Using WhatsApp could become more expensive this year, but there is a simple way to dodge the new charges.
Millions of WhatsApp users might be hit with a surprise fee for using the popular messaging platform, but it can be avoided if you act quickly. Google announced last year that from the start of 2024, all Android users would see WhatsApp backups count towards their total cloud storage.
Currently, WhatsApp is separate, meaning you can store thousands of messages and pictures without eating into your Google allowance – but this is set to change, the Mirror reports.
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Google said in a blog post: "As an important heads up, 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.
"This change will first start rolling out to WhatsApp Beta users starting in December 2023, then gradually to all WhatsApp users on Android starting early next year."
At the moment, Google offers 15GB of data for free, but once you reach that limit, you'll need to pay more.
So, how much will this cost you and how can you avoid it?
Google has several plans available, including 100GB of storage for £1.99 per month or £2.49 per month if you want to double that to 200GB.
There's also the ultimate 2TB plan which costs £7.99 and is suitable for those wanting to keep endless 4K videos online and high-resolution images stored in the cloud.
If you don't want to pay but also don't want to lose your WhatsApp backups then the simple way to stop the fees is to make sure you clear out any old files, photos and videos from your Google account. Clearing space now will mean you won't be hit by the penalty when the new terms and conditions kick in.
Google confirmed: "WhatsApp backups on Android will continue to work, as long as you have available space within your Google Account storage. If you hit your storage limit, you'll need to free up space to resume backups by removing items you do not need".
It might be the middle of winter but giving your phone a spring clean now could save you some money.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story
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