Learn Effective Solutions To Fix Solutions To Fix WhatsApp Photos Are Not Showing In Gallery On Android!
If your WhatsApp photos are not showing in Gallery and that’s why you are a facing problem in finding the WhatsApp media. You want to know why this is happing and who to fix it. Don’t Panic! This guide will tell you the possible causes why WhatsApp photos are not showing in gallery On Android and how to fix it.
Let’s first check a real user practical scenario!
Practical Scenario: A User Is Facing Problem In Viewing WhatsApp Images In Gallery
Is anyone facing an issue in viewing their WhatsApp images in gallery? if yes, please help me out here if you have a solution.
Source: OnePlus Community
Like the above practical scenario, many users are also facing Whatsapp images not showing in the gallery on Android phones. This problem occurs due to some reasons so let are know why all WhatsApp photos are not showing in gallery.
Also Read: How To Recover Deleted or Lost WhatsApp Messages On Samsung
Causes Why WhatsApp Photos Are Not Showing In Gallery In Android
There can be various reasons due to which your WhatsApp photos are not showing in gallery.
Some of them include:
- When you upgrade or downgrade the device OS.
- If your WhatsApp is not updated to latest version.
- If you have selected incorrect app settings.
- A corrupted SD card can also cause WhatsApp media files to not show in gallery.
- Cellular or Wi-Fi connections can also be the reason too.
- When Media Visibility is turned off on your phone.
So, you have learned why you can’t see the WhatsApp photos in gallery.
Now, let us move to the solutions to fix WhatsApp images not showing in gallery in Android.
Note: All the below discussed solutions will be applicable for all Android phone models such as Samsung, Oppo, Realme, Google Pixel, Moto, Asus, Xiaomi, OnePlus, LG, Huawei, Sony, HTC, ZTE, Nokia, Vivo, Infinix, and all the Android phone models available in the market.
Solution 1: Restart Your Android Device
If there is any bug or glitch on your phone and due to this your WhatsApp pictures are not showing in Gallery then you should restart your phone.
To restart your Android phone, press and hold the Power button until you see the Power Off menu on the screen. Now, from that screen tap on Power Off option to switch off your phone. Once your phone is turned off, then wait a few minutes and then switch on your phone again by pressing the Power button.
Also Read: [Android] Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages Without Backup
Solution 2: Turn On Media Visibility In WhatsApp
If you have turned off WhatsApp’s media visibility your WhatsApp images will not show in gallery. So, to view WhatsApp photos in gallery, you need to turn on media visibility in your WhatsApp.
Here, follow the steps to enable media visibility in WhatsApp to fix WhatsApp media not showing in gallery.
Step 1: On your Android phone, open WhatsApp.
Step 2: Next, tap on 3 vertical dots and then tap on Settings.
Step 3: After that tap on Chats option.
Step 4: Now, tap on Media Visibility under Chats.
Step 5: Now, toggle the switch to on position.
This will enable media visibility for all your WhatsApp contacts.
If you want to disable this option for specific contact then open the WhatsApp chat of specific contact. Tap on Media Visibility and hit on No to hide the media from that specific contact.
Also Read: How To Recover WhatsApp Messages Deleted By Sender On Android
Solution 3: Clear Cache And Data Of WhatsApp
All apps store cache files so that the app will run faster. But if they get corrupted then it can create problems in the performance of the app.
So, you should clear the cache and data of WhatsApp to fix WhatsApp images and videos that are not showing in gallery.
Note: When you tap on Clear Data button then it will remove your login data. So, sign in to WhatsApp before you clear the cache and data of WhatsApp.
Here are the steps you need to follow to clear the cache and data of WhatsApp.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Then tap on Apps/Apps & notifications.
Step 3: Now, scroll down to find WhatsApp and tap on it to open.
Step 4: Under that app, you will find Storage option, just tap on it.
Step 5: Next, tap on Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons.
Solution 4: Check The Storage Space
If there is low storage space in your phone then you need to delete some of the files from it so that it can free up some space and the WhatsApp images can easily save to the gallery and be visible to you.
After doing this, restart your phone and then check your WhatsApp images are showing in gallery or not.
Solution 5: Update Your WhatsApp
You can also fix WhatsApp media files not showing in gallery by installing the latest update of WhatsApp.
Below, learn how to update WhatsApp.
Step 1: Launch the Google Play Store app.
Step 2: Now enter the name of the app in the search box.
Step 3: Tap on the app.
Step 4: If you get the Update button beside the app then simply tap on it to install the latest update.
Also Read: How To Get Unblocked From Blocked Contacts On WhatsApp
Solution 6: Enable WhatsApp Default Auto-Save Option
By default WhatsApp automatically download images over the cellular connection. So, if you have disabled then you need to turn it on so that your WhatsApp photos automatically save to your phone’s gallery.
Here, follow the steps to enable the auto-save option on WhatsApp.
Step 1: Open WhatsApp then tap on 3 dots.
Step 2: Tap on Settings and then on Storage and data.
Step 3: Now, hit on Media auto-download.
Step 4: Here, you can select when WhatsApp will automatically download media, When using the mobile data, When connecting to Wi-Fi, When roaming.
Note: If you select auto-down when roaming then this can increase charges from your mobile provider because roaming data is expensive.
If you select “When connect to Wi-Fi” and you are using mobile data while using the app and finding the images in Gallery then you are wrong. You need to connect your phone to Wi-Fi then only the WhatsApp photos will save to gallery. The same thing applies to “When using the mobile data” or “When roaming”.
