WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of WhatsApp’s key features is the ability to send and receive photos and videos easily. With so many images being shared, managing and backing up these photos and videos is important. This brings up the question – are WhatsApp pictures automatically backed up on Google Drive?
The short answer is yes, WhatsApp media is backed up to Google Drive, but there are some important details to understand about how this works. When enabled, WhatsApp media like photos and videos are backed up daily to a private WhatsApp folder in your Google Drive storage. This allows you to save space on your phone while still having your WhatsApp media available in the cloud.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at how WhatsApp backup to Google Drive works, including:
How WhatsApp Backup Works
WhatsApp has a built-in chat backup feature that allows you to save your chat history, including photos and videos you’ve sent and received. Here’s an overview of how it works:
– Backups happen automatically daily at 2am by default, as long as you’re connected to WiFi and power.
– Backups include your messages, photos, videos, and other media sent and received on WhatsApp.
– Backups do not include your WhatsApp call history.
– Media like photos and videos are counted separately from chats in your backup size limit.
– WhatsApp backs up to either Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iOS).
– On Android, your media is backed up to a WhatsApp folder in your Google Drive. This keeps your backup separate from your regular Google Drive storage.
– Backup sizes are limited to 12GB for media and 25MB for chat history. If you reach these limits, older backups will be deleted to make room for new backups.
– End-to-end encrypted chats are also backed up, but the encryption key is not backed up. This prevents anyone other than you from reading your E2E chats.
– You can manually back up at any time or turn auto-backup off completely in WhatsApp settings.
So in summary, WhatsApp leverages Google Drive or iCloud to store backups securely and separate from your other files, with configurable sizes to suit your usage needs.
WhatsApp Media Backed Up to Google Drive
Specifically looking at media, any photos, videos, GIFs, voice messages, or other files you send or receive on WhatsApp will be included in your Google Drive backups if you have Android.
Here’s an overview of how WhatsApp media and Google Drive work together:
– Media is backed up from WhatsApp to a private WhatsApp folder in Google Drive.
– The media uses your Google Drive storage, but does not count against your regular Drive quota.
– Your media is only accessible in WhatsApp and not viewable like other Google Drive files.
– Media like photos or videos can be backed up in their original quality if you select that option.
– New media is backed up daily when your phone is charging and connected to WiFi.
– There is a 12GB size limit for media backups. Older backups will be deleted if you exceed this limit.
– You can exclude large videos from backups if desired in WhatsApp settings.
– If you delete media in WhatsApp, it will be deleted from the Google Drive backups as well.
– You can also manually back up your media to Google Drive anytime.
So while not a perfect mirror of your Google Drive files, backing up WhatsApp media provides an easy way to free up space on your phone without losing your images, videos, and files shared via the app. The backups are private but accessible across any Android devices using your Google account and WhatsApp.
Enabling WhatsApp Backup to Google Drive
WhatsApp backup to Google Drive is enabled by default when you first install WhatsApp on Android. But if you want to confirm the backup settings, change when backups occur, exclude large videos, or back up manually, follow these steps:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot menu button.
2. Select Settings.
3. Choose Chats.
4. Tap Chat backup.
5. Here you can enable backup, choose whether to include videos, and select a backup frequency and WiFi-only setting.
6. Under ‘Account’ you can see the last backup date and time. Tap Back up to perform a manual backup.
7. Under ‘Google Drive settings’ you can manage your backup folder and size limit.
8. Tap ‘Back up to Google Drive’ to enable auto backups or turn the toggle off to disable backups.
So with just a few taps in WhatsApp settings, you can start backing up your WhatsApp images, videos, and media to Google Drive. Just remember backups are limited to 12GB in size.
Restoring Backed Up WhatsApp Media from Google Drive
A key benefit of WhatsApp’s Google Drive backup is it allows you to restore your messages and media if you lose your phone, switch to a new Android device, or reinstall WhatsApp after a reset. Here’s how it works:
– When setting up WhatsApp on a new Android phone, opt to restore chat history during initial setup.
