Many messenger users are faced with a situation where the internal memory of the smartphone is rapidly filling up, and hidden synchronization processes are often to blame. The application Viber by default is configured to automatically save the chat history and all received media files, which can take up gigabytes of precious space. If you want to stop this process or simply do not need regular backups, you will need to change the settings inside the application itself and in the Android system.
Completely disabling the data backup function requires a careful approach, since incorrect actions can lead to the loss of important information without the possibility of recovery. In this article we will analyze in detail the mechanisms of operation, ways to disable synchronization with automatic copying, ways to disable synchronization with Google Drive and methods for limiting application access to the device storage. You will learn to manage which data is saved and which is deleted immediately after reading, optimizing the operation of your gadget.
Before taking radical measures, such as completely blocking the writing of files, it is worth assessing the need to store archives. Some users store conversations for years, while others only need the last week's history. Understanding exactly how Viber interacts with cloud services and local memory, will help you make an informed decision and customize the messenger to suit your personal needs without the risk of accidentally losing contacts or important messages.
Why Viber automatically creates copies of data
Messenger developers have implemented an automatic backup function to protect users from data loss when changing devices or accidentally deleting the application. Backup is a zipped file containing the history of all your chats, calls and profile settings. By default, this process is initiated daily and uploads data to the linked account Googleif you use the platform Android.
In addition to cloud storage, the application creates local copies in the phone's memory. This is done to speed up the recovery process: if the Internet connection is unstable, it will try to restore the history from the internal memory. However, this approach has a downside: constant duplication of files, especially photos and videos, leads to rapid wear out of flash memory and filling of free space. Viber will try to restore history from internal memory. However, this approach has a downside: constant duplication of files, especially photos and videos, quickly wears out flash memory and fills up free space.
⚠️ Attention: Disabling backup means that if you lose your phone or delete the application, the entire correspondence history will be lost forever. Make sure you don't have any critical information in your chats before changing your settings.
It is important to distinguish between two types of copying: full saving of chat history and autosaving of media files to the gallery. The first occurs in the background and is not always noticeable to the user, while the second leads to the appearance of hundreds of new files in the folder DCIM/Viber. Understanding this difference will allow you to disable exactly those functions that interfere with the comfortable use of your smartphone without affecting the necessary security mechanisms.
Disable autosaving in the application settings
The easiest and safest way to stop the uncontrolled reproduction of files is to configure the settings inside the messenger itself. You do not need to have superuser rights or install third-party software. Just go to the settings menu and find the section responsible for privacy and data storage. The interface may differ slightly on different versions Android, but the logic remains the same.
First, open the application and go to the main menu by clicking on the icon with three dots or stripes in the lower right corner. Select item Settings, and then go to section Privacy and data. This is where the key switches that control the application's behavior when working with media files are concentrated. You need to find the option Save to gallery and deactivate it.
After disabling this feature, new photos and videos that you receive in chats, will no longer be duplicated in the Android system gallery. They will remain available only within Viber when viewing correspondence. This significantly saves space, since files are not indexed by the system’s media scanner and do not take up space in shared albums. However, it is worth remembering that the files will still be cached in hidden folders of the application.
☑️ Checking the saving settings
Also in this section it is recommended to check the quality settings of the transmitted media. If you have the option HD quality or sending without compression, the files will take up much more space both in the chat and in backup copies. Switching to standard quality will help reduce the amount of data transferred, which will indirectly reduce the size of future archives, even if you do not disable copying completely.
Manage backups in Google Drive
Primary storage for backups Viber on Android devices is a service Google Drive. Even if you disable saving to gallery, the app itself can continue to upload text chat history to the cloud. To completely stop this process, you need to change the settings directly in the messenger interface, since control is carried out through the service API.
Go to Settings -> Account -> Viber backup. Here you will see the date of the last copy created and a button to control the process. By clicking on the corresponding menu item, you can disable Autoupload to Google Drive. After this, the application will stop creating new archives and sending them to cloud storage on a schedule.
| Setting parameter | Default state | Recommended action | Impact on memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy frequency | Daily | Never / Disable | Stops the growth of cloud backup |
| Video in backup | Enabled | Disable | Significantly reduces the size archive |
| Wi-Fi only | Enabled | Doesn't matter | Affects only traffic, not volume |
| Save to gallery | Enabled | Disable | Clears the main memory of the phone |
It is worth noting that disabling startup does not delete existing copies from your Google Drive. They will remain there until you manually delete them through the file manager or the service’s web interface. This is done for security so that you can recover your data during a transition period. To completely clean it, you need to go to the Google storage settings and delete the file with the name containing viber_backup.
Where can I find the backup file in Google Drive?
The backup file is usually hidden in a special application folder and is not displayed in the general list of files. To see it, go to Google Drive settings through a browser on your PC, section "Manage applications", find Viber and select "Options", where you will see the amount of space occupied and the ability to delete data.
Restricting access through Android settings
If the built-in application settings do not give the desired result or you want to ensure that Viber physically will not be able to record data, you can take advantage of Android system restrictions. Modern versions of the operating system provide flexible permission management tools for each installed application separately. This is a more stringent method that requires caution.
