If you use WhatsApp on an Android smartphone and get a lot of photos and videos on the messaging account, it’s better not to save them in the backup data anymore.
This is because now WhatsApp backup data will use up your Google storage space.
The Android Police report stated that until now there was no Google Drive storage limit for WhatsApp backup data.
According to the report, until now WhatsApp data was not counted in the 15 GB storage of the Google account, but in November 2023, Meta announced that from the beginning of 2024, the WhatsApp backup will be counted in the Google storage. .
Now it’s time and WhatsApp backup data of users is using Google storage. To know about this, go to the Google account storage and click on the Other section, where a new addition called WhatsApp will appear.
Clicking on the arrow next to WhatsApp data there will open WhatsApp’s Manage Storage page, where you can see which chats and files are taking up space in Google Storage.
You can reduce your WhatsApp chat backup storage space by deleting large media files. According to the report, this change has been made for a few people and gradually all users’ backup data will become part of Google Storage.
Interestingly, WhatsApp had said in November that users would be notified about the change 30 days in advance, but the accounts that got the change did not receive any notification.
It should be noted that Google accounts come with 15 GB of free cloud storage which is used for Gmail, Drive and Photos etc. Backup of WhatsApp data is helpful when you change your phone and is easy to access through Google Drive.
Given the popularity of WhatsApp, it can be assumed that most users will have several GB of backup data, which can be a problem for people who are already running out of Google storage.
When Google’s free storage capacity for WhatsApp data is exhausted, then users will be directed to opt for Google One (1) subscription plan.
Google has also made a similar change for its popular app Photos, which initially offered free unlimited storage to users, but then limited it to 15 GB of storage.
#WhatsApp #users #missing #great #convenience
What are some workarounds for managing WhatsApp backup storage?
## Out of Storage? WhatsApp Backups May Be the Culprit
**Interviewer:** Today we’re discussing a recent change affecting WhatsApp users. Joining us is tech expert, [Guest Name], who can help us understand the implications.
[Guest Name], thank you for being here.
**Guest:** My pleasure.
**Interviewer:** So, it’s been announced that WhatsApp backups will now count towards our Google Drive storage. What exactly does this mean for users?
**Guest:** Essentially, if you’ve been backing up your WhatsApp chats, photos, and videos to Google Drive, they’re now going to eat into your 15GB of free storage. [[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/19dbhkm/psa_if_you_suddenly_have_no_google_drive_space/)]This change was announced by Meta back in November 2023 and came into effect at the beginning of this year.
**Interviewer:** That’s significant! Lots of people rely on WhatsApp and might be surprised by a sudden lack of storage. Are there any workarounds?
**Guest:** Absolutely. Instead of backing up everything to Google Drive, you can choose to exclude media like photos and videos from the backup. This will significantly reduce the amount of space used.
Another option is to use a secondary Google account for yourWhatsApp backups. This frees up your primary account for other data.
**Interviewer:** These are helpful tips. Any final recommendations for our viewers?
**Guest:** Be proactive! Check your WhatsApp backup settings and decide what’s most important to back up. Remember, you can always manually export important media files to your device if needed.
**Interviewer:** Thank you so much for your insights, [Guest Name]. This information is incredibly timely and will certainly help our viewers navigate this change.
