WhatsApp backups are the only way to take all your messages with you when you swap phones. Now, a new change to the way the app stores data online could make Android users think twice about backing up their chats.
In a reversal to its policy, Google has announced that WhatsApp backups will soon start to fill up your Google cloud storage. This is where Google saves your online ephemera, including your Gmail inbox, Google Photos, Google Drive documents, and Android device backups.
Currently, free users are offered 15GB of storage space, with the option to top up from £1.59 per month. If you don’t declutter your files and folders from time to time, you may be surprised to find that your Google Cloud is already hogged up.
To make matters worse, from next year, you’ll have to make space for your WhatsApp backups, too. Google says it will gradually introduce the change in the first half of 2024. WhatsApp will alert users to the change with a banner in the app’s settings 30 days before it is implemented.
The move sees Google backtracking after declaring in 2018 that it wouldn't count WhatsApp backups toward Google Drive storage. In a nod to Apple, it notes that the new policy echoes the approach adopted by other mobile platforms.
“WhatsApp backups on Android will continue to work, as long as you have available space within your Google Account storage,” Google writes in a support article. “If you hit your storage limit, you’ll need to free up space to resume backups by removing items you do not need.”
How to free up Google cloud storage space
The good news is you can easily add more room on your Google Cloud storage, either through some belated spring tidying or by purchasing more.
If you don't want to fork out for a subscription, start by checking how much free space you have left on the Google One website. Here, you can also see which Google products are taking up the most room and focus on them. If, for instance, your Gmail account is bloated, you’ll need to start deleting unwanted emails.
Google's storage management tool also provides suggestions for files you should dump, including emails with large attachments, spam, and files lingering in your trash.
How to free up storage on WhatsApp
To ensure that your WhatsApp backup is as trim as possible, you can delete large images and videos you’ve received in chats. Just head into your WhatsApp settings to start managing your storage.
To prevent WhatsApp from bulging, you can turn on disappearing messages. This way, photos and videos shared with you will automatically vanish after a set period of time.
