WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows users to easily communicate with friends, family, co-workers, and more through messaging, voice and video calls. One of WhatsApp’s key features is the ability to backup chats to the cloud so that your conversation history is safe if you lose your phone or switch devices.
What does WhatsApp backup include?
A WhatsApp backup includes the following data from your account:
- Your chat history and messages
- Media files you’ve sent and received (photos, videos, voice messages, documents)
- WhatsApp settings and preferences
- Group information (names, profile photos, descriptions)
- Individual chat profiles and photos
Backing up this data provides a way to restore your WhatsApp account if you get a new device or need to reinstall the app. It saves you from losing valuable conversations and memories.
Why is my WhatsApp backup taking so long?
There are several potential reasons why WhatsApp backup may be slow or take a long time to complete:
Large backup size
The more conversations, media files, and data that WhatsApp needs to backup, the longer it will take. Backups can range from a few megabytes to over 1GB for very active users. Trying to backup large amounts of data, especially over mobile data or slow internet connections, leads to delays.
Connection issues
Backups require a stable internet connection to transfer data to and from the cloud. Weak signals, poor WiFi connectivity, mobile data congestion and other network issues can significantly slow down or disrupt the backup process. Connection speed has a major impact on backup time.
App issues
Sometimes issues within WhatsApp itself cause problems with backing up properly. Bugs, glitches, crashes and internal errors related to backups can lead to slowdowns or failed backups. Make sure WhatsApp is updated to the latest version running smoothly.
Google Drive storage restrictions
WhatsApp backups are saved to your linked Google Drive account. If you are nearing or exceeding the free storage limit on Google Drive, it can cause delays writing backups. WhatsApp gives a warning when your backup size approaches the storage limit.
Device performance
Your phone’s hardware capabilities and available resources impact how fast backups can be processed. Older devices, limited RAM and storage, lots of apps running and battery/power restrictions can slow down backup speeds. High-end modern devices backup faster.
Encryption enabled
Enabling end-to-end encryption for your WhatsApp backup adds another layer of security but also increases the backup time significantly. Encryption requires additional data processing which takes more time to complete.
How long should WhatsApp backup take?
There is no definitive answer, since backup durations depend on many variables. However, here are some general timeframes to expect for WhatsApp backups:
Backup Size | Approximate Backup Time |
---|---|
Less than 10MB | Less than 1 minute |
10MB – 50MB | 1 – 5 minutes |
50MB – 200MB | 5 – 15 minutes |
200MB – 1GB | 15 – 60 minutes |
Over 1GB | 60+ minutes |
Note that encryption, connection issues and other factors can increase these estimated times. Larger backups over 1GB may take several hours in some cases.
Tips to speed up WhatsApp backup
If WhatsApp backups are consistently taking a very long time, here are some ways you can try to improve the backup speed:
Clear old messages and media
Reduce the size of your backup by deleting old chats, media and files you no longer need. The smaller the backup, the less time it will take.
Use WiFi instead of mobile data
Backups will go much faster over fast, stable WiFi compared to congested mobile data networks. Connect to a strong WiFi network before backing up.
Disable encryption
Encryption protects your data but slows down backup. Temporarily turning off encryption can speed up backups significantly.
Close other apps
Free up your device’s resources by closing all other apps while a backup is in progress. This allows WhatsApp to utilize maximum CPU power and RAM.
Update WhatsApp
Ensure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed. Updates sometimes include performance fixes for backups.
Restart your device
Rebooting your device frees up memory, clears app caches and gives WhatsApp a fresh start, which can help speed up backups.
Use a different WiFi network
If you continuously experience slow backups on your home WiFi, try a different WiFi network in case the issue is with your router or ISP.
Clear Google Drive storage
Make sure you have adequate free space in Google Drive so storage limits don’t throttle your WhatsApp backups.
Enable low data usage
WhatsApp’s low data usage setting minimizes mobile data consumption which may help backups complete faster.
Back up over charging cable
Connecting your phone to a power source can improve performance during backups compared to running on battery.
What if my WhatsApp backup is stuck?
In some cases, a WhatsApp backup may become completely stuck or frozen. Here are some suggestions if your backup seems to get stuck indefinitely:
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app
- Turn your device’s airplane mode on and off
- Log out and back into your WhatsApp account
- Clear app cache and data for WhatsApp
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp
- Restart your device
- Try connecting to a different WiFi network
- Contact WhatsApp support for further help
Conclusion
WhatsApp backups can take varying amounts of time depending on your chat history size, device, connectivity, app issues and other factors. Large backups or unfavorable conditions can result in very long backup durations. If you are experiencing excessively slow WhatsApp backups, try the tips outlined above to help speed up the process and get your important conversations backed up with minimal frustration.