iPhone storage is showing that WhatsApp is taking 160Gb space but I have deleted everything

I have exactly the same problem. What'sApp tells me 3.47GB, iPhone storage tells me 27.9GB. An unaccounted for 24GB difference is not trivial on a 64GB phone. That's nearly 40% of my storage that's gone missing, despite my taking all the right steps to manage the data. Apple, we need a solution urgently please.

I've the same issue too, since last iOS update (15.4.1.) and after many searches I've found the cause of the problem: vocal messages and especially the STICKERS!

WhatsUp inbuild Manage Storage doesn't include the vocal messages and the stickers size.

Example:

in the WhatsUp inbuild Manage Storage, it show me something like 120 MB of chat (include media, pictures and videos).

in the iPhone storage (related to WhatsApp), it show me something like 2.5 GB and I didn't realize where they came from...

So, in the WhatsUp inbuild Manage Storage, when I check the chat size with my girlfriend it show me 30 MB, but when try to export the single chat (the one with my girlfriend with TONS OF STICKERS :)) the .zip file created by whatsapp was 2 GB.

I exported the zip in Google Drive, downloaded/extract the zip file in my computer, and there was tons of STIKERS in .webp file format, for something like 1.5 GB (I'm not joking...).

I wrote to WhatsApp customer center (and wrote a review in the app store) in order to ask them to improve the function to check/delete (as well as pictures and videos) also the vocal messages and stickers in oneshot mode for a single chat, 'cause it's frustrating scroll a 3-year chat and delete one by one every single stickers.

Hope it helps and sorry 4 my english.

Fabrizio

Doesn't work.

Whatsapp's Settings > Storage and Data > Manage Storage menu shows 4.94 GB of storage usage.

The iPhone's Settings > General > iPhone Storage menu tells me WhatsApp is taking up 21.48 GB of storage.

That's an extra 16.54 GB of storage that cannot be deleted via the guide you posted because that method simply doesn't show that data.

Please Apple, I have the same issue and now I can’t use my phone any more!

the iPhone storage says WhatsApp is using 21 gb while I have deleted almost everything and WhatsApp says I’m using 1.5 gb! I can’t delete anything else! Please give us a solution, it was showing 21 gb and after deleting everything it’s still showing 21 gb used by wa. This is unacceptable, I can’t use my phone any more!!

Two “WhatsApp Inc.” showed up in the internal storage, as if it’s a developer, uses 19.44 GB, shared by 2 apps. 

It has no icon, no option of offloading or deleting since it’s not an app, doesn’t show any details about data or even when last used. 

As you can see my actual WhatsApp uses 5.47 GB and it’s possible to delete. 

Every time I try to backup my WhatsApp, it shows that I need extra space to backup 5.47GB,  even thought I still have 38GB free, and I would have 58GB if I could delete those two “WhatsApp Inc.”. 

I deleted the WhatsApp, I deleted lots of videos to make the backup, I reinstalled, I return iPhone settings to their defaults, did all the process again, I spent some days and hours doing this, but I couldn’t solve the problem. 

I need to delete both of the “WhatsApp Inc.” but i can’t.

[possible solution]

I also came across this issue after a deep cleanup on WhatsApp and even Youtube Kids caches. However iOS was not refreshing their occupied space, still showing the old one, and a reboot of the phone didn’t help either.

What I did is go ahead to the App Store, force an update of the app and then open it (i.e delete one more item in my case), which literally forced iOS to recalculate the space occupied by that app.

After this, my iPhone stopped complaining (wrongly) about being “full”.

If it helped you, mark as “helpfull” on the star icon to help others ;-)

I have this issue too. Directly in WhatsApp Storage menu it's showing me that it's taking 4GB but in the Storage menu of the iPhone it's showing 20 GB. Please Apple can you provide us a solution to free up that ghost space ?

Exactly the same problem.

The thing is than even if I continue deleting items inside WhatsApp, and I see the progress inside the app, the number in the iPhone Settings used by WhatsApp won’t move.

Before starting deleting items both numbers where similar. After 20GB of freeing space the number inside the WhatsApp keeps reducing and the one in iPhone Settings won’t move, even after restarting or hard restart the iPhone.

I removed WhatsApp from the iPhone and then re-installed it. Now the phone and the app both show zero space used. Of course I lost all my chats, so this solution is definitely not ideal, but it worked as an emergency workaround to free up the space.

I'm actually not 100% sure that all the space has been returned to the iPhone.

When will Apple resolve this!!

It’s simply not acceptable and is causing huge problems for users when their phones get to where they think they’re full but they really aren’t.

I always support IOS over Android, how about Apple return the loyalty?

You’re right, they should solve this issue.

in your case, I would delete all chats except those you want to keep, then back them up on iCloud. At this point you can remove the app and reinstall it, recovering the chats from the backup.

But to be fully honest, I wouldn’t risk losing that chat and wait for a solution from Apple

Hi, you can remove the "other system data" in multiple ways. The method that worked for me is this (quoting from a website where I found the suggestion):

Offload Unused Apps

Go to Settings > App Store.

Turn on the“Offload Unused Apps” toggle.

You may be hesitant to turn on this toggle because you’re afraid that your iPhone may offload your apps without warning. But rest assured, I don’t think this is going to happen when your “Other System Data” is massively huge. What is going to happen is that your iPhone is going to prioritize clearing the “Other System Data” ahead of offloading your apps. That is, your iPhone is not going to offload your apps when the lower-hanging fruit of clearing the “Other System Data” is not attempted first.

I found the suggestion on this website (LINK HERE)

I'm having the same problem. In iPhone Settings > iPhone Storage it's showing WhatsApp is taking up 13.13GB but if I open WhatsApp and go to Manage Storage it says I have used 7.66GB and that there is 5.98GB of free space. Why the discrepancy?

yes this is ridiculous, I often erase stuff and the size takes days or god knows what event to update. Very unhappy with Apple in general, I use it only because my employer wants iPhone otherwise never! So many things not working well, few options and crazy prices

They simply don't care, people still buy iPhones no matter how behind it is in features to Android phones, apple can do whatever they want. If they write "jjackass" in the back of all iphones people still buy it.