# Why is WhatsApp taking up so much space on my Mac?

**Check first.** Most of WhatsApp's space on a Mac is the photos, videos, voice notes and documents from your chats. WhatsApp does not keep them in a cloud, so delete them chat by chat in WhatsApp's own storage settings, after checking you have what you want to keep.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Owner app | WhatsApp |
| Typical size | 1–20 GB; more with busy group chats |
| Safe to delete? | Check first |
| Comes back? | No. New media arrives with new messages, but deleted files do not download again |
| What you lose | WhatsApp does not keep copies in the cloud. Anything deleted here disappears from chats on this Mac and cannot be downloaded again, unless it is still on your phone. Review before deleting, or use WhatsApp's Settings > Storage to remove large files chat by chat. |
| Where it is | `~/Library/Group Containers/group.net.whatsapp.WhatsApp.shared/Message/Media` |

## What it is

Every photo, video, voice note and document sent to you on WhatsApp is saved on your Mac, in one folder per chat inside WhatsApp's Group Containers folder. Group chats where people share videos grow the fastest.

On the Mac we checked, WhatsApp took 11 GB, almost all of it media, spread over 541 chat folders. The folders are named with phone numbers and long group IDs, not contact names, which is why WhatsApp's own Manage storage is the better place to decide what to remove.

This is different from Telegram. WhatsApp does not keep your media on its servers, so a deleted file does not come back when you open the chat. That is why Gigabroom marks this folder Check first and never ticks it for you.

## Delete it by hand

1. In WhatsApp, open Settings and find Storage, then choose Manage storage.
2. Review the largest chats and files there. Filters such as Larger than and Forwarded many times help find what you don't need.
3. Select the media you don't need and delete it. WhatsApp removes it from the chat and from your Mac.
4. Avoid deleting the folders in Finder: they are named with phone numbers and group IDs, not chat names, so it is hard to tell what you are removing.

## With Gigabroom

1. Open Gigabroom and wait for the scan.
2. In Clean Up, open Messages & Media. WhatsApp's media is listed as Chat photos and videos, labeled Check first, and is not ticked.
3. Select the row to see its size and what you lose. Your chats are listed separately as Keep and cannot be selected.
4. If you decide to remove it, tick it and click Clean Up. It goes to the Trash, and Put Back is available until you empty it.

## Before you delete

These may be the only copies of photos and videos people sent you. WhatsApp does not store them in a cloud, so once you empty the Trash you may not be able to get them back unless they are still on your phone. Save anything you want to keep first, and prefer WhatsApp's Manage storage, which lets you choose chat by chat.

## Related folders

| Folder | Safe to delete? | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| `~/Library/Group Containers/group.net.whatsapp.WhatsApp.shared` | Keep | n/a |
| `~/Library/Containers/net.whatsapp.WhatsApp/Data/Library/Caches` | Safe | n/a |
| [`~/Library/Group Containers/6N38VWS5BX.ru.keepcoder.Telegram/appstore/*/postbox/media`](https://gigabroom.com/guides/telegram-taking-up-space-mac/) | Rebuilds itself | 1–20 GB; more with busy groups and channels |
| [`~/Library/Messages/Attachments`](https://gigabroom.com/guides/messages-attachments/) | Keep | 1–50 GB |

## Questions

### Will deleting media delete my chats?

No. Messages are stored separately. The photo or video disappears from the chat on this Mac, and the text stays.

### Does deleting it on my Mac delete it on my phone?

Media your phone has already saved stays on the phone. Check there before you delete on the Mac if you are not sure.

### Can I just delete the whole WhatsApp folder?

No. The WhatsApp folder in Group Containers holds your entire chat history and the link to your phone. Deleting it erases every chat on this Mac and signs you out.

### How do I stop it growing so fast?

In WhatsApp's settings, under Storage and data, change Media auto-download so photos and videos download only when you open them.

Last checked on macOS 27.0.1 · 2026-11-10