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News + Trends

Out of beta: Google makes WhatsApp backups chargeable

Dominik Bärlocher
1.2.2022
Translation: machine translated

Code analysis of the beta version of WhatsApp for Android shows: Google could soon charge money for backups.

Bad news for WhatsApp users on Android. Watchblog WABeta.info has discovered lines in the code of the messaging app's beta version that indicate that backups may be chargeable.

Until now, WhatsApp backups weren't chargeable and Google didn't count the storage space your messages, videos, voice messages and pictures needed against your Google storage space. That's supposed to end soon.

If the beta code is rolled out in the version found by WABeta.info, here's what should happen: Google will give you a certain amount of storage - how much is unknown - for free. If you slowly reach the limit, WhatsApp will warn you and you can buy more storage under Google One.

It is not yet known if and when WhatsApp backups will be charged.

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