PruneoWhatsApp takes up lots of space on Mac: free it without losing chats
WhatsApp for Mac stores the photos, videos, audio and documents from your chats, and it can also copy them to Downloads. To free up space, use Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage, which sorts chats by size. Then turn off Save to Downloads and media auto-download. Do not delete its data folder by hand.
You check your Mac storage and WhatsApp takes up several gigabytes, even though you hardly use it on the computer. It usually happens with groups that share many photos and videos: the Mac app downloads them and, if you have it turned on, also copies them to Downloads. This guide explains how to see what takes up the most space and how to free it without losing your chats.
The menu names are the ones in WhatsApp for Mac 26.36. If your version is different, they may change a little.
Why WhatsApp takes up so much space on Mac
- Chat files. Every photo, video, audio and document that you open or download is stored in the app.
- Auto-download. If it is on, the app downloads files even if you do not open them.
- Copies in Downloads. With Save to Downloads on, WhatsApp also saves a copy in your Downloads folder. Those copies are normal files: they stay there even if you delete the chat.
Step 1: see which chats are the heaviest
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings (your profile icon at the bottom left, or
Cmd + ,). - Go to Storage and data > Manage storage.
- You will see the chats sorted by space. The first ones are usually groups with many videos.
Step 2: delete files from the app
Inside Manage storage:
- Open a chat from the list.
- Select the files you no longer need. Start with videos, which are the heaviest.
- Delete them.
This deletes the files, not the text of the messages. If you want to keep a photo or a video, save it to another folder or to Photos first.
Step 3: clean the copies in Downloads
Open the Downloads folder in the Finder, choose View > as List and sort by Size. To find the ones WhatsApp saved, type “WhatsApp” in the window’s search field and choose to search in Downloads: their names usually start like that, followed by the date. Move the ones you do not need to the Trash and empty it to get the space back.
Step 4: stop it filling up again
- In Settings > Chats, turn off Save to Downloads.
- In Settings > Storage and data, check Media auto-download and turn off videos and documents. They will download only when you open them.
If you use WhatsApp on iPhone and back it up to the Mac
iPhone backups on the Mac include the data of the phone’s apps, so they grow when WhatsApp grows on the iPhone. If you back up to the Mac regularly, they can add up to many gigabytes. Check them in System Settings > General > Storage > iOS Files and delete the old ones, keeping at least the most recent one.
Summary
- WhatsApp for Mac stores the files from your chats and can copy them to Downloads.
- Use Manage storage to see which chats are the heaviest and delete their files.
- Clean the WhatsApp copies in Downloads.
- Turn off Save to Downloads and media auto-download for videos and documents.
- Do not delete the app’s data folder by hand.
For the complete cleaning plan, read How to free up space on Mac, or download Pruneo for free.
FAQ
Where does WhatsApp store its files on a Mac?
The app stores its data in ~/Library/Group Containers, in the group.net.whatsapp.WhatsApp.shared folder. macOS protects it and may ask for your permission to open it. If Save to Downloads is on, there are also copies in your Downloads folder.
Do I lose my messages if I delete files with Manage storage?
No. Manage storage deletes files (photos, videos, audio, documents), not the text of your chats. The files you delete will no longer show in that chat on the Mac.
Can I delete the WhatsApp folder to free up space?
Do not do it. That folder contains your chat database. If you delete it by hand, you can lose the history on the Mac or leave the app not working. Use the app's own tool.