End of free Google Drive storage

  Free Google Drive storage for chat backup by WhatsApp to end in 2024

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, revealed significant modifications to its chat backup system for Android users. The popular messaging platform will discontinue providing free Google Drive storage space for chat history, including photos and videos. Users will now be faced with a choice between subscribing to Google One or having their WhatsApp data count against the 15GB storage limit of their Google Drive. The free Google Drive storage space provided to Android users for keeping their chat history, including photos and videos, is being discontinued by the social networking platform WhatsApp. WhatsApp would begin informing users 30 days in advance before ending free Google Drive storage feature.

The recent modifications indicate that users will soon have to choose between joining up for a Google One membership or having their WhatsApp data saved on Google Drive count against the 15GB storage limit. Google, in a post shared in November, provided a heads-up about the upcoming changes. It stated, “As an important heads up, WhatsApp backups on Android will soon start counting toward your Google Account cloud storage limit, similar to how WhatsApp backups are handled on other mobile platforms. This change will first start rolling out to WhatsApp Beta users starting in December 2023, then gradually to all WhatsApp users on Android starting early next year."  The rollout of this change commenced with WhatsApp Beta users in December 2023 and is expected to extend to all WhatsApp users on Android early in the following year.

As part of the transition, WhatsApp would begin informing users 30 days in advance with a banner under WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup, and the new modifications will begin to roll out to all users in 2024.  Our version of the WhatsApp Beta app has now started showing the message, “Backups will start using your Google storage in the next few months." Although purchasing a Google One subscription is the apparent option for WhatsApp users, but while acquiring a Google One subscription,  WhatsApp continues to offer the option for users to transfer their data between Android devices. This shift marks a departure from the longstanding practice of providing complimentary Google Drive storage for WhatsApp backups on Android, urging users to consider alternative storage solutions or opt for a subscription to maintain seamless data backups.