WhatsApp users on Android will soon have their chat logs and backup files storage taken from their Google Account storage.
Before now, WhatsApp data was stored locally on one’s phone but in 2015, WhatsApp started using Google Drive to store backups providing a more secure and reliable way to save users’ chat history. At the time, WhatsApp’s own servers were reportedly incapable of handling the large volume of backup data that was being generated.
After teaming up with Google to store WhatsApp backups on Google Drive, users previously enjoyed free space for this data, but this update changes all that.
In a post on its FAQ page, WhatsApp said, “This change will roll out to Beta users starting in December 2023, and will slowly roll out to all WhatsApp Android users across the first half of 2024.”
This storage includes the free 15GB every Google Account gets, which covers Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. The update means more restrictions on what can be saved and once you’ve reached the storage limit, you will need to start deleting files on your account in order to resume backups.
This change only applies to free Google accounts. Users with a Workspace subscription for work or school won’t be affected by this change.
According to Google Android Help, this change is to align the WhatsApp backup process with other platforms like iOS, while still offering the 15GB free storage. Google emphasizes this is three times more storage than many mobile platforms – aka iCloud which has only 5GB storage.
While this may come as very unpleasant news, Android users still have options for managing cloud storage.
WhatsApp suggests using their Chat Transfer tool for phone chat transfers while Google recommends opting for a Google One subscription to expand storage beyond the free 15GB limit. The prices for extra storage start at $2 for 100GB.