WhatsApp to end unlimited backup storage on Google Drive, affecting millions of users

By Shakir Bukhari

 WhatsApp users will soon have to start paying for cloud storage to back up their chats and media. Google, which provides unlimited storage for WhatsApp backups, will start counting backups against the 15GB of free storage that comes with a Google account. This change will take effect for beta testers in December 2023 and for all other users in early 2024.




For people who use a lot of multimedia messaging, the 15GB limit will likely be reached quickly. People who want to back up their entire chat history will need to purchase a Google One subscription.



This change is a part of Google's effort to get people to pay for its services. Google has been making some changes to its free services in recent years, such as ending free unlimited photo and video storage in Google Photos.


The change is also likely to be motivated by the fact that WhatsApp is now owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram. All three of these platforms have data caps, so it makes sense that WhatsApp would follow suit.


For people who use a lot of WhatsApp, the change will be a major inconvenience. However, there are a few things that people can do to mitigate the effects of the change. One is to clean up their chat history and delete old and unnecessary messages. Another is to change their media auto-download settings so that only photos and videos from people you keep in touch with are automatically downloaded.



Suggestion I suggest that WhatsApp should create an alternative to Google Drive for backups. Perhaps the company could partner with another cloud storage provider or develop its own cloud storage service.

Shakir Bukhari

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1085388718508013

Comments

  1. Data & StatisticsNovember 15, 2023 at 9:04 AM

    The end of limitless capacity for WhatsApp backups on Android will definitely affect users who have benefited from the convenience of automated and unrestricted data backups over the years.
    The shift is expected to be noticed most strongly by individuals who rely extensively on multimedia messaging, resulting in greater backup file sizes. It is to be noted that the meta-owned app has made several changes to the backup option — including reducing backup sizes — which will act as a mitigating factor allowing users to backup more data while conforming to the 15GB Google account limit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 15, 2023 at 9:33 AM

    WhatsApp users will soon have to start to paying for cloud storage.

    ReplyDelete

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