If you are one of those who still do it manually backup copies of WhatsApp, copying the files from the internal memory of the mobile phone to the computer; or have you tried to search for a file received from WhatsApp recently, you may have noticed that the WhatsApp media folder is no longer in the same path as before.
Several users have already noticed this change made by WhatsApp, which ha really a simple explanation. In any case, you should know that the your files are safe and you can continue to access it. The only thing that has changed is the location of the folder.
WhatsApp Downloads folder has changed location on Android.
Where to find the WhatsApp download folder on Android 10 and Android 11
Until now, the WhatsApp downloads folder was located in the “root” of the internal memory of the device. This folder had the name "WhatsApp", and inside there were all the documents sent and received, including images, video, audio and more.
But the path of that folder has changed with the arrival of the latest versions of Android, starting with Android 10. Now, the WhatsApp download folder is located in the Android / Media / com.whatsapp / WhatsApp path.
All the content that was in the previous folder remains intact and the only change was the path to access it.
Why the change?
The decision to change the path of the WhatsApp downloads folder comes from a new feature introduced in the most recent versions of Android, mainly in Android 11, called "Scoped Storage".
This change implies, among other things, that the applications will no longer be able to write to the root of the device memory unless strictly necessary, and for this they must have the authorization of Google.
This way applications like WhatsApp will have one space in the Android / Media path where they can save their files, where only the application itself will be able to write data.
