WhatsApp to delete outdated Google Drive backups: What to do
If you have not backed up WhatsApp chats and photos on Google Drive in a long while, do it immediately or they'll be removed. Back in August, WhatsApp had partnered with Google to provide unlimited space for backups. But, as part of the same deal, the company confirmed all backups that haven't been updated in more than a year will be deleted. Here's more.
WhatsApp's agreement for unlimited Google Drive storage
WhatsApp's Google Drive backups carry information ranging from personal chats to photos and videos. The data remains on the cloud and can be restored on a new device by logging into the same WhatsApp and Google account. But, as these backups occupy Drive's limited storage, WhatsApp partnered with Google for unlimited storage quota for back-ups. The deal comes into effect on November 12 (EDT).
Old backups to be removed from the same date
With unlimited storage, WhatsApp also announced that back-ups that have not been refreshed in more than a year will be removed automatically. So, if you changed your phone over a year ago and didn't turn WhatsApp's automatic backup option on, the backup created from the last device will be removed automatically from your Google Drive account. This could mean losing your old personal data.
Updating existing Drive Backup: Here's what you have to do
In order to update backup and prevent it from being deleted, open WhatsApp's settings and head over to the 'Chats' section. There, tap on 'Chat Backup' option to select the Google account you want to use (or previously used) for backing up chats and the frequency of creating those backups. You can even tweak options to include videos or backup chats via cellular network.
Tap 'Backup' for immediate manual backup
If you already had Backup settings configured, but its frequency was set to 'Never', change it to weekly, daily, or monthly. Then, tap on the green 'Backup' button to create a manual backup at the same time.
