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Why is WhatsApp backup so slow on Android?

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows easy communication between friends, family, coworkers and more through instant messaging, voice and video calls. One of WhatsApp’s key features is the ability to regularly back up your chat history to the cloud. This ensures your conversations are safe and can be restored if you ever switch devices or lose your phone.

However, many Android users report frustratingly slow WhatsApp backups that can take hours to complete. So what causes WhatsApp backup on Android to be so slow compared to iOS, and what can you do to speed it up?

What Factors Affect WhatsApp Backup Speed on Android?

There are several key factors that contribute to slower WhatsApp backups on Android:

Large Media Files

WhatsApp backs up your entire chat history, including all shared photos, videos and voice messages. Media files take up a lot more storage space than plain text, so the more media you’ve exchanged, the longer your backup will take. iOS has the advantage of iCloud optimizations for photo and video uploads.

Weak Internet Connection

Your internet bandwidth and stability will directly impact WhatsApp backup time. Slow mobile internet connections, poor WiFi coverage or network congestion can all increase upload times. WhatsApp does not allow pausing and resuming backups, so any network interruption will fail the backup.

App Restrictions and Battery Optimization

To preserve battery life, Android can impose restrictions on apps running in the background. If WhatsApp backup is being throttled, the process will take longer. You may need to disable battery optimizations for WhatsApp to prevent backup delays.

Server-side Limits from WhatsApp

WhatsApp also enforces limits on their server side to prevent resource abuse. There are caps on how many backups a device can make per day, as well as file size limits. Once you hit a threshold, the process will slow down.

Device Performance Factors

Your Android device’s available processing power, RAM and storage speeds can impact WhatsApp backup time. Low-end phones with limited memory and storage will have slower backups than high-end devices.

Number of Chats and Groups

The more individual and group conversations you have, the longer WhatsApp takes to backup all your chat history. Having hundreds of long chats and large groups means there’s that much more data to upload.

Comparison of WhatsApp Backup Speed on iOS vs Android

Backing up WhatsApp on an iPhone is typically much faster than Android. Here are some of the major differences:

iCloud Integration

iOS has deep iCloud integration that WhatsApp can leverage for seamless backups in the background. iCloud handles optimized uploading of photos and videos in parallel.

Fewer App Restrictions

Apple imposes fewer restrictions than Android on apps running background tasks and internet access, resulting in fewer limits on WhatsApp backups.

Faster Storage and Memory

High-end iPhones tend to have faster internal storage, memory and processors compared to average Android phones. This translates to quicker backups.

Streamlined Process

The WhatsApp backup process has been highly optimized for iOS. Android requires manual steps for enabling backups.

Here is a comparison table of average WhatsApp backup speeds on iOS vs Android:

Platform Backup Speed (100 photos, 5 videos, 5MB files)
iPhone with iCloud ~2-5 minutes
Android with Google Drive ~15-60 minutes

Tips to Speed Up WhatsApp Backup on Android

Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to reduce WhatsApp backup time on your Android device:

Use WiFi Instead of Mobile Data

WhatsApp backups will go much faster over fast, stable WiFi compared to congested mobile data. Connect to a strong WiFi network before backing up.

Close Other Apps and Connections

Close any apps using bandwidth in the background, like streaming video or downloads. Temporarily disable hotspot tethering or pause other device syncs.

Disable Battery Optimizations

Go to Android Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Battery and disable “Optimize Battery Usage” and other battery restrictions like Doze mode.

Restart Your Phone

Restarting your Android phone clears out memory, ends background processes and provides a fresh start. Try restarting before backing up WhatsApp.

Clear Chat History and Media

Delete old chats, especially those with heavy media files like videos. Also clear downloaded files stored in WhatsApp. This reduces backup size.

Remove Unnecessary Chats and Groups

Leave groups and delete chats you no longer need instead of automatically backing them up each time. Prune your WhatsApp history regularly.

Create a Local Backup

Creating a manual local backup to your phone’s storage before the cloud backup can speed up the drive upload portion.

Upgrade to Faster Storage

Using a phone with faster internal storage, like a UFS 3.1 device, can result in much quicker WhatsApp backup times after other optimizations.

Use a Different WiFi Network

If your home or work WiFi is slow, try creating the WhatsApp backup when connected to a different, faster public WiFi instead.

Set Backup Frequency to Weekly

Less frequent WhatsApp backups mean smaller incremental changes to upload each time. Change from daily to weekly backups for faster speeds.

Best Practices for Fast WhatsApp Backups

Implementing the following best practices will help ensure the fastest backup speeds:

  • Perform backups only over WiFi instead of mobile data
  • Disable battery optimizations and background restrictions for WhatsApp
  • Close other resource-intensive apps before backing up
  • Restart your phone before starting a backup
  • Delete old chats and media to reduce backup size
  • Leave groups and chats you don’t need anymore
  • Use a phone with fast storage and high memory
  • Change WhatsApp backup frequency to weekly instead of daily

Alternative Backup Methods

If your WhatsApp backups remain consistently slow even after troubleshooting on Android, here are some alternative options:

Use a Different Cloud Storage Provider

Tools like Dropbox, OneDrive or Mega may potentially offer faster WhatsApp backup speeds than Google Drive on some devices.

Local Android Backup

Skip the cloud entirely by using local Android backup tools to save WhatsApp chats and media to your computer.

iPhone for Faster iCloud Backup

Switching to an iPhone results in significantly faster WhatsApp backups via built-in iCloud optimization.

Alternative Messaging Apps

Try migrating chats to a different messaging app like Telegram or Signal that may provide faster backup speeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does WhatsApp backup take so long on Android?

WhatsApp backup is slow on Android due to large media files, network issues, battery optimization restrictions, server limits and slower device performance compared to iOS.

How can I speed up WhatsApp backup on Android?

Use WiFi instead of mobile data, close other apps, disable battery optimization for WhatsApp, restart your phone, delete old chats and media, leave unnecessary groups, and upgrade to faster phone storage.

Is WhatsApp backup faster on iPhone or Android?

WhatsApp backup is significantly faster on iPhone compared to Android – iCloud integration, fewer restrictions, faster hardware and streamlined processes result in 2-5x quicker iOS backup speeds.

Does WhatsApp backup use mobile data?

Yes, WhatsApp can use mobile data for backups if WiFi is unavailable. Backups will be much slower over mobile data compared to WiFi.

How can I create a local WhatsApp backup?

On Android go to WhatsApp > Menu Button > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up to create a manual local backup to your phone’s storage before uploading to the cloud.

Conclusion

WhatsApp backup on Android can be a slow and frustrating process, often taking hours compared to just minutes on iPhone. Large media files, network issues, battery optimization and server limits all contribute to slower Android backups. But you can optimize your phone’s settings, WiFi connection, chat history and device performance to speed up backup times. Alternately, consider switching to iOS for much faster iCloud WhatsApp backups or trying a different messaging app or cloud storage provider on Android.