Google Drive no longer creates free backups for WhatsApp

Users of “WhatsApp” messaging app usually have the backup option enabled for Google Drive.

This is a very important function because it enables complete backup of chats and other exchanged information in the cloud.

So far everything is fine as WhatsApp users with Android don’t have to worry about anything in this regard. However, Google made an important announcement that WhatsApp backups are now free.

For the rest of the year and going forward, the first people to see the change will be users with the beta version of the app.

Meanwhile, the rest will observe it in the first half of 2024. But amid this panorama, WhatsApp mentioned that it will notify its users of this situation 30 days in advance. That is, it will do so with a banner located in the section that says “Backup”.

The truth is that before this move, Android users could use space on Google servers to create their backups. This is without taking away from the 15 GB that all Google users have for free.

Now, those who want to create large backups have to pay for large Google Drive storage.

What about iOS users?

This situation does not happen to iOS users as Apple has been offering 5GB of free iCloud storage for a long time.

Likewise, to enable WhatsApp backup on Android, these users need to check if the option is enabled on the phone.

If it is not enabled, the first thing you need to do is go to More options, then “Settings” and from there to “Chats”.

They should enter where it says “Backup” and enable the option that says “Save to Google Drive”. Finally here, you can choose the protection plan of your choice.