WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to send messages, photos, videos and make voice and video calls over the internet. One key feature of WhatsApp is its ability to backup your chat history and media to the cloud. This ensures that if you lose your phone or get a new one, you won’t lose your chats and can restore them easily.
WhatsApp gives you two backup options – backup to Google Drive if you’re an Android user, or backup to iCloud if you’re an iOS user. By default, WhatsApp backups happen only when your phone is connected to a WiFi network. But if you want the convenience and assurance of your chats getting backed up even when you don’t have a WiFi connection, WhatsApp allows you to enable chat backup over cellular data as well.
Should you backup WhatsApp chats over cellular data?
Backing up your WhatsApp chats over cellular data has its pros and cons:
Pros:
- You can backup your chats more frequently, irrespective of WiFi connectivity.
- Peace of mind knowing your chats are regularly backed up.
- Ability to seamlessly restore chats when changing devices.
Cons:
- Can use up your cellular data quickly if you send a lot of media files like photos and videos.
- Backups over cellular data may be slower than over WiFi.
- You may encounter data charges depending on your cellular plan.
Overall, backing up small amounts of chat data over cellular is fine. But for larger backups, WiFi is better. You can manage your cellular data usage for WhatsApp backups in the app settings.
How to enable WhatsApp backup over cellular data on Android
Here are the steps to enable WhatsApp chat backups over cellular data on Android phones:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the 3-dot menu icon in the top right.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap on ‘Backup to Google Drive.’
- Tap on the ‘Back up over’ option.
- Select ‘Cellular data’ in addition to WiFi.
- Tap ‘Back up now’ to trigger an immediate backup over cellular data.
That’s it! WhatsApp will now backup your chats and media to Google Drive using cellular data in addition to WiFi.
How to enable WhatsApp backup over cellular data on iPhone
Here are the steps to enable WhatsApp chat backups over cellular data on iPhones:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on Settings.
- Tap on Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap on ‘Backup to iCloud.’
- Tap on ‘Back Up Over’ and select ‘Cellular Data & WiFi.’
- Tap ‘Back Up Now’ to trigger an immediate iCloud backup over cellular data.
That’s all you need to do! WhatsApp will now backup chats and media to iCloud using cellular data as well as WiFi.
How to manage cellular data usage for WhatsApp backups
If you find WhatsApp backups consuming too much cellular data, you can manage the usage in Settings:
On Android
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap ‘Cellular data usage.’
- Enable ‘Limit cellular data usage’ and set a cellular data limit for backups.
On iPhone
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap ‘Cellular Data Usage.’
- Enable ‘Limit Cellular Data Usage’ and set a cellular data limit for backups.
This will prevent WhatsApp backups from consuming too much cellular data.
How to restore WhatsApp backup from Google Drive or iCloud
If you get a new Android phone, here are the steps to restore a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive during setup:
- Install WhatsApp on your new Android phone.
- Enter your phone number on the ‘Verify your number’ screen.
- At the ‘Restore chats’ screen, tap ‘Restore’. This will restore your chats and media from the Google Drive backup.
If you get a new iPhone, here are the steps to restore an iCloud backup:
- Install WhatsApp on your new iPhone.
- Enter your phone number on the ‘Verify your number’ screen.
- Tap ‘Restore’ at the iCloud restore prompt to restore your chats and media.
That’s it! Your chats backup will be retrieved from the cloud and restored on your new phone.
Some tips for seamless WhatsApp backups
- Ensure you have enough Google Drive or iCloud storage for backups. WhatsApp may stop backing up if you run out of space.
- Connect your phone to a power source before large backups to avoid battery drain.
- Backup over WiFi if you have large media files to preserve your cellular data.
- Periodically check backup settings to ensure backups are enabled and completing properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp backup use my cellular data?
Yes, if you enable ‘Backup over cellular data’ in WhatsApp settings, your backups will use cellular data in addition to WiFi. Media files in particular can consume cellular data for backup.
How much data does WhatsApp backup use?
WhatsApp backups use very little data for chat messages. Media files like photos and videos consume much more – up to a few megabytes per file. Voice messages and large files will rapidly increase backup data usage.
How do I restore WhatsApp backup from Android to iPhone?
First take a Google Drive backup from your Android device. On your iPhone, install WhatsApp and verify your number. At the prompt to restore from iCloud, choose ‘Restore’ without selecting iCloud. Your Google Drive backup will then be retrieved and restored.
Can I transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android?
Yes, take an iCloud backup from your iPhone, then on your Android phone verify your number in WhatsApp but do not restore at setup. Later, in WhatsApp go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Restore to retrieve the iCloud backup.
How often does WhatsApp take backups?
WhatsApp takes daily backups if you have ‘Auto Backup’ enabled in settings. Manual backups happen only when you explicitly tap ‘Back Up Now’.
Conclusion
Backing up WhatsApp chats over cellular data is convenient but can consume cellular data quickly. Enable ‘Backup over cellular data’ in WhatsApp settings, but keep a check on usage if you have data limits. Take regular manual backups for assurance and seamlessly migrate chats when changing phones. Manage your backup settings and storage to ensure your WhatsApp chat history is always securely saved.