WhatsApp Chat Backups Will Start Counting Towards Google Account Storage: Here Are Your Options

After offering free WhatsApp chat backups to Google accounts for several years, Google and WhatsApp have stated that starting Dec. 2023, any WhatsApp backups on Android devices will be calculated against the cloud storage capacity of Google accounts.

What Happened: This shift will include the complimentary 15GB storage that comes with each Google account.

It equalizes the backup process for Meta Platforms Inc.’s META WhatsApp on Android with other platforms, overturning a 2018 agreement that excluded WhatsApp backups from consuming Google Drive storage space.

Beginning Dec. 2023, Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google will implement this new policy for WhatsApp Beta users. It will subsequently be expanded to all WhatsApp Android users during the first half of 2024.

Users will receive an alert in WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup 30 days before the policy takes effect.

Users will need to manage their storage if they exceed their limit. This can be done by removing unnecessary items or by upgrading their storage with Google One. Qualifying users will receive limited one-time Google One promotions to assist with this transition.

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Why It Matters: This policy reverses a previous agreement between Google and WhatsApp from 2018. The change also drives potential revenue for Google through Google One subscriptions, as users may opt to increase their storage limit rather than delete backups.

Here Are Your Options

If you have enabled WhatsApp chat backups to your Google account and are worried about running out of storage, you have some options:

1. Change WhatsApp Chat Backup Frequency

Instead of backing up WhatsApp chats daily, you can change the backup frequency to weekly or monthly or only when you tap the backup button.

2. Don't Backup Videos

Videos can end up consuming a lot of space despite WhatsApp's high compression rates.

If most of the videos you receive are not essential, then you may want to disable video backups.

Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chat > Chat backup and turn off the "Include videos" option.

3. Use A Separate Google Account For WhatsApp Backups

Alternatively, you can simply use a separate Google account specifically for WhatsApp backups.

Create a new Google account and add it to your Android device.

Once done, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chat > Chat backup.

Tap the Google Account option and select your new account.

4. Get A Google One Subscription

Alternatively, you can just get a Google One subscription. If backing up your WhatsApp chats to the cloud is essential for you, and you don't have enough space in your Google Account, you might have to shell out a couple of bucks every month.

Google One subscription starts at $1.99 per month, boosting your Google account storage to 100GB.

5. Disable WhatsApp Backups To Google Account

We don't recommend doing this, but if the four options above don't work for you, this is the only alternative.

Note that if you lose your phone, you will also lose all your WhatsApp chats, so you are better off exploring other options.

Image: Shutterstock/ Antonio Salaverry

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.