WhatsApp, the globally used messaging app, is making a significant change as it bids farewell to the era of free Google Drive storage. Specifically, starting in the first half of this year, WhatsApp will implement a major change that will affect the way users store their conversations on Google Drive.
WhatsApp no longer offers free conversation storage
Until now, WhatsApp backups didn’t count towards the 15GB free storage limit offered by Google Drive. Company policy will change and backups will begin to consume space on users’ Google Drive accounts.
Android users have enjoyed the convenience of storing their WhatsApp conversations on Google Drive without affecting their free 15GB storage space. The change is already affecting WhatsApp Beta users with the latest updates and will soon roll out to all other users as well.
This change will force users to consider their storage options, with the option to purchase additional space through Google One.
WhatsApp no longer offers free conversation storage. Photo source: Pixabay
Users are required to subscribe
Google One offers different plans of subscription, with prices starting at $1.99 per month for 100 GB and going up to $9.99 for 2 TB. There are also annual options, which can come with much more attractive prices.
Users can also optimize the use of available space on Google Drive through the storage settings in WhatsApp. Here, the app offers options for efficient space management, allowing you to selectively delete items that take up a lot of space, such as large videos or unnecessary messages.
WhatsApp chat transfer tool
Users also have the option to use the WhatsApp Chat Transfer tool to move chats to Android devices without relying on Google Drive. This provides flexibility in data management, giving users options beyond impending changes.
In the meantime, users can continue to back up their data for free as long as they have storage space available in the 15GB of free cloud storage included with their Google Account or any additional storage purchased, such as through Google One, reports economictimes.indiatimes.com.