– WhatsApp will fetch your latest Google Drive backup and restore your messages, photos, videos and other media.
– Media will be restored provided it does not exceed the 12GB backup size limit.
– Larger media files may be clipped during restore if they now exceed file size limits.
– Some formatting like fonts or colors may not be restored in chat messages.
– Restoration can take time depending on the size of your backup.
– You can still manually export your chat history as a text file as a failsafe.
So while not seamless, WhatsApp’s backup and restore does make transferring your chat history and media to a new phone much easier. Just be aware of the 12GB media limit and allow time for restore to complete.
Backing Up WhatsApp Media on iPhone
WhatsApp also provides backup options for iPhone users via iCloud. Here’s a quick rundown:
– Your chat history plus media is backed up daily to iCloud.
– Backups occur when your phone is connected to power and WiFi.
– There is no separate media size limit, the backups count against your total iCloud quota.
– Media quality may be reduced to save space compared to Android backups.
– You cannot view WhatsApp media directly in iCloud Drive like other files.
– Follow same steps to confirm backups and restore when switching phones.
So while iPhone backups also help preserve your WhatsApp media, there are some limitations compared to the Android Google Drive integration. Be sure to monitor your iCloud storage usage as it fills a shared quota.
Third Party Backup Options
While WhatsApp provides built-in backup capabilities, there are also third party apps that offer ways to save and manage your WhatsApp media. Here are some options:
– Google Photos – Auto-save all your WhatsApp photos to your Google Photos library for easy search and management.
– iCloud Photos – Similarly auto-saves your WhatsApp photos to iCloud Photos on iPhone.
– Dropbox – Link your WhatsApp account to automatically back up your media to Dropbox.
– WhatsApp Transfer – Transfer WhatsApp chats and media between different phones.
– iMyFone iTransor – Manage, export, and backup your WhatsApp data and media.
So if you want alternatives to the built-in tools, explore some of these third party apps. But always be cautious granting account access to third party services.
Tips for Managing WhatsApp Backups
To make sure your WhatsApp media is always backed up properly, follow these tips:
– Confirm backup settings and frequency to turn on auto backups.
– Connect to WiFi at night to allow unmetered backup.
– Periodically perform manual backups before big trips or events.
– Monitor your backup size as it approaches storage limits.
– Change chat export frequency if you need less frequent backups.
– Exclude very large videos if needed to conserve backup space.
– Export important chats manually if needed as a failsafe.
– Set a reminder to check your backup every few months.
– Update your backup before switching phones or reinstalling WhatsApp.
– Test restoring backups to confirm media is retrievable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about WhatsApp backups to Google Drive:
Is my WhatsApp backup only stored on Google Drive?
No, your WhatsApp media backup is also still stored locally on your Android device. The Google Drive backup acts as a secondary copy.
Can I view my WhatsApp media directly in Google Drive?
No, your WhatsApp backup is stored in a private folder only accessible by WhatsApp. The media is not viewable like other Google Drive files.
Do WhatsApp backups count against my Google Drive storage?
WhatsApp backups utilize your Google Drive storage, but are separate from your main Drive allocation. The media uses your storage quota but does not count against your 15GB free allocation.
Can I restore WhatsApp without Google Drive?
Yes, you can restore a local WhatsApp backup from your device storage without linking to Google Drive. However, you may lose any media that exceeded your local backup size limit.
How can I recover deleted WhatsApp media?
If you delete media in WhatsApp, it will also be deleted from your Google Drive backups after 30 days. There is no way to recover media deleted from WhatsApp itself.
Conclusion
WhatsApp provides a valuable feature for Android users by backing up their sent and received photos, videos, and other media to Google Drive each day. This provides a second copy of your important WhatsApp memories while freeing up local storage space on your phone.
Just be aware that the backups are limited to 12GB in size, so you may need to manage large videos or media collections. Routinely check your backup settings and size to ensure your media is being properly preserved. With a little maintenance, you can comfortably use WhatsApp to capture and share memories without worrying about losing your photos and videos ever again.