Go to the system Settings of your smartphone, then select the section Applications or Application Manager. Find it in the list Viber and open the application card. You need item Permissions or Rights access. Here you can revoke the right to access Memory or Storage.
After this permission is revoked, the messenger will not be able to save new files to the internal memory or SD card. When you try to download a picture or video, the application will either throw an error or store the file only in a temporary cache, which is cleared when the app is closed. However, this may interfere with normal operation Viber: you will not be able to send photos from the gallery, and some media viewing functions may not work correctly.
⚠️ Warning: Completely disabling access to memory may lead to unstable operation of the application. It may crash when you try to open a chat with a large number of media files or refuse to launch at all. Use this method only if other methods have not helped.
An alternative option is to use the function Data saving in the mobile traffic settings for a specific application. While this primarily limits background cellular data transfer, on some Android skins it also limits background file writing activity. Go to Settings -> Applications -> Viber -> Mobile data and turn off background mode.
If you If you are using a microSD memory card, try transferring all media files to it through the file manager, and then in the Android settings, limit Viber’s access to the internal storage, if such fine-tuning is available in your firmware.
Clearing existing backups and cache
After you have disabled the creation of new copies, the logical step would be to delete the already accumulated digital garbage." Old archives can take up a significant amount of space, especially if you have been using the messenger for several years without cleaning. The cleaning process is divided into two stages: deleting cloud data and clearing the local cache.
To delete local temporary files, go to Settings -> Applications -> Viber -> Storage. Click the button Clear cache. This is a safe operation that will not affect your correspondence, but will delete temporary files, downloaded low-quality images and other service data. The amount of freed space can vary from several megabytes to gigabytes.
If you want to delete the correspondence history itself and settings, you need to click the button Clear data or Erase data. This action will completely reset the application to the "just installed" state, deleting all chats, contacts and settings within the app. Do this only if you are sure that the backups are disabled and deleted, otherwise when you reinstall Viber you may try to restore data from the cloud.
Don't forget to check the folders in the file manager. Even after clearing the cache through the settings, folders with the names Viber or Download/Vibermay remain in the root of the internal memory or on the memory card. They can be removed manually through any explorer. Make sure there are no files there that you want to keep before pressing the delete button.
Regularly manually cleaning out your media folders is more effective than constantly fighting with autosave settings if you want to keep your phone clean.
Alternative methods and third-party solutions
For advanced users who standard means are not enough; there are more radical methods of controlling the application. One of these methods is to use file managers with a monitoring function or specialized cleaning utilities, such as SD Maid or Files by Google. These applications allow you to set up rules for automatically deleting files from folders.
You can set up a scenario in which all files appearing in a folder /Android/media/com.viber.voip/, are automatically moved to the trash or deleted after a certain time. This allows you to use the messenger, view photos in a chat, but not accumulate them in the device’s memory forever. However, setting up such rules requires care so as not to delete the system files of the application itself.
Another option is to use a sandbox or isolated profile. On some smartphones with custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi, Samsung), you can create a second user profile or use the Secure foldermode. By installing Viber there, you isolate its files from the main system. Removing an application from this profile is guaranteed to erase all data without traces in the main memory.
⚠️ Attention: Interfaces and menu names may differ depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer’s shell (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS). If you do not find the described item, use the search in the phone settings by entering the word “Memory” or “Applications”.
It is also worth considering the possibility of using the web version or desktop version Viber to view old correspondence, thereby freeing the mobile device from storing heavy history. Although this does not completely disable copying on the phone, it changes the usage pattern, reducing the need to store the entire archive on the mobile device.
Is it possible to restore data after clearing the cache?
Clearing the cache does not delete personal messages, only temporary files. However, data clearing (Storage wipe) deletes everything permanently if there is no active backup in Google Drive or on the SD card.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Will my correspondence be deleted if I simply disable backup?
No, disabling the function backup does not delete current correspondence from the application. Your messages will remain on your phone until you manually clear the app data or delete the app. Disabling backup only prevents the creation of new copies in the future.
Where exactly are Viber backup files stored on Android?
Locally, files may be located in hidden system folders, access to which is limited in new versions of Android. The main copy is stored in your account Google Drive in the application data section. It is often impossible to find it through a regular file manager without root access.
Does disabling copying affect the ability to transfer chats to a new phone?
Yes, it does critically. Without an active backup, you will not be able to automatically restore your chat history when installing Viber on a new device. You will have to start communication from scratch or look for manual transfer methods, which are complex and not always effective.
Why, after disabling saving to the gallery, do photos still take up space?
Photos are saved in the internal cache of the application for quick display in chat. They are not visible in the general gallery, but take up space in memory. To free it, you need to periodically clear the cache through the phone settings or use the built-in clearing function in Viber itself.
Is it possible to set up copying only text messages without photos?
In current versions of the application, such detailed settings are not available. Backup works on an all-or-nothing basis for chat history. However, you can disable uploading videos to backup, which will significantly reduce its size, leaving a text history and photo.