--- title: "Save Video from WhatsApp: Full Guide" description: "Getting interesting videos on WhatsApp is on the agenda, and often comes the desire to keep them to review or share them." url: "https://www.currentjot.com/en/save-video-from-whatsapp-full-guide/" language: "en" published: 2026-04-13 translations: it: "https://www.currentjot.com/it/salvare-video-da-whatsapp-guida-completa/" es: "https://www.currentjot.com/es/guardar-video-de-whatsapp-guia-completa/" fr: "https://www.currentjot.com/fr/enregistrer-la-video-de-whatsapp-guide-complet/" pt: "https://www.currentjot.com/pt/salvar-video-do-whatsapp-guia-completo/" de: "https://www.currentjot.com/de/video-von-whatsapp-speichern-full-guide/" --- # Save Video from WhatsApp: Full Guide In the era of [digital communication](/en/install-viber-on-smartphones-tablets-and-pcs/), whatsapp has become an indispensable tool to keep contacts with friends and family. among text messages, calls and voice notes, one of the most appreciated elements is multimedia content, especially videos. often, these movies are so significant or fun that you want to save them on your device to be able to review them at a later time, show them to others or share them on different platforms. For those who are not familiar with technological settings, the procedure to save a video from whatsapp could appear complex. fortunately, there are several modes, both automatic and manual, to store these precious memories. whether you use an android smartphone, an iphone, the desktop client for pc or the web version, the solutions are at hand. This guide will accompany you step by step through the different procedures, clarifying how to activate automatic rescue of all media or how to selectively download only videos that interest you. we will also see how to manage these settings for individual contacts and, for completeness, how to turn off the automatic save if the space on your device is limited or prefer a more manual management of the content. ## Save video from whatsapp: general overview Basically, there are two main approaches to saving videos from whatsapp: manual download of individual files and activation of a function that allows automatic rescue of all received media. the choice between the two depends on your preferences and the amount of space available on your device. - ** automatic lifting:** this option, often enabled by default on android but disabled on iphone, allows whatsapp to automatically download all videos (and photos) in your smartphone gallery or in a default folder on your computer. it is comfortable not to lose anything, but can quickly occupy a lot of space. - **save manual:** for those who prefer greater control, you can choose to download only specific videos of interest. this mode is useful to manage storage space and store only the most relevant content. Procedures vary slightly depending on the operating system and the platform used. we now explore the specificities for each. ## How to save videos from whatsapp on android On android devices, the option to automatically save photos and videos in the smartphone gallery is usually enabled by default. however, it is always good to verify its status and, if necessary, activate it or disable it. ### Enable automatic rescue 1. Launch the **whatsapp*** application on your android device. 2. Tap the vertical *********** icon located in the upper right corner. 3. Select **settings** from the pop-up menu. 4. On the settings screen, tap on the **chat* item. 5. Look for the **visibility of media**** option and make sure its lever is set to **on**. if it is on off and you want to activate it, tap it to move it on on. From this moment on, all the videos (and photos) you will receive on whatsapp will be automatically saved in your gallery, usually in a specific album called “whatsapp” or in the general video album. ### Manage automatic rescue for individual contacts You can also decide to turn this function on or off for specific contacts, bypassing the general setting: 1. Access the **chat***** section of whatsapp. 2. Open the conversation with the contact you want to change the setting for. 3. Tap the **contact name*** displayed at the top of the chat. 4. Scroll down and select **medium visibility**. 5. Choose from **yes*** (to activate automatic rescue for that contact), **no** (to turn it off) or **predefinite*** (to use the general setting of the app). confirm with **ok***. ### Download video manually on android If you prefer not to activate automatic download and want to save only specific videos: 1. Open **whatsapp*** and go to **chat**. 2. Access the conversation where the video you want to save is located. 3. Tap the video to start the playback (you may need to touch it a second time to view the options). 4. In the upper right corner, tap the **three vertical dots*** icon. 5. Select the **save** option from the menu that appears. the video will be downloaded in the gallery of your device. ## How to save videos from whatsapp on iphone Also on iphone you can manage the saving of whatsapp videos, both in automatic and manual mode. on ios, the media is saved in the photos app. ### Enable automatic rescue To activate the automatic download of all media files: 1. Open **whatsapp**** and tap **settings**** in the bottom menu. 2. Select **chat***. 3. Locate the **save option in the photo** roller and move the **off**********. From now on, all the videos and photos you receive will be automatically added to your photo app. ### Manage automatic rescue for individual contacts If you prefer a more granular control, you can set the automatic rescue only for certain contacts: 1. Go to the **chat***** section of whatsapp. 2. Open the conversation with the desired contact. 3. Tap the **contact name** at the top of the screen. 4. Select the **save option in the photo roll**. 5. Choose **always*** to activate the automatic save for this contact, **mai*** to turn it off, or **predefinite*** to use the general setting of the app. ### Download a video manually on iphone If the automatic save is disabled and you want to download a single video: 1. Open whatsapp chat with video. 