Solution 7: Make Sure Your SD Card Is Not Damaged
Check that your external SD card is not damaged. If it is damaged then it can prevent WhatsApp images from saving to it.
Solution 8: Disable Read Only Mode On SD Card
If you have enabled the read-only mode on your SD memory card then this will prevent any new data to save on your SD card. So, check it, and if it is enabled then disable it to fix WhatsApp media files that are not showing in gallery.
Solution 9: Check Your Android Device’s Time Zone
If the time of your smartphone is not matching with the real-world location then WhatsApp can disable downloading images, videos, documents, and other files. So, check this and fix it by setting your Android phone to automatically detect the correct time. Or you can set the time manually.
Also Read: How To Retrieve Deleted Voice Recordings On WhatsApp
Solution 10: Update Your Android Device
If your Android device is not updated to latest OS version then this can also cause WhatsApp photos not showing in chat. So, to fix this you need to install the latest operating system available on your phone.
Here are the steps to install the latest update.
Step 1: On your phone open the Settings app.
Step 2: Then tap on About Phone.
Step 3: Then hit on System Update.
Step 4: Now, click on Check for Update. If there is an update available then it will show you the Update button. Otherwise, it will tell that your device is updated to latest OS.
Solution 11: Delete The .nomedia File
Another way to fix WhatsApp photos not showing in gallery is to delete the .nomedia file from your WhatsApp directory.
Here, follow the steps to delete the .nomedia file from WhatsApp media to save photos from WhatsApp to gallery in Android.
Step 1: On your phone, open the File Manager app and then go to its Settings.
Step 2: After that, turn on “Show Hidden Media Files” option and go back to your phone’s internal storage.
Step 3: Now, find the WhatsApp folder and tap on it. Next, go to Media > WhatsApp images.
Step 4: Then delete the .nomedia file from there. If needed, delete the files from Sent and Private folder.
Solution 12: Unhide WhatsApp Media Folder From The Private Folder
If the WhatsApp media files are hidden in a private then this can also create problems in showing the WhatsApp pictures and videos in the gallery app. If it is hidden then find the files and copy them out into your regular WhatsApp media folder.
Here follow the steps to do so.
Step 1: Open the File Manager/File Explorer app on your phone.
Step 2: Then tap on the WhatsApp folder.
Step 3: Next, hit on Media.
Step 4: Tap on WhatsApp images.
Step 5: Now you tap on Private folder.
Step 6: Select all the images and move them to the general WhatsApp images folder.
Note: If your WhatsApp videos are not showing in gallery in Android then you follow the same steps.
Solution 13: Switch WhatsApp Photos To A New Folder
It is possible that your Android phone can fail to scan the contents of the default folder in which WhatsApp images are saved. So, you can transfer the WhatsApp photos to a new folder to fix this problem.
Here are the steps to do the same.
Step 1: Open the File Manager app on your phone and then go to internal storage and find the WhatsApp folder. Open that folder.
Step 2: Here, you will get different folders. Scroll down to find the Media folder and open it to see the WhatsApp images that you receive or sent with this application.
Step 3: Select all photos present in the WhatsApp Images folder, hit on Move option at the bottom of the page, and select the new place where these images will be saved.
Now, open the Gallery and see the WhatsApp photos are showing on it or not.
Solution 14: Check The WhatsApp Photos Are Not Hidden
WhatsApp allows you to hide all media files you receive from one contact. This feature is enabled by default that’s why you can view the photos sent by specific contact in your phone’s gallery.
When you disable this option, then you will not able to view the pictures they sent to you.
So, you should check that it is not disabled, if it is disabled then enable this feature again by following the below steps.
Step 1: Open WhatsApp and then open the chat of the specific contact.
Step 2: Hit on the contact’s name and select the Media Visibility option.
Step 3: Ensure that either Default (Yes)/Yes option is selected.
Solution 15: Uninstall And Reinstall WhatsApp
You can also uninstall WhatsApp from your phone and then again install it from Google Play Store. But before you uninstall the app, create a backup of your WhatsApp chat as uninstalling the app will delete all the chats and media files.
Solution 16: Save WhatsApp Photo’s Manually
You can also save the WhatsApp pictures manually. To do this, tap on the share icon on a file in WhatsApp and it will allow you to save it manually. This will also provide the option to send it to another location on your phone. Or you can send it to a connected app like OneDrive, Dropbox, or even a social media messaging app.
Solution 17: Save WhatsApp Photo As a Screenshot
If all the above solutions didn’t work then you can save the WhatsApp images to gallery by taking a screenshot of the image. Taking screenshots is very easy and can be done in just 1 second but when you have a large number of images on your WhatsApp and you want to save them on gallery then this will take a lot of time. Even you will lose the real quality of the images.
Wrap Up
WhatsApp is one of the most popular and it is widely used for chatting and sharing images, videos, and other data with friends, family, and others. We easily find the received WhatsApp images on your Gallery with a specific folder titled WhatsApp Images.
When the images don’t show in gallery then it creates a big problem for the users to find the images quickly. But you can fix WhatsApp photos not showing in gallery in Android by using the solutions mentioned above.
Also, I have discussed the possible causes why WhatsApp photos are not showing in gallery in Android that will help you to fix the issue easily.
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Max Field is a founder of Recover Android Data. He is an Android lover and loves to write tips, tricks, fixes for errors, data recovery solutions and more related to Android. He has 9+ years of experience in this field.