Because all you have to do to store your communications to the cloud with WhatsApp is connect your Google or iCloud account, backups are much easier to manage. Although backups have always been counted toward iCloud storage on iOS, this will soon also be the case for Android users. It will now be deducted from your storage capacity if you back up your WhatsApp conversations to Google Drive.
Yes, as far as I can recall, your Google Drive storage hasn't been affected by chat backups on Android. Additionally, those that don't overfill their cloud storage with many files, images, and other items have found it to be a blessing. But according to the most recent statements from WhatsApp and Google, that is going to change come December.
The messaging behemoth has officially announced that WhatsApp Beta users will be the first to get the update in December of this year. Since I'm one, as soon as I see the change is active on my end, I'll keep you informed. Regarding others, the change won't happen right away; it will take place in the first half of 2024 and affect all Android users.
The Google support website states, "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." Therefore, keep in mind that in order to back up your media and WhatsApp conversations, you'll need to have storage space available on your Drive.You will need to make space available if your Google Drive 15GB free storage limit is reached in order to make sure that your WhatsApp conversations are backed up. In the meanwhile, the backup will be paused. WhatsApp said on its FAQ page that customers will be notified "30 days before this change happens" via a banner in the "Chat backup" section of the Settings . To ensure the same, go to Settings -> Chats -> Chat backup.
Additionally, we advise you to configure and activate the "end-to-end encrypted backups" option while you are there. By doing this, you will be able to protect your communications even while they are kept on Google's servers.
As a result, you will now need to pay more attention to your Google Drive storage limit. The stalled WhatsApp conversation backup caused by insufficient storage space might cause issues when you replace or reset your phone. In the process, all of your recent communications will be deleted. Thus, make sure you always have free storage or use Google One to gain more space.
How do you feel about this change? It makes sense, really, given how many Android users there are in places like Brazil, India, and other places where WhatsApp is the most popular messaging program.