WhatsApp Tips

WhatsApp Pictures Disappeared? How to Get Them Back

by Jenefey Aaron   Updated on 2023-03-15 / Update for  WhatsApp

Losing access to old WhatsApp media can be frustrating at times. And it happens that someone sent you a picture or video and you cannot find it anymore. Why WhatsApp photos are disappeared? How to fix it and get back disappeared photos. We will explain everything here.

Part 1: Why Do My WhatsApp Pictures Disappeared

Problem solving skills require one to understand what is causing the problem in the first place. These are multiple reasons we list that cause WhatsApp pictures disappeared.

  • WhatsApp picture auto download is turned off on your phone.
  • Pictures are sent in Disappearing Messages which delete the messages automatically in 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
  • Photos are sent in View Once and you have viewed it.
  • You accidentally delete the WhatsApp folder without knowing.
  • There is not enough storage on your devices to save pictures.
  • Poor or unavailable internet connection or network
  • WhatsApp crash

Part 2: Where Do My WhatsApp Pictures Go

Many people wonder where WhatsApp pictures are saved. For both Android and iPhone users, they can find WhatsApp pictures in Photos app as long as auto download is enabled. Another place to access the pictures that Android has but iPhone doesn't is WhatsApp media folder in the local storage.

Part 3: How to Fix WhatsApp Pictures Disappeared [6 Tips]

This brings us to the next course of events. What to do if WhatsApp pictures disappeared? There are 6 methods, all of which depend upon what is causing this problem. Let's see one by one.

1. Turn on Media Auto Download

To avoid WhatsApp photos disappeared, you can enable Media Auto Download which make photos and videos automatically downloaded on your phone. And those in Disappearing Messages are included. If WhatsApp images disappeared from gallery, check the settings of auto download.

  • The first thing. In WhatsAp Settings > Storage and Data. Allow pictures to auto download when using mobile data or on Wifi.
  • Second. In Settings > Chats, enable Save to Camera Roll for iPhone and Media Visibility for Android.

    turn on whatsapp automatically save photos iphone

Enable Auto download for pictures so you don’t face WhatsApp photo disappeared.

2. Save Pictures Before Disappearing

WhatsApp messages can disappear in as little as 24 hours if settings are turned on. You can avoid this problem by saving the images before the message disappears. In addition, the first method above, auto download can also help. This way WhatsApp images will be saved to gallery. And you do not need to worry about disappearing messages.

3. Delete .nomedia File

The .nomedia file is another option to stop picture auto download on Android phones, which is recommended on WhatsApp website. So after you create this .nomedia file and forget it, you may wonder why your WhatsApp images disappeared from Gallery Android.

  • Open File Manager on your phone and navigate to WhatsApp iamge folder.
  • Find the .nomedia file and delete it. Then your WhatsApp pictures will appear again.

    delete nomedia file to fix whatsapp pictures disappeared

4. Clear WhatsApp Cache

Clearing app cache is recommended frequently to Android users. It improves the performance and frees up storage to save your WhatsApp pictures. This might fix the WhatsApp pictures disappeared issue and prevent its recurrence.

  • Open Settings and go to Apps. Look for WhatsApp.
  • You will see the Clear Cache option here. Tap on it and that's it.

    clear cache to fix whatsapp pictures disappeared

5. Clear WhatsApp Storage

If the storage on your phone is full or almost full, new photos will face issues while downloading. Besides clearing cache, you can also clear up WhatsApp storage to avoid WhatsApp photo missing. Open WhatsApp Settings. Go to Storage & Data > Manage Storage. Delete items to free up storage.

6. Update WhatsApp to Latest Version

The last tip for you about WhatsApp photo disappeared is to update WhatsApp. Sometimes having a very old version of an app can meet more bugs and stop you from using the new features. Thus ensure that your WhatsApp is up to date.

Part 4: How to Get Disappeared WhatsApp Messages Back

There is a possibility that the disappeared WhatsApp messages are not back. So to get disppeared messages back, use the backup or third-party software if you do not have a WhatsApp backup.

1. Recover Disappeared WhatsApp Messages from Backup

As an android user, your WhatsApp data is mostly backed up in Google Drive or internal storage, while iPhone users opt for iCloud backup. Whether you have an Android or an iPhone, the process for restoring disappeared WhatsApp messages from backup is roughly the same.

  • Both Android and iPhone users should delete WhatsApp app from your phone and then reinstall it. So ensure that there is a backup.
  • Set it up back again using the same phone number and account.
  • It will scan for old backup and restore WhatsApp messages from it.
  • iCloud WhatsApp backup

    recover whatsapp from icloud backup
  • Google Drive WhatsApp backup

    recover whatsapp from google drive
  • The whole backup will be restored and selectively recovery is not allowed.

2. Recover Disappeared WhatsApp Messages with UltData WhatsApp Recovery

If there is no backup for WhatsApp, you can recover messages using a third party application. Here we will use Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery.

  • Download and install UltData WhatsApp Recovery on your PC or Mac. After running the program, click on Device.

    recover whatsapp from iphone with ultdata whatsapp recovery
  • Connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable. When your iPhone gets detected, click Start Scan.

    recover whatsapp from iphone with ultdata whatsapp recovery
  • The program will start scanning WhatsApp data. All the messages discovered will be displayed.

    recover whatsapp from iphone with ultdata whatsapp recovery
  • Select the pictures that you want to restore and click on Recover. Done.

    recover whatsapp from iphone with ultdata whatsapp recovery

Part 5: FAQs on WhatsApp Disappearing Messages

How to turn on/off disappearing messages?

To turn on and off disappearing messages, you can either do it with an individual chat/group or do it for all new chats.

  • Open WhatsApp and go to a chat. Tap on the name and then Disappearing messages. Set timer to turn it on and tap on Off to disable it.
  • Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Privacy. You will find Disappearing messages settings here too.

    turn off disappearing whatsapp messages

Can you backup and restore WhatsApp disappearing messages?

Before the timer, if you take a backup, these disppearing messages will be saved in the backup. But when you restore this backup, disappearing messages get deleted and are not restored.

How do I stop WhatsApp from automatically downloading pictures?

To stop automatically saving photos and videos to your Photos app, open WhatsApp Settings > Chats, turn off Media Visibility on Android and toggle off Save to Camera Roll on iPhone.

Summary

It happens that WhatsApp pictures are disppeared from your iPhone or Android. This is quite easy to fix. If you are suffering from WhatsApp picture disappeared problem, use different methods listed above. And when you accidentally delete photos from WhatsApp, use Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery to get them back.

Your Trustworthy WhatsApp Data Recovery Software
  • Recover deleted WhatsApp messages from Android devices;
  • Recover deleted WhatsApp data directly from iOS devices;
  • Support the scanning and reading of encrypted iTunes backup files;
  • Support 7+ file types (contacts, photos,chats,voice messages, etc.);
  • Compatible with latest iOS 17 and Android 12/13.