There are a few ways to download multiple photos and videos on WhatsApp. You can do it manually. I will also share how I manage photos and videos I download from WhatsApp.
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Download Multiple Images or Videos
The manual method works if you need to download one or two files. But, when someone sends a large number of photos and videos, downloading them individually becomes a chore.
Note: The below steps are for WhatsApp on iPhone. Meanwhile, WhatsApp on Android doesn’t have the option to download media files in bulk. However, there is a workaround that I cover later below.
On iPhone:
- Tap download icon to view all the images and videos.
- Then, tap name of the sender at the top.
- Select Media, links, and docs option.
- Tap on Select in the top-right corner and then select all the files you want to download. Selected files are marked with a green checkmark.
- Tap on Share icon at the bottom-left corner.
- Select Save to files.
On PC
Similarly, to download images and videos in bulk on WhatsApp for PC or web app:
- Open chat, and tap on sender’s name.
- Go to Media, links, and docs.
- Select the files you want to save, and click the download button.
Save Downloaded Media Automatically
Use these steps when you want to download all images and videos automatically in WhatsApp. It is useful when you have a work phone or use WhatsApp Business on it and very few people have that number.
Any image or video you receive on WhatsApp, the app will download it and save it to your Photos or Gallery app locally automatically.
- iPhone – Open WhatsApp > Settings > Chats and enable Save to Photos.
- Android – Open WhatsApp > three-dot icon > Settings > Chats and enable Media visibility.
Use Browser Extensions on PC
You can use either of the two browser extensions to download photos and videos from WhatsApp in bulk. However, when tested on two separate computers (Windows and Mac), it worked on one while the other was a little glitchy for some reason.
You can try Image Downloader from ImageEye or Image Downloader.
Before using the extension, you need to change a Chrome setting, otherwise, you will see many pop-ups. Go to Chrome Settings > Downloads and disable Ask where to save each file before downloading.
Download and Save All Media Automatically
Most smartphones come with at least 128GB of storage. So it’s unlikely storage is an issue. But if it is, you can automatically download all media files on WhatsApp without lifting a finger. Make sure to do so only when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network though.
On iPhone
Open WhatsApp > Settings > Storage and data and select the media type you want to auto-download. For example, open Photos and select Wi-Fi.
On Android
Open WhatsApp > three-dot icon > Settings > Storage and data. Tap on When connected on Wi-Fi and select the files you want to auto-download.
Hassle-Free Settings
Like many folks, even I use Google Photos for all my photos and videos since it is available across platforms and works seamlessly on the web. Plus, easy to access on my smart TV.
Since I am part of several family and friends groups, I get a lot of spam and unwanted photos and videos. So I have disabled auto-download to conserve the phone storage. I download select photos and videos manually. The moment it is saved to Photos (iPhone) or Gallery (Android) app, the Google Photos app takes a backup. Later, I delete the unwanted photos and videos from the Photos or Gallery app.
