In a significant move at the onset of 2024, WhatsApp has implemented a bold policy change that may unsettle many Android users. As of this month, WhatsApp backups will contribute to the storage quota of users’ Google Drive accounts, necessitating sufficient space allocation within Google Drive. This marks a departure from the previous practice where WhatsApp backups enjoyed complimentary storage on Google Drive for Android smartphones.
The announcement of this transformative policy shift was made by Meta Platforms back in November. In an official blog post, Meta revealed, “WhatsApp backups on Android will soon start counting toward your Google Account cloud storage limit, similar to how WhatsApp backups are handled on other mobile platforms.”
According to Meta’s disclosure, the transition began its implementation in December, with a broader rollout anticipated in early 2024. Consequently, users are now witnessing the tangible effects of this adjustment, bidding farewell to the era of complimentary Google Drive storage for WhatsApp backups.
With WhatsApp backups now factored into the 15GB storage space allocated by Google for free accounts, users must consider subscription options for expanded storage. Google One, the subscription service offered by the tech giant, provides users with storage tiers ranging up to 2TB.
It is pertinent to note that this alteration solely impacts Android users, as WhatsApp backups on iOS devices did not enjoy complimentary storage space. Users on the stable version of WhatsApp can navigate to their Google account storage settings and locate the space occupied by WhatsApp backups under the ‘Other’ section. Notably, WhatsApp pledges to notify users of this impending change at least 30 days in advance through a banner notification, accessible within the WhatsApp application under Chats and Chat Backups.
As WhatsApp brings a change in its storage dynamics, Android users are urged to stay informed and consider their storage needs in light of this paradigm shift.
