Smartphones
Free WhatsApp backup: There will be a limit on these devices from December
If the WhatsApp backup is lost in an emergency, good advice is expensive
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For some, WhatsApp chat is sacred – so it’s good that there’s a backup. For a long time there was an agreement between the developers and Google for the required storage space. This is now running out.
iPhone users know the problem: The WhatsappBackup has always been in iCloud and uses up storage space there. If it runs out, you have to decide either against backing up your conversations or increasing your subscription with Apple.
Android users were spared this for years. But from December, an agreement between WhatsApp parent company Meta and Google no longer applies – and the backup will be fully counted towards the storage space on Google Drive. Both WhatsApp and Google informed about the corresponding change.
WhatsApp and Google are introducing changes from December
The deadlines are clearly stated on WhatsApp. It says: “This change will be rolled out to beta users from December 2023 and gradually to all other WhatsApp users on Android devices over the first half of 2024. We will provide notice 30 days before this change takes effect with a banner in WhatsApp under Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.”
Nothing should change for users who only need Google Drive for WhatsApp. Because Google provides free basic accounts with a comparatively generous 15 gigabytes. A large backup with lots of pictures but few videos, usually smaller than 4 gigabytes.
With Android, however, this is probably the case for very few users – because, like Apple’s iCloud, Google Drive is the center for all services that outsource data to the cloud. This also includes emails, for example, which means that 15 gigabytes quickly become tight.
Google subscriptions from 2 euros per month
However, expanding storage at Google is not particularly expensive. 100 gigabytes are available for just 2 euros per month, 200 gigabytes only cost one euro more and Google provides a whopping two terabytes for 10 euros.
More storage, more security
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In a strange way, the company leaves it open whether it will stay that way. He writes: “We will continue to work with WhatsApp to provide you with reliable and secure backup support. More updates on this will follow at a later date.”