WhatsApp could start to cost in 2024

Google, not even the owner of WhatsApp, has recently announced changes that may result in users having to pay to keep WhatsApp’s chats on the app.

The popularity of WhatsApp can be attributed in part to its free usage. For several years now, the Android version of the app has allowed users to enjoy complete access without any cost, including the option to save chat backups on the cloud. It is beneficial to regularly update these backups so that one can easily restore all chats in case of a lost or upgraded phone.

You can back up your WhatsApp chats and history on Android by linking a Google Account to your app. These backups are stored in the Google cloud and attached to your account, but they previously did not contribute to your cloud storage capacity – until recently.

Starting in 2024, WhatsApp backups on Android will be included in your Google Cloud storage limit. The tech giant gives every Google Account 15GB of free storage. However, exceeding this amount across Google Drive, Photos, and Gmail will require purchasing additional storage.

According to a recent blog post by Google, WhatsApp backups on Android will soon be subject to the same storage limit as those on other mobile platforms. This policy is similar to how iCloud handles WhatsApp backups for iPhones.

The rollout of this change will begin with WhatsApp Beta users in December 2023, followed by a gradual release to all Android users in early 2024. And now, as we enter the first week of the new year, it is finally happening.

An extensive WhatsApp history may exceed your Google Cloud storage limit of 15GB. This would require upgrading to the next tier, which starts at £2.49 per month for 200GB of storage space.

To avoid this additional charge, you can remove large files stored in your Google Account to create sufficient space for backing up your WhatsApp data. Sizable photos and videos likely occupy the most available storage on Google Drive. Simply go to the Google Photos app or desktop website and delete these larger files to increase your free space.