Out of Google Drive space? WhatsApp chat backup no longer counted against Drive storage quota

The exclusion from the Google Drive storage quota also applies to chats backups with media.

If you’re constantly afraid of losing Google Drive space because of WhatsApp chat backups, here’s a sigh of relief for you. The messaging giant has announced that WhatsApp backups will no longer count towards the Google Drive storage quota, starting November 28, 2018. This applies to chats backups with media as well.

This means that if you’re using the free Google Drive plan with 15GB, you’ll be able to backup your WhatsApp media separately, without using up your original quota.

However, WhatsApp has also stated that backups that haven’t been updated in more than one year will be automatically removed from Google Drive storage. So, it’s advised that you backup your chats periodically to avoid losing it.

How to create a WhatsApp chat backup on Google Drive:

If you wish to backup your chats, simply open WhatsApp tap on Menu > Settings > Chats > Chat backup.

Then tap on “Back up to Google Drive” and choose a frequency other than Never.

You’ll require your Google account to do this, so remember your login credentials while doing so. You can also select the Google account you’ve used to link your Android device.

We recommend using a WiFi connection while backing up for better speed and avoiding additional data charges by your internet service provider.

How to delete an existing WhatsApp chat backup on Google Drive:

If you wish to delete an existing chat backup, you’ll have to open the Google Drive on your desktop. If you don’t have access to a desktop then you can open the Drive website on your browser in the “desktop version”.

Click on the cogwheel icon on the top right corner and select Settings > Manage Apps.

Look out for WhatsApp in the list. It’s important to note that this might take a few moments to appear.

Click on Options> Delete hidden app data. Then click on delete to remove your WhatsApp backup.