Attention Android WhatsApp Users: Prepare to Experience iPhone-Like Features in 2024 with This Google Drive Update

In the next year, WhatsApp users on Android will have to start counting their chat and media backups towards their Google Account storage limit. This means that the 15GB of free storage that Google offers will be shared between Google Drive, Google Photos, Gmail, and now WhatsApp backups as well. This change is similar to what iPhone users have been experiencing for years, where their backups have been counting towards their 5GB free storage limit.

For those who do not want their WhatsApp backups taking up their Google Drive space, there are alternative options available. Users can do local backups and use the built-in WhatsApp Chat Transfer tool to move their data to a new device, or they can choose to only back up text messages and exclude media files.

Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, plans to enforce this backup storage change to all Android users in the first half of 2024. Users will receive a 30-day notification beforehand, which will be displayed as a banner in the app’s Chat Backup settings.

This change has been in the works for some time, as rumors of WhatsApp’s unlimited Google Drive backup ending have been floating around for almost two years. Now, users who are part of WhatsApp’s beta testing program are reporting that their backups are indeed counting towards their Google Drive storage limit. This change seems to be the beginning of WhatsApp making improvements and changes to its backup system.

Overall, this change means that Android users will need to be more mindful of their Google Account storage and may need to consider alternative backup options in order to manage their storage more effectively.