Google and WhatsApp announce the end of unlimited backups in Google Drive: now conversations will take up space in your account
WhatsApp backups are an essential part of the messaging application experience. These backups store not only messages but also photographs, videos, and documents exchanged in conversations. However, the era of unlimited and free WhatsApp backups on Google Drive has come to an end.
So, how does this decision affect users? The main change is that WhatsApp backups will now occupy storage space in Google Drive. Previously, backup copies were stored without utilizing the user’s account storage, which made them unlimited.
WhatsApp backups on Google Drive will no longer be unlimited and free
All conversation files were stored at no cost to users, ensuring that their Google Drive accounts were not cluttered with WhatsApp backups. However, this situation has changed, and now users are responsible for having sufficient storage in their accounts to save these elements.
Although this may seem like the end of an era, the reality is that this move was expected. iOS users have already experienced how WhatsApp backups occupy actual space within their iCloud profiles. Now, it’s the turn of Android users.
When will WhatsApp backups stop being free and unlimited? WhatsApp and Google Drive have announced a date for this significant change, providing two different periods for the end of unlimited WhatsApp backups on Google Drive. Of course, WhatsApp will notify users 30 days in advance of the change.
- The first half of 2024 will be the period when Google Drive starts deducting the space occupied by WhatsApp backups from user profiles.
- December 2023 will be the month when the WhatsApp beta version stops uploading backups to Google Drive for free.
This change in backup storage is significant. Most users do not have a subscription to Google Drive, and until now, unlimited uploads were a huge advantage as it eliminated concerns about occupied capacity. As a solution, users may consider switching to Telegram, where everything is stored in the cloud.
