To check WhatsApp statuses that have been saved to your device’s internal storage, you can navigate to the WhatsApp folder in your phone’s file manager app. WhatsApp saves statuses, photos, videos and other media in dedicated folders that can be accessed if you know where to look.
Locating the WhatsApp Folder
On Android phones, WhatsApp’s folder is usually located in the phone’s internal storage at: Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Media > Statuses.
On iPhones, the path is typically: On My iPhone > WhatsApp > Media > Statuses.
The exact location may vary across devices and OS versions, but generally it will be under a folder named WhatsApp or WhatsApp Images in the internal storage. The Media folder inside will contain subfolders for Statuses, Sent, etc.
Using Your Device’s File Manager
To access the WhatsApp folder, open your device’s built-in file manager app. The default file manager on Android is called Files or My Files. On iPhone it is called Files. Using the file manager provides an easy way to browse and access files stored on your device.
Navigate to the folder path outlined above to locate the Statuses folder inside the WhatsApp media directory. This folder contains the status photos, videos and GIFs that have been saved to your phone’s storage.
Viewing Saved Statuses
Once you’ve opened the Statuses folder, you’ll see all the statuses that have been saved from your WhatsApp contacts. Tapping on any status media will open it in full size.
Statuses are saved using a random file name consisting of numbers and letters. Check the date modified and file size to identify newer statuses if needed.
If you’re looking for a particular contact’s status update, opening the media files is the only way to verify whose status it is. Statuses do not show the contact name as part of the file name.
Status Saving Settings
By default, WhatsApp automatically saves every status update from your contacts to your phone’s internal storage. There are settings to disable this and control media saving:
- On Android: WhatsApp Settings > Data and Storage Usage > Media Auto Download
- On iPhone: Settings > Data and Storage Usage
You can choose to disable saving for statuses here. Disabling will prevent any new statuses from being stored in your file manager.
Deleting Old Statuses
Over time, the Statuses folder can take up significant storage space on your device. To free up storage, consider deleting old statuses that you no longer need to keep.
You can sort statuses by date modified to easily find older statuses. Select the statuses you want to remove, tap Delete, and confirm the deletion.
WhatsApp also automatically deletes statuses older than 30 days, clearing out outdated media.
Backing Up Statuses
If you want to preserve important status updates, make sure to back them up before deleting. You can transfer statuses to a computer or secondary storage via USB, wireless transfer apps, cloud storage services, etc.
WhatsApp does not provide a built-in option to backup statuses. Using your device’s file manager is necessary to manually export statuses you want to keep.
Third-Party Apps for Downloading Statuses
A number of third party apps also allow saving and downloading WhatsApp statuses. Apps like Status Saver and Status Downloader let you save statuses directly from WhatsApp without needing to locate the file folders.
However, be cautious when downloading third party apps as some may violate WhatsApp’s terms of service or have security and privacy risks.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some tips if you are unable to find statuses in your file manager:
- Check that you have media auto-download enabled in WhatsApp settings.
- Statuses may have been deleted automatically after 30 days.
- Try searching your internal storage for a folder named WhatsApp or Media to locate the directory.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version in case of a bug preventing saving.
- Check that you have enough free storage space for media to save.
Alternative Ways to View Statuses
Aside from the file manager method, statuses can also be viewed directly within WhatsApp in a few ways:
- In the Status tab, tap a contact’s profile picture to view their current status.
- In Chats, tap a contact’s profile picture to view their second-most-recent status.
- Tap the photo icon at the top of the chat to view their most recent status update sent.
However, statuses automatically expire after 24 hours and can only be viewed again if they were saved to your device storage. Using the file manager allows viewing older statuses even after they have expired on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
Checking WhatsApp statuses in your phone’s file manager provides access to all statuses saved from your contacts. It lets you view, manage, back up and delete old statuses stored on your device. With the file manager, you can retrieve status photos, videos, and GIFs even after their 24 hour expiration on WhatsApp.