer is suitable. This method allows you to see the real files stored on the disk and delete those that are not visible through the app interface. You will need any file manager, for example, the built-in “My Files” or a third-party one Total Commander.
Previously, all messenger data was stored in the root of the internal memory, but with the release Android 11 Google has tightened its security policy. Now the main files are hidden in the system folder. The path to the data looks like this: Internal memory → Android → media → com.viber.voip. This is where the folders with downloaded images and documents are located.
Inside this directory you will find subfolders, such as viber_media, where all received pictures and videos are stored. You can sort them by size and manually remove the heaviest ones. It is also worth checking the folder Downloads in the root of the memory, since some files could have been saved there using the old algorithm of the application.
| Folder name | What it contains | Can be deleted |
|---|---|---|
| viber_media | Photos, videos, audio from chats | Yes, selectively |
| Stickers | Downloaded sticker sets | Yes, downloaded again |
| cache | Temporary thumbnails | Yes, safe |
| databases | Correspondence history (.db files) | No, chats will be lost |
⚠️ Attention: Never delete files with the .db extension or the databases folder manually if you do not want to permanently lose your entire message history. These files are not restored through a standard cloud backup.
When deleting files manually, the system may request confirmation of access rights. This is a normal reaction of Android security to attempts to change system directories. Allow access to the file manager for the operation to complete successfully. After cleaning, it is recommended to restart the device so that the indexing of media files is updated.
Why are deleted files returned?
If you deleted files through Explorer, but did not clear the cache of the application itself, Viber may again display thumbnails of deleted photos in the chat. However, when you try to open them, you will receive an error. To remove traces, you need to clear the cache after manually deleting files.
Setting up automatic media saving
The best way to deal with memory overflow is prevention. By default, Viber is set to automatically save all incoming photos and videos to your phone's gallery. By changing these settings, you will prevent future problems with running out of space. Go to Settings → Privacy → Gallery.
Here you will see the “Save to gallery” switch. If you disable it, media files will remain available only within the messenger chat and will not be duplicated in the general Android gallery. This significantly saves space, since files are not indexed by the system as separate media objects.
It is also worth paying attention to the download settings. In section Data and media you can disable automatic downloading of media when using a mobile network. This will not only save memory, but also save your mobile traffic. Files will only download when you manually click on them.
- 📵 Turning off autosave saves up to 30% of your storage space every month.
- 📶 Downloading media only over Wi-Fi protects against accidental consumption traffic.
- 👁️ Viewing files is possible in the chat even without saving to the gallery.
Remember that these settings apply only to new incoming messages. Old files already saved in the gallery will have to be deleted manually or using the tools described in the previous sections. Regularly checking these settings after updating the application will help you maintain control over the situation.
Use the Favorites feature in Viber to save your most important photos and documents. This way you can safely clear other chats, knowing that valuable information is not lost.
Backup and cloud management
Before you begin radical cleaning, you need to make sure that your backups are reliable. Viber offers an automatic backup feature in Google Drive, which allows you to restore correspondence when changing devices or after resetting settings. You can check the backup status in the menu Settings → Account → Viber backup.
Make sure that the latest copy was created recently. If the date is out of date, click the "Create a copy now" button. The process may take several minutes depending on the amount of data and Internet speed. It is important that you have enough free space on your Google Drive to accommodate this archive.
It is worth noting that Viber backup does not include full quality media files unless the appropriate option is enabled, and does not save files received in secret chats. Therefore, it is better to back up critical documents separately to cloud storage or to a computer.
⚠️ Attention: The backup copy is linked to a specific phone number and Google account. When restoring to another Google account, the data will not be restored, even if the phone number is the same.
If you plan to clear the data through system settings (the method from the second section), having a fresh backup copy is a must. Without it, restoring the correspondence history will be impossible, and you will be left with a clean list of contacts without messages.
Regular backup is the only guarantee of the security of your data before any procedure for deep cleaning of the messenger memory.
Frequently asked questions about clearing Viber on Android
Will correspondence be deleted if I just Will I clear the cache?
No, clearing the cache only affects temporary files necessary for the application to run quickly (thumbnails, temporary downloads). Your message history, contacts and settings will remain completely safe. This is a safe procedure that can be performed regularly.
How to free up space without deleting important photos?
Use the built-in memory management tool in Viber itself. It allows you to browse files by category and delete only heavy videos or old images, leaving important photos untouched. You can also manually transfer valuable files from the Viber folder to another directory before cleaning.
Why is the space not freed up after deleting the files?
Perhaps the files were deleted only from the visible chat list, but remained in the system cache folder. Try clearing the cache completely through Android settings or use a third-party file manager to check the folder Android/media/com.viber.voip. Also check the trash can in the phone gallery.
Is it possible to recover deleted messages without a backup?
Unfortunately, there are no official ways to recover messages in Viber without a previously created backup copy. If you used the "Clear data" function or deleted the database manually, the information is considered lost forever.
Does clearing data affect the operation of stickers?
Yes, if you completely clear the data, downloaded sticker sets may disappear. However, they can be easily re-downloaded from the Viber sticker store for free if you have previously activated them. This will also not affect purchased stickers, they are linked to the account.