Tips & Tricks

What Should I Do If I Am Unable To Download WhatsApp Images & Other Media?

Mansi Vijay ,

Typically, photos, videos, audio files, voice messages, and other attachments received on WhatsApp can be downloaded as soon as you tap on them. Yet, several users face problems when tapping on the media files that show errors – – “Download failed”, “Please try again later”, “Download was unable to complete” and other similar pop-ups.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

Why are you encountering “WhatsApp images not downloading?

Multiple Fixes to resolve the problem.

Additional Information = Keep Your WhatsApp Media Protected From Prying Eyes

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

You might be interested in reading: How Do You Know If Someone Blocked You On WhatsApp

Why Is WhatsApp Not Downloading Images & Other Attachments?

Factors that cause this problem include
  • Poor Internet connectivity issues.
  • You’re running out of storage space.
  • Incorrect date/time settings.
  • The SD card is in “Read Only” mode.
  • Corrupted memory card.
  • You haven’t given enough permission to WhatsApp.

Can’t Download WhatsApp Media Files? Try These 100% Workable Solutions! (2023)

We strongly believe that at least one of the solutions shared below will help you fix the problem of “WhatsApp not being able to download pictures & other media files” on Android/iOS devices.

METHOD 1 = Check Internet Connection

One of the most common reasons for facing issues related to “WhatsApp not downloading files” is a poor Internet connection. Whether you’re connected to the mobile network or Wi-Fi, make sure your device has a high-speed Internet connection. To fix the problem related to poor network, you can do the following:

  • Restart the Wi-Fi router.
  • Switch off/on your Mobile Data.
  • Toggle on/off Airplane Mode for a few seconds.
  • Contact the ISP if the problem persists.

METHOD 2 = Check WhatsApp Server Status

If the Internet is working correctly, but the instant messaging service is experiencing an outage or downtime, WhatsApp may fail to send, receive or download media files. To check whether the messenger’s servers are operational or not. We recommend you navigate to the site-monitoring platforms like DownDetector or IsItDownRightNow to get reliable reports on server status.

In the care the servers are unreachable, we suggest you wait for some time until the servers are back up. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the WhatsApp Support team to get the problem “WhatsApp media not showing in gallery” resolved. Moreover, you can also navigate to the Help Center Page of WhatsApp and read commonly asked questions related to the same problem.

METHOD 3 = Force Stop & Relaunch WhatsApp Messenger

In case WhatsApp has become unresponsive, some features may not work properly. Hence, force closing the app and reopening it may solve the issue of “WhatsApp files not downloading”.

Android users can follow the instructions shared below to force stop WhatsApp:

  • Open Settings, go to Apps & notification
  • Tap on “App info” or “See All Apps”.
  • Find and hit on WhatsApp > Force Stop > OK.

  • Wait for a couple of seconds and relaunch the app.

You should not face any issues related to downloading media files on WhatsApp.

iPhone users can follow the instructions below to force stop WhatsApp:

  • Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open App Switcher.
  • Simply swipe up on WhatsApp’s preview to close the app.

After that, you can re-launch WhatsApp, open any conversation, and try downloading images, videos, documents, and other files like usual.

METHOD 4 = Check for Insufficient Device Storage Space

If your device doesn’t have enough storage space, you may face issues in downloading media files from WhatsApp. Hence, it’s necessary to check for the available storage space on Android/iPhone.

  • Android users can go to the Settings menu and navigate to
  • iOS users can head towards Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

If you find insufficient storage space on your smartphones, you may consider deleting unnecessary apps, files, and duplicate data to restore space. If you still need more space, follow the below-mentioned guides.

METHOD 5 = Fix Incorrect Date and Time Settings

Having an incorrect date & time on your device can certainly prevent your phone from connecting to WhatsApp servers. Hence, make sure you have the correct date and time on your device.

To update the settings on Android, do the following:

  • Go to Settings > System > Date & time.
  • Simply enable options: “Use network-provided time” and “Use network-provided time zone”.

OR

  • Toggle on the option “Set time automatically” or “Set time zone automatically”.

 

To update the settings on iOS, do the following:

  • Launch Settings > General > Date & Time.
  • Toggle on the option next to “Set Automatically”.

