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WhatsApp Will Allow Users to Manage Their Chat Backups

New feature comes as Google Drive may change storage deal

By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on October 13, 2021 04:19PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Social Media Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow users to manage the size of their chat backups in preparation for a potential Google Drive change. The update will come in the form of a new "Manage Backup Size" option in the Settings, providing detailed controls over what is and isn’t archived. According to the app’s developer blog, WABetaInfo, users will be able to instruct the app only to store important files, such as photos, videos, audio, and documents. WhatsApp also will provide a real-time estimate of how much storage is left in the backup. Westend61/Getty Images The blog post revealed the reason for this update is because Google may remove unlimited storage for WhatsApp users. Currently, users can backup their WhatsApp chats to Google Drive and not have it count against the free 15GB of storage provided. This is the result of a deal the two companies made back in 2018. WhatsApp postulates that Google will change this deal and have user backups count on Drive again. In response, WhatsApp is creating the new feature to give users more options for backup storage. d3sign/Getty Images In the past, Google has changed storage offerings that were once unlimited, such as Google Photos. WhatsApp states that nothing official has been announced, but the company will continue to move forward with this new data management option. A release date for the update was not provided, but WABetaInfo assures it will keep users posted. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Change Phones Without Losing WhatsApp How to Fix It When WhatsApp Voice Messages Aren't Working How to Restore WhatsApp Messages Dropbox vs. Google Drive How to Fix It When WhatsApp Isn't Working How to Transfer Messages from iPhone to iPhone How to Fix It When WhatsApp Images and Videos Are Not Showing in Gallery 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022 How to Use WhatsApp on Your Apple Watch How to Delete a WhatsApp Group 21 Best Cloud Backup Services Reviewed (October 2022) How to Save Mobile Data When Using WhatsApp How to Know If You've Been Blocked on WhatsApp How to Find WhatsApp Group Links Without An Invite How to Use WhatsApp Privacy Settings How to Transfer WhatsApp From iPhone to Android Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies