In what might come as unwelcome news for WhatsApp enthusiasts, numerous beta testers of the widely-used instant messaging application have reported the initiation of a shift in policy concerning unlimited chat backups via Google Drive.
This alteration signifies that the backups will now be accounted for within the confines of their current Google Drive subscriptions. For users on the free tier, this translates to the backups consuming storage space within their 15GB allocation.
Furthermore, as disclosed by MySmartPrice, the transition has already commenced for beta participants, with a broader implementation slated for all users during the initial half of 2024.
A notification will be dispatched to users 30 days before the enforcement of this modification. Individuals who have depleted the 15GB threshold on their complimentary accounts will be necessitated to enroll in a storage plan.
In November of the previous year, Google and WhatsApp jointly announced the forthcoming cessation of unlimited chat backup support on Google Drive. Google specified that modifications would commence for WhatsApp Beta users in December 2023.
Apple iOS users, on the other hand, have been subject to the inclusion of WhatsApp chat and media backups within their complimentary 5GB iCloud storage since the inception of this policy.