WhatsApp Web allows users to access WhatsApp on their computers through a browser. This connects your phone to the WhatsApp Web client on your computer. When using WhatsApp Web, you may notice that files you send and receive are stored somewhere on your computer. So where exactly are these WhatsApp Web files stored on your PC?
Where WhatsApp Web Files are Stored
WhatsApp Web files including photos, videos, documents, audio clips, and other media are stored in a dedicated WhatsApp folder on your computer. The location of this folder depends on which operating system you are using.
Windows
On Windows PCs, WhatsApp Web files are stored in the following location:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\WhatsApp
Where [username] is your Windows user account name.
So for example, if your username is “John”, the path would be:
C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming\WhatsApp
This WhatsApp folder contains a Media subfolder where your sent and received WhatsApp Web files are stored.
Mac
On Mac computers, WhatsApp Web files are stored here:
/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp
Where [username] is your Mac user account name.
The Media subfolder within this WhatsApp folder contains your files.
Chromebook
For Chromebooks, WhatsApp Web files are stored in:
/home/chronos/user/Media/WhatsApp/
The Media folder inside WhatsApp is where your files are located.
File Storage Behavior
Whenever you send or receive a file through WhatsApp Web such as a photo, video, or document, it gets automatically stored in the appropriate WhatsApp Media folder mentioned above.
Some key points about WhatsApp Web’s file storage behavior:
– Files are only stored on the computer currently linked to your WhatsApp account through WhatsApp Web. If you link to a new computer, the files will not transfer over and will only be available on the original computer.
– Your WhatsApp Web files continue to exist on your computer even if you unlink or logout of WhatsApp Web. They do not get automatically deleted.
– The amount of storage space your WhatsApp Web files take up depends on how many files you have sent/received, and their file sizes. There is no storage limit.
– Deleting a WhatsApp Web file from your chat does not delete it from your computer’s storage. You have to manually delete it.
– Your WhatsApp Web files are not backed up anywhere else. So if you lose your computer, you lose the files. Backing them up separately is recommended.
Accessing WhatsApp Web Files
Now that you know where WhatsApp Web stores your files on your computer, how do you access them outside of WhatsApp?
Here are some ways to access and manage your WhatsApp Web files directly through your computer’s file explorer:
Windows File Explorer
1. Open File Explorer through the start menu or task bar.
2. Navigate to: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming
3. Open the WhatsApp folder.
4. Open Media to see all your sent/received WhatsApp Web files.
Mac Finder
1. Open Finder through the dock.
2. In the Finder menu, click Go > Go to Folder…
3. Type /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp
4. Open WhatsApp, then open Media.
Chromebook Files App
1. Open the Files app from app launcher.
2. On the left panel, under My Files, navigate to Downloads > WhatsApp > Media
3. Your WhatsApp Web files will be listed here.
From your computer’s file explorer, you can view, open, delete, move, copy or rename files as you normally would any other files on your computer.
One thing to note is that the WhatsApp folder path starts with Roaming or Library/Application Support on Windows and Mac. This means it’s part of your user profile folder, so the path will be the same regardless of which hard drive or location you install WhatsApp Web or Windows/Mac OS on that computer.
Backing Up WhatsApp Web Files
Since your WhatsApp Web files only exist on the currently linked computer, it is highly recommended to back them up. This prevents losing all your WhatsApp media if you lose your computer.
Here are some ways to backup your WhatsApp Web files:
– Copy the WhatsApp folder to an external hard drive or USB flash drive either manually or using automated backup software.
– Sync the WhatsApp folder to cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud.
– Use a dedicated backup program to include the WhatsApp folder in your backups.
– Periodically download any important media files you don’t want to lose onto another device or storage medium.
Example Backup Solutions
Manual copy to external drive
Plug in an external hard drive or USB flash drive. Open your computer’s file explorer. Navigate to the WhatsApp folder, right click on it, and select Copy. Then go to the external drive, right click in an empty space, and select Paste. This will copy the entire WhatsApp folder and all files to the drive as a backup.
Cloud sync with Google Drive File Stream
Install Google Drive File Stream on your computer. Once set up, right click on the WhatsApp folder and select Available Offline. This will synchronize the WhatsApp folder to your Google Drive account automatically.
Third party backup software
Programs like iDrive and Acronis True Image can backup your entire computer system including the WhatsApp Web folder. You can schedule regular backups to ensure your WhatsApp Web files are protected in case your computer fails or is lost/stolen.
Managing Storage Space
Aside from backing up your files, you may also want to manage the storage space WhatsApp Web media takes up on your computer over time. Here are some tips:
– Occasionally review all files in your WhatsApp Media folder and delete ones you no longer need. WhatsApp will keep the chat history but delete the file attachment.
– Use your computer’s storage analyzer tool to see how much space WhatsApp Web is taking up. On Windows open Properties on the WhatsApp folder. On Mac, use About This Mac -> Storage.
– Move old or large files to an external drive to recover space but still keep them as a backup.
– Toggle off Save to Camera Roll in WhatsApp Web settings so photos/videos don’t save to both WhatsApp and your local computer storage.
– Set auto-delete of media after a period of time in WhatsApp Web settings.
– Check your recycle bin and permanently delete WhatsApp files that have been previously deleted.
– Use a storage optimization tool that analyzes unnecessary duplicate files and recovers space.
Conclusion
WhatsApp Web stores your sent and received media files such as photos, videos, documents and audio clips in a dedicated WhatsApp folder on your linked computer. The exact location is:
Windows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\WhatsApp\Media
Mac: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp/Media
Chromebook: /home/chronos/user/Media/WhatsApp/Media
You can access these files directly through your computer’s file explorer. Make sure to back them up, as they are only saved on the currently linked computer. Manage storage space by deleting, moving or auto-deleting old and unnecessary files.