METHOD 6 = Resolve Issues Related To SD Card

Make sure your SD card is not set to read-only mode to ensure hassle-free downloading of attachments on WhatsApp. For this, all you have to do is try saving the media file to your SD card from any other source than WhatsApp messenger.

If the file saves properly, your SD card is not in read-only mode. If you are unable to save the file, then you should consider formatting the SD card to fix this issue. But before proceeding, make sure you have a backup of all the data stored on the card.

You might be interested in learning: Easy Ways To Create WhatsApp Backup From Android To iPhone

METHOD 7 = Clear App Caches

You may already be aware of the fact that WhatsApp and other Android/iPhone apps accumulate temp or cache files over time. For example, when you use a particular set of emojis, phrases, or text, you can see them in the recently-used section of the keyboard for quick access.

Though caches can provide great help in daily usage of the app, they may cause certain hiccups, including the inability to download WhatsApp photos, documents, and other files. Hence, it’s important to clear them regularly.

To clean WhatsApp caches, all you need to do is:

  • Open your phone Settings, and go to the Apps & notifications
  • Tap on App info or See All Apps.
  • Choose WhatsApp and head towards the Storage & cache

  • Hit the Clear Cache button!

Restart the app and check if you are able to download WhatsApp images, videos, docs, and other attachments without any issues.

METHOD 8 = Update WhatsApp Messenger

The problem “WhatsApp pictures not downloading” can also appear due to the potential bugs in your messenger app. If you’re running an outdated version of the app, we advise you to update your current messaging to the latest version.

You can simply tap on the following links to quickly update WhatsApp from the official Play Store:

METHOD 9 = Fix The Permissions Issues For WhatsApp

Remember, WhatsApp won’t download images or save any media files on your device, if it doesn’t have storage permission. So, make sure you grant the app all the necessary access and permissions to work flawlessly. Simply, follow the instructions shared below:

  • Open your phone Settings, go to the Apps & notifications
  • Tap on App info or See All Apps.
  • Go to WhatsApp’s App info
  • Select Permissions and set it to Allow

iPhone users can follow the instructions stated below to grant WhatsApp the gallery permissions. This way, the messenger will have the access to all the photos and videos. For this:

  • Go to
  • Locate and tap on the
  • Under Photos section > select All Photos.

Now you can relaunch WhatsApp and try downloading the photos/videos again. Hopefully, the issue shouldn’t persist!

METHOD 10 = Uninstall & Re-Download WhatsApp

If none of the aforementioned solutions helped you to fix the issue “unable to download images in WhatsApp”, the last resort is to reinstall WhatsApp on your device. You can navigate to the Settings and Uninstall the app just like you remove any other application from your device. And, then head towards the official app stores to get your hands on the latest version of WhatsApp.

Note: If you see an option to keep the app data, make sure you tap on the same before uninstalling the app.

Additional Information = Keep Your WhatsApp Media Protected From Prying Eyes

WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption ensures that your messages remain secure and nobody can read your texts or listen to your voice messages/calls. It doesn’t protect users from eavesdropping. If your smartphone gets in the hands of any of your friends, family members, colleagues, or your kids, your private messages, shared attachments, and voice/video call history can be exposed.

But if you have a reliable and authentic WhatsApp locker on your device, you no longer have to worry. Locker for Whats Chat App is one such security application that doesn’t only protect your personal and group chats but also puts a solid lock on the entire app. Hence, you don’t have to think about your chats or attachments getting leaked.

You can also follow this straightforward guide on How to lock a particular chat in WhatsApp

 Wrapping Up: (FIXED) – WhatsApp Images Not Downloading Error (2023)

“WhatsApp download failed error” can happen to anyone, anytime. Fortunately, all the above-mentioned tips and tricks work like a charm and let you save photos and other media files from WhatsApp to a gallery in no time. We had our luck with Method 3 and we were successful in downloading WhatsApp attachments that were previously refusing to download.

If you know any other tips and tricks that can resolve the infuriating WhatsApp error “unable to download images in WhatsApp” then do share your suggestions with us in the comments section below!

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