Android users, prepare for a change – WhatsApp backups will soon consume storage in your Google Drive From WhatsApp Latest Update 2024. The company’s updated terms, announced last month, eliminate long-standing exemptions for WhatsApp data.
Free WhatsApp backups on Google Drive will end soon:
Instant messaging application WhatsApp will introduce changes to its backup protocols this year. According to the WhatsApp Help Center announcement, backups will count towards the user’s Google account storage on Android smartphones, similar to Apple’s cloud storage service.
If a user’s WhatsApp backup exceeds the storage limit, they will need to free up space to continue the process. According to WhatsApp, these changes have already been rolled out to beta testers and will be expanded to all WhatsApp Android users in the first half of this year. Meta will notify users 30 days in advance in the ‘Chat Backup’ location in Settings before the change takes effect. Read also: Realme 12 Pro+ camera features unveiled: Grand launch on Flipkart early access sale
After WhatsApp Latest Update 2024:
For those who don’t want to backup their data on Google Drive after the change, you can use the WhatsApp chat transfer feature to transfer chats to Android phones. The company noted that the Chat Transfer tool enables users to transfer account information including messages, pictures, videos, documents, and more. However, paid messages and call history are not transferred.
Transfer tool allows to transfer of chats across devices via Wi-Fi (without internet). According to the company, “Unless you create a Google Drive backup, the transferred data does not move to cloud storage as a result of the migration.” The data will remain on the old device until the user deletes WhatsApp or factory resets the device
Changes around Google Drive chat backups are currently being rolled out to beta testers. (WhatsApp Latest Update 2024)
If this is not possible, and the user runs out of storage on Google Drive, they can opt for a text-only backup as a shorter option and omit the media files. Third, you can also consider a local backup to restore WhatsApp account chats.
Users can monitor storage space from Google’s storage settings and the ‘Manage storage’ option within the ‘Storage & Data’ menu in WhatsApp’s ‘Settings’. For those unaware, Google Drive offers 15GB of space in the free plan for users. Users can opt for more storage through the Google One paid plan. The company will also offer a “limited, one-time Google One promotion to eligible users.”
For those who are concerned about their Google Drive chat history being corrupted, there are alternative options available:
Direct Transfer: Use the built-in WhatsApp chat transfer tool to seamlessly transfer your data to a new device. This requires both phones to be on the same Wi-Fi network, but an internet connection is not necessary.
Text-only backup: Opt for a more space-efficient approach by backing up only text messages, excluding media files.
This policy change aligns Android users with iPhone users, whose WhatsApp backups are always counted in iCloud storage. This serves as a reminder to be mindful of cloud storage usage, especially with the free plans decreasing in size.
So, WhatsApp Latest Update 2024 Android users, plan! Whether it’s transferring chats, shrinking media, or switching to text-only backups, get ready for the new landscape of WhatsApp’s Google Drive storage. Know more: WhatsApp Latest Update 2024