2. Tap the video to start the play. 3. Once the video is open in full screen, tap the **share** icon (an arrow coming out of a square) located on the bottom left. 4. From the menu that opens, select **save***. the video will be stored in your photo app. ## How to save videos from whatsapp on pc (computer application) If you use whatsapp desktop application for windows or macos, you also have the option to configure automatic download or download videos manually. ### Activate automatic save on windows 1. Launch **whatsapp desktop**** on windows. 2. Click on the **wheel*** (settings) icon on the left sidebar. 3. Select **archive***. 4. On the new screen, place the check mark next to **video*. you can also select photos, audio or documents if you want to save them automatically. ### Activate automatic rescue on macos 1. Open the **whatsapp desktop** application on mac. 2. Access **settings*** (often via whatsapp > preferences or by clicking on the gear wheel). 3. Go to section **chat***. 4. Put the check mark next to the **save in download** option to activate automatic saving of photos, videos and other files. these will be saved in your mac download folder. ### Manage automatic rescue for individual contacts on pc Both on windows and on mac, you can change this setting for individual contacts: 1. Open the desired contact chat. 2. Click on the contact name**** at the top. 3. Find the save option (for example, **save in download*** on mac) and select **always* from the drop-down menu for that specific contact. ### Download a video manually on pc To download a single video from the desktop application: 1. Access the **chat***** section of whatsapp. 2. Open the conversation with the video. 3. Pass the mouse cursor over the video; an icon of a ** arrow will appear down** (download). click on it. 4. Select **save by name** from the context menu. choose the destination and file name, then click **save**. 5. Alternatively, you can start playing the video by clicking on the **▶ pulsante** button, then click on the **three dots** icon on the top right and select **save as***. ## How to save videos from whatsapp web Also using whatsapp web, the browser version of the service, you can save videos. ### Activate automatic save on whatsapp web 1. Connect to the **whatsapp web**** page and log in to your account. 2. Click on the **wheel*** (settings) icon on the left sidebar. 3. Select **chat** and then **automatic media download***. 4. Place the check mark next to **video***** and, if desired, also to other options such as photos, audio and documents. ### Download a video manually from whatsapp web To download a video individually: 1. Open the conversation where you received the video on whatsapp web. 2. Click on the **▶.*** button to start playing the video. 3. On the playback screen, click on the **fresh icon facing down*** (download) at the top right. the browser will start downloading the file in the default folder (usually “download”). ## How to turn off automatic saving of photos and videos from whatsapp If storage space is a concern or simply prefer to manage your media manually, you can easily disable automatic download. this operation allows you to maintain control over what is stored on your device. ### On android 1. Launch **whatsapp**** and tap the **three dots** icon on the top right. 2. Select **settings**, then **chat**. 3. Move the lever for **visibility of media*** on **off***. 4. If you had enabled the option for a specific contact, go to the contact chat, tap the name at the top, select **visibility of media** and choose **no**************. ### On iphone 1. Open **whatsapp**** and tap **settings**** in the bottom menu. 2. Select **chat***. 3. Move the **save in the picture**********. 4. For a specific contact, go to the chat, tap the top name, select **save in the photo roller*** and choose **mai************. ### On pc ( desktop application) **for windows*** 1. Open **whatsapp desktop***, click on the ** gearbox*** (settings) and select **archive***. 2. Remove the check mark next to **video*** (and any other option you do not want to download automatically). **for macos** 1. Open **whatsapp desktop***, access **settings**** (or preferences) and select **chat**. 2. Remove the check mark next to the **save in download* option. 3. For a specific contact, click on the name, and in the save menu select **mai** or **default**. ### On whatsapp web 1. Sign in to **whatsapp web***, click on the ** gear brooch*** (settings) and select **chat**, then **automatic media download***. 2. Remove the check mark for **video**. ## Save videos from whatsapp states A frequent question concerns the possibility of saving shared videos in the “states” of whatsapp. it is important to know that whatsapp does not offer a native function to download or store directly videos or photos published as a state of others. States are designed to be ephemeral content, visible only for 24 hours and then automatically deleted. trying to save them directly through third-party apps may lead to privacy and security risks of your account. The only “legal” and safe way to keep a video from a state that interests you is to record the screen while playing. most modern smartphones (both android and iphone) include an integrated screen recording function, which is usually accessible from the control center or quick settings. in this way, you can capture the video in real time, although quality may vary and does not include audio if not enabled manually during recording. ## Conclusions As we have seen, saving videos from whatsapp is a versatile and customizable operation, adaptable to the needs of each user and device. whether you want to opt for the convenience of automatic downloading or prefer a more rigorous control with manual saving, the options are clear and easy to implement. Always remember to keep an eye on your device’s storage space, especially if you receive many videos, and choose the save mode that best suits your everyday use of whatsapp. with these directions, keeping your favorite moments will no longer be a problem, allowing you to enjoy the videos received whenever you want.