WhatsApp on Android: tips to Avoid Paying for Google Drive Storage of Your Chat History

Android users, brace yourselves for some changes in the way your WhatsApp history is stored ! From 2024 onwards, google will start including your WhatsApp backup in the allocated storage space on Google Drive. Considering how avidly we use WhatsApp, sharing photos, videos and documents, it’s no surprise that our 15GB free storage quota shared between Gmail, google Photos and Google Drive could run out pretty quickly. But, don’t fret just yet ! This article is dedicated to teaching you how to avoid paying for extended storage on Google One by optimizing your settings and exploring alternatives.

Safeguarding Your WhatsApp History Without Breaking the Bank

Creating a Second Google Account

Actionable advice : Create a second Google account purely dedicated to backing up your WhatsApp data. By doing so, not only will you prevent recurrent deletion of Gmail or Google Photos data but also enjoy an extra 15GB of free storage capacity !

Configuring Backup Settings in WhatsApp

Note : Once you’ve created this secondary account, make sure to configure it as your default backup account in the WhatsApp settings. Thus ensuring every byte of those vital conversations finds its secure home !

The Legal Side

This change was announced by WhatsApp in order to align with its iOS version where backups are counted against the 5GB iCloud storage. Users will be notified thirty days prior to this policy taking effect.

And since we’re talking about changes in backup settings and multiple accounts, why not give those settings their due diligence ?

Optimizing Backup Settings on WhatsApp

Tailoring Backup Frequency

If you’re someone who doesn’t need a daily backup of chats because you keep them light and breezy, consider changing your backup frequency to weekly or monthly ! This simple tweak will save you quite some space.

Filtering Backup Content

You can also choose not to include videos in backups. Let’s face it, those viral video forwards and happy birthday wishes are great for a while, but do they really need to be immortalised in your backup ?

So, you’ve managed to ration existing storage resources, but what about free alternatives out there ?

Free Alternatives to Google Drive Storage for WhatsApp

Using Other Cloud Services

Suggestion : Consider using other cloud services that offer free storage options. Dropbox and Box both offer up to 10GB of free storage space.

The External Hard Drive Option

If you’re not keen on keeping all your eggs (or in this case – chats) in one basket (cloud), consider external hard drives. They are a reliable, offline method of saving important data.

By exploring these options, we can handle the upcoming change without any anxiety about running out of storage space. Speaking of which…

Managing Your Android Device’s Storage Space Efficiently

Cleaning Up Regularly

A good practice is to regularly clean up unwanted files from your device. You’d be surprised how much space memes and forgotten downloads take up !

Usage Check-ins

TIP : Regular check-ins on your device’s storage usage help you stay informed and make decisions accordingly.

This way, we not only ensure our WhatsApp history remains intact but also maintain the health and efficiency of our Android devices.

In light of these impending changes to Google’s policies on WhatsApp backup data, it’s clear that a little bit of savvy could save us from unnecessary costs. From creating secondary accounts to regular clean-ups, and even considering other storage platforms, the options are plenty. Being aware of these changes and proactively adjusting our habits can help us avoid last-minute panics or forced deletions. After all, in this digital era where much of our lives are lived online, every byte counts !