WhatsApp Update 2024: Backup Changes Impacting Google Drive Storage

Get ready, Android users! WhatsApp is making a change that will affect how your backups use Google Drive storage. In the past, WhatsApp backups didn’t take up space on Google Drive, but that’s about to change. Even if you have a free Google Drive plan, the data from your WhatsApp backups will now count towards your storage limit.

Although there’s no exact date for this change yet, people using the beta version of WhatsApp are already seeing it happen. Meta confirmed that this change will affect all Android users in the first half of 2024. Before this change happens, you’ll get a notification 30 days in advance. It will show up as a banner in the Chat Backup settings on the app.

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If you’re worried about your chat history taking up too much space on Google Drive, there are a few things you can do:

1. Direct Transfer: You can use WhatsApp’s built-in Chat Transfer tool to move your data to a new device. Both phones need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, but you don’t need an internet connection.

2. Text-Only Backups: Choose to back up only your text messages, leaving out pictures and videos. This can save space on Google Drive.

This change for Android users is similar to what iPhone users have experienced all along. iPhone users always had their WhatsApp backups count towards their iCloud storage.

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So, Android users, it’s time to plan! Whether you decide to transfer your chats, reduce the size of your media files, or switch to text-only backups, be prepared for this new way WhatsApp uses Google Drive storage.