Google no longer wishes to store all of your WhatsApp conversations for free. So, what are your alternatives?
Previously, backing up your WhatsApp conversations to your Google account was free. However, these backups will soon begin to count against your Google Drive storage quota.
If you use WhatsApp frequently, this will have the greatest impact on you. Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through the process and suggest things you can do right now to save your WhatsApp conversations.
WhatsApp Backups Are Now Counted Towards Google Account Storage:
According to a Google Support post from November 14, “WhatsApp backups on Android will soon start counting toward your Google Account cloud storage limit, similar to how WhatsApp backups are handled on other mobile platforms.”
This change will be available to WhatsApp Beta users in December 2023, and then to all Android WhatsApp users in early 2024. This means you still have time to back up your WhatsApp messages for free to Google Drive.
Each Google account includes 15GB of free storage across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. If you back up data on your phone on a regular basis or have automatic backup enabled, you’ve probably already used up some of that free storage.
Open the Google Drive app on your phone and tap the three-line menu to see how much storage you have left. If you’ve used up more than 75% of the total storage, we recommend that you take the corrective actions listed below right away.
What Can You Do to Save WhatsApp Conversations?
There are a few things you can do to avoid losing your WhatsApp conversations. Consider the following options:
1. Make a backup of your WhatsApp conversations before the deadline.
There is still time before the change affects all WhatsApp users, so the first thing you should do now is back up your WhatsApp chats before the deadline.
Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu, then Settings > Chats > Chat backup. If your Google account isn’t already linked to WhatsApp, sign in with Google Account. When you’re connected, tap Back up and wait for the process to finish.
2. Remove videos from your WhatsApp backups.
Videos take up far more space than images and text combined. To avoid filling up your Google Drive storage after the deadline, turn Include videos off in the Chat backup menu. Consider downloading videos directly to your device instead of backing them up to the cloud if they are important to you.
3. Make More Space on Your Google Account.
If you don’t have much space left in your Google account, it’s time to delete some files. Google Photos is most likely taking up the majority of your Google Drive storage, so start there. Open the Google Photos app, select your profile picture, and then select Account Storage.
Your photos and videos will be organized into categories such as Large photos & videos, Blurry photos, and Screenshots. You’ll also be able to see how much storage space each category consumes. Examine them all and delete any files that are no longer needed.
Make a backup of your WhatsApp before it’s too late.
If you haven’t already, you should back up your WhatsApp conversations right away. Google hasn’t specified when this change will be fully implemented for all WhatsApp users, so it’s best to be prepared to avoid losing your chats.
WhatsApp chat backups will begin counting toward your 15GB of free Google Account storage after the deadline. To avoid depleting it, we recommend making backups only once a month and excluding videos from them.