New Delhi: WhatsApp may soon give users a new way to save chat backups without relying only on Google Drive or iCloud. A new feature under development
could allow users to choose WhatsApp’s own cloud storage for backups, which may help people who often run out of free cloud space.
At present, WhatsApp backups can take up a large part of a user’s cloud storage, especially when chats include photos and videos. Since Google Drive and iCloud storage is also used for emails, files and other app data, managing space can become difficult. This is why WhatsApp is reportedly working on an alternative backup option.
WhatsApp may offer its own cloud backup option
WhatsApp cloud
Right now, Android users can back up WhatsApp chats only through Google Drive. There is no option to use another cloud provider. This means large backups can quickly fill available storage, forcing users to either clear space or pay for extra storage.
That may change in a future update. WhatsApp is said to be developing a second backup option where users can choose between Google Drive and WhatsApp’s own cloud service. Reports suggest this service may offer up to 2GB of free storage for backups.
It is still not confirmed whether this free storage will be available to all users or only to those subscribed to WhatsApp Plus. The feature is still being developed, so final details may change before launch.
Backups on WhatsApp cloud may have mandatory encryption
If users choose to store backups on WhatsApp’s servers, the backups are expected to remain end-to-end encrypted by default. WhatsApp is reportedly making encryption compulsory for this option.
Users may get different ways to protect their backup. The default method could be passkey-based encryption, which removes the need to remember a traditional password. There may also be an option to secure backups with a password or a 64-digit encryption key.
The aim appears to be keeping backups secure while giving users more control over how they protect their data.
Paid storage plan may also be introduced
Apart from the free 2GB backup storage, WhatsApp is also testing a 50GB paid plan that may cost around $0.99. It will be helpful for the users whose backups have a lot of photos and videos, the storage plan gives them extra space for their storage.
For now, the plan is not official yet. Pricing, storage limit and rollout details could change before launch.
However, the feature is still being developed and is not live yet. WhatsApp is expected to test it before a wider rollout. If launched, it could give users another place to store backups instead of relying only on Google Drive, especially for those running out of storage.
