Whatsapp May Soon End Unlimited Google Drive Backups

Whatsapp May Soon End Unlimited Google Drive Backups

After rolling out end-to-end encrypted chat backups to beta users last week, WhatsApp is now testing a new option to manage chat backup size. Alongside this option, WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp may soon end unlimited Drive backups and switch to a limited plan to backup your WhatsApp data in Google Drive.

Whatsapp May End Unlimited Google Drive Backups

For the uninitiated, WhatsApp made a strategic deal with Google to offer unlimited backups in Drive back in 2018. This deal is why you can enjoy unlimited WhatsApp backups in Google Drive today without counting against your storage quota. That might end soon, as WhatsApp is working on new features behind the scenes to help users limit backup size.

As WABetaInfo reports, the upcoming backup size manager will let you choose to include (or exclude) photos, audio, videos, documents, and other media in your WhatsApp chat backup. The feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta 2.21.21.7 on Android and isn’t generally available even for beta testers. You can check out the interface below:

Image courtesy: WABetaInfo

However, it doesn’t look like all your WhatsApp backups are going to count against your Drive storage. WhatsApp and Google are likely to introduce an upper limit of 2000 MB per user for free chat backups. Backups exceeding this limit would potentially count against your Drive quota.

Considering how Google ended free unlimited storage for Google Photos earlier this year, the report doesn’t come as a surprise. That said, both companies haven’t revealed their plans to end unlimited storage just yet. Hence, now would be the correct time to backup your vast WhatsApp meme collection for free before Google potentially enforces a limit.

On an unrelated note, WhatsApp is also working on a new Community feature for groups. According to WABetaInfo, Community is a way for users to organize WhatsApp groups better. Much like backup size manager, WhatsApp Community is still under development and will potentially be available on a future release.

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Comments 7
  • Ajay says:

    This is what happens when companies gain monopoly. Initially, companies work on the idea of “For the user”. And once they gain enough power to know that their users would continue to use their product no matter what’s imposed, they start playing cheap tricks like these.

  • Harsh says:

    “help users limit backup size” ….. I always wondered about the time when companies start calling the removal of features as a “feature” …. I guess I didn’t have to wait long for it.

  • Ajit says:

    apple users are stuck with 5GB of shared icloud space

  • nonresident says:

    Another point I would like to mention is that in Element you can add you your own web hosting server for messaging which makes your messages more secure than any other messaging apps.

  • nonresident says:

    Both Signal and Element are totally free. So,Just switch to Signal or Element. Both are best apps for sucure messaging although people say that they use third party servers, but you have to understand that the information with goes through the servers is already encrypted from the senders phone and the keys to access it are stored on the apps ( not in the servers ). It is impossible for a thir party to decrypt the data. But the major problem with Signal is it’s backup options which only allows you to store them locally in the device. So, I think the best messaging app will be Element. The software in Elememt app is very much similar to whatsapp. Used it myself.

    Hope you find this helpful !

    • R7anubis says:

      can you teach me how to host on element and use it pls

  • Syeda aliya says:

    For backup also we shuld do drive recharg? 🙄

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