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 those 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 previously offered free unlimited storage to users, but later limited it to 15 GB of storage.
#WhatsApp #users #missing #great #convenience
What are the implications of disabling automatic WhatsApp backups?
## WhatsApp Backups Eating Up Your Google Storage?
**Interviewer:** Joining us today is tech expert, [Guest Name], to discuss a change affecting WhatsApp users. [Guest Name], thanks for being here.
**Guest:** Thanks for having me.
**Interviewer:** So, there’s been a shift with WhatsApp backups on Android. Can you explain what’s going on?
**Guest:** Absolutely. Until recently, WhatsApp backups on Android weren’t counted against a user’s Google Drive storage. That meant photos, videos, and chats could be backed up without worrying about hitting that 15GB limit. However, as reported by Android Police [[1](https://www.androidpolice.com/find-whatsapp-backups-google-drive/)], Meta announced back in November 2023 that this would change starting in 2024. Now, those backups *will* count toward your Google storage.
**Interviewer:** That’s a significant change, especially for users who rely heavily on WhatsApp for multimedia sharing. What advice would you give to people concerned about running out of space?
**Guest:** The best advice I can give is to be mindful of what you’re backing up. You might want to consider excluding large media files like videos from your backups. After all, you can always re-download them from your phone if needed. You can also look into using other cloud storage options specifically for photos and videos, freeing up space in your Google Drive.
**Interviewer:** What about users who want to completely stop backing up to Google Drive? Is that an option?
**Guest:** Yes, you can disable automatic backups in WhatsApp settings. However, remember doing so means you won’t have a guaranteed way to recover your chats and media if something happens to your phone. It’s a trade-off between convenience and storage space.
**Interviewer:** Very helpful advice, [Guest Name]. Thanks for shedding light on this important change for Android WhatsApp users.
