Fixed: WhatsApp Photos Not Showing in Android Gallery!

Sometimes, WhatsApp can have trouble integrating with the gallery on your Android device, so you might not be able to access the photos and videos shared through WhatsApp.

By default, the photos and videos received on WhatsApp get stored in a separate folder in your device’s gallery. However, when WhatsApp photos do not appear in the gallery, you may wonder where they are. How to find lost WhatsApp photos from Android gallery?

Don’t worry! This is a common issue, and there are several methods you can try to fix it. In this article, we’ll discuss some common reasons why WhatsApp photos may not show up in your Android gallery, and provide step-by-step methods on how to resolve this problem. But before that, let’s understand multiple causes behind this error.

Why are WhatsApp Photos Not Showing in your Android Gallery?

Let’s understand the common reasons why your WhatsApp photos may not appear in your Android device's gallery.

Improper Settings:

One of the most common reasons for WhatsApp photos do not show in the gallery is due to some incorrect settings in the WhatsApp app. Some privacy or media visibility settings need to be enabled to integrate your device's photo library and WhatsApp images. If they are disabled, you can face this issue.

Insufficient Storage:

Another reason that can lead to this issue is low storage space on your device. If your device's internal storage or SD card has insufficient storage, WhatsApp will be unable to save the photos and display them in the gallery.

Accidental Deletion:

Sometimes, users may delete the WhatsApp media folder, containing all the images, videos, and other media shared through the app. This can make your WhatsApp photos disappear from the gallery.

Bugs in the App:

A faulty app update can often introduce bugs or compatibility issues with the device OS. Similarly, if the WhatsApp app update has bugs, it can interrupt the integration process between the app and your Android gallery, leading to WhatsApp photos not being displayed in the gallery.

In addition, if there are settings or compatibility issues with the WhatsApp app and the device's photo management system, it can lead to this issue.

Ways to Fix “WhatsApp Photos Not Showing in Android Gallery”

If your WhatsApp photos have mysteriously vanished from your Android gallery, you can try several ways to get them back and view them in your gallery.

1. Restart your Android Phone:

You know, a simple device restart can often fix many minor Android device problems, including WhatsApp photos not showing in the Android gallery. A restart can also help clear any app-related glitches or OS issues causing the problem.

• Just turn off your phone, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on.
• Otherwise, you can directly restart your device; just long press the power button, and select the Restart option.

Once your phone is powered on, recheck your gallery to see if the WhatsApp photos are visible now. If not, move on to the next method.

2.  Enable Media Visibility Settings:

Many times, the culprit behind your WhatsApp photos not showing in the gallery could be a simple Media Visibility setting within the WhatsApp app.

• Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats.

• Now check if the "Media Visibility" option is turned on or not.

This will allow the WhatsApp app to automatically show the shared photos and videos in your device's gallery.

3. Update your App

If the above fix doesn't work, the issue may be caused by a bug or compatibility problem in the WhatsApp app itself. Hence, you can check for any available WhatsApp app updates and install them. The updated version of WhatsApp might address the issue and enable your photos to be visible in the Android gallery. If your app is up to date but the problem persists, try the next method.

4. Clear Cache

Caches are temporary files and data stored in your device’s internal memory. They help the app perform better and faster, every time you open it. However, if cache builds up in your device, it may cause integration and compatibility issues. Clearing the cache for the WhatsApp app is one more potential solution to resolve issues with hidden WhatsApp photos.

• Go to your Android device Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage, and tap on "Clear Cache.

Note: The steps may vary with every device manufacturer and Android OS version.

This will remove any temporary data and fix the problem, without deleting any of your WhatsApp messages or media. If this does not help, you can try the next method.

5. Delete .nomdedia file

The ".nomedia" file is used by Android to hide media files in the gallery. To fix this, you need to locate the WhatsApp folder on your device, and then delete any ".nomedia" files you find. This will help restore the visibility of your WhatsApp photos in the main gallery.

• Go to File Manager > Internal Storage > Android > WhatsApp > Media.
• Open the Media folder and look for the WhatsApp Images folder.
• Now look for the “.nomedia” file.
• Click the three dots to access the drop-down menu and delete it.

Note: The steps may vary with every device manufacturer and Android OS version.

6. Check the Auto Download Settings

Check if your WhatsApp storage settings are configured properly. There’s a hidden feature in WhatsApp that only allows you to download the selected media file on your device when you are connected to Mobile data or over Wi-Fi.

Open and check inside the settings, and if Photos are not selected, you need to select to start downloading the received images on your device.

• Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Storage and Data.

• Now, go to the Media auto-download settings and enable downloading Photos while using mobile data and over Wi-Fi.

By trying the above fixes, you will be able to view your WhatsApp photos in your gallery.

Note: The steps may vary with every device manufacturer and Android OS version.

How to Find WhatsApp Photos Deleted From Android Gallery?

Are you unable to view the WhatsApp photos in your device gallery because you have mistakenly deleted them or lost them due to other reasons? Don’t Worry! You can easily find and recover them with the help of the underlying methods.

Check your Android Storage Hidden Folder

Do you know your WhatsApp app has a "Private" folder in your device’s storage where it stores the media files, shared on the platform, even after deletion? So, if your WhatsApp photos are not showing in the main gallery because you have accidentally deleted them, you can access them from your File Manager app.

Steps to find deleted WhatsApp files in your device's internal storage:

• Open your Android's File Manager app.
• Go to the Internal Storage > Android folder.
• Look for the Media or WhatsApp folder within the Android folder.

• Inside the WhatsApp folder, check the "Media" subfolder. This is where WhatsApp stores your shared photos, videos, and other media files.
• Scan through the subfolders, and locate WhatsApp Images.

• Within the WhatsApp Images folder, you will be able to locate your missing or deleted photos.

• Once you locate the file, you can select them and move to a safe folder in your storage and access them from the folder. For e.g., Screenshots.

You can move the deleted photos to a different location on your phone's storage. This will help you restore the photos to the gallery. 

Use Stellar Data Recovery for Android to recover lost WhatsApp Photos, Chats and Media files

If you find the above method unuseful, complicated, or impossible in your case, then we have got another practical and effective solution for you. Here, you can try using a data recovery tool, Stellar Data Recovery for Android. This powerful software can scan your device's storage and retrieve lost or deleted WhatsApp photos, videos, messages, and other media files.

Here's how you can use Stellar Data Recovery for Android to find your lost WhatsApp photos:

• Download and install Stellar Data Recovery for Android on your computer.
• Launch the Stellar Data Recovery software and select the "Recover WhatsApp Data" module.

• Connect your Android device to the computer using a USB cable and enable USB debugging.
• Now select the types of files you want to recover. E.g. - WhatsApp Photos.
• The software will perform a deep scan of your device's storage and display a list of recoverable WhatsApp files, including photos.

• Preview the recovered files, and then select the WhatsApp photos you want to restore.

• Click the "Save" button to restore the selected photos to your computer.

Click on this link for a detailed guide to recover deleted or lost WhatsApp chats and media files.

But remember, this method is only useful if your deleted WhatsApp photos have not been overwritten by new files, hence, you are advised to avoid using your device when a data loss incident occurs

Conclusion: