WhatsApp backup update: In the coming months, WhatsApp will make a major change to the security of its chats for Android users who rely on Google Drive. WhatsApp recently made a memorable public service announcement (PSA), and now there are further predictions about it. This development was launched in mid-November and is currently rolling out to users participating in WhatsApp’s beta testing.
There are beta tester reports regarding Google Drive storage quotas, which suggest that the responsibility for chat and media backup has now passed to Google Drive storage. To be sure, the storage generated from these backups will boost the Google Account storage quota for free users, which is capped at 15GB. This 15GB includes all Google Drive data, including Google Photos and Gmail, mirroring the experience for WhatsApp users on iPhone and iOS.
iOS users are not faired as they get more limited free cloud storage, while Google only offered 15GB to most users. This change is not immediate for Android users but is proposed to be implemented in the first half of 2024 by WhatsApp’s parent company, Mita. For a seamless transition, users will be notified 30 days in advance and will receive a banner that will be in the app’s chat backup settings.
For those who do not like saving WhatsApp data to Google Drive storage, there are various options available. One option is to select local backup and use the WhatsApp chat transfer tool to easily transfer the data to a new device. Another approach is to take a space-efficient approach by backing up only text messages and transferring media files out. While improvements are underway in terms of WhatsApp backup, users should review their storage preferences to understand these options.
