If you are a WhatsApp user, you must bear in mind that this Monday is a crucial date for all the users of the most popular instant messaging app in the world. As of November 12th, today, all messages and files, as well as any photos or videos included in your chats, that you have not backed up will be deleted forever. The information in the WhatsApp’s cloud backups will disappear for good. This measure will not affect iOS users.
WhatsApp and Google signed an agreement
Accordingly, the new measure will only affect Android users, as WhatsApp has already signed a deal with Apple that allows the iOS users to store their WhatsApp chats in the cloud service offered by Apple’s iCloud.
The agreement between Google and WhatsApp will benefit users of the most popular instant messaging application for Android, who will be able to store a backup copy of their WhatsApp chats on Google Drive without worrying about the storage space the backups occupy. Also, users would be able to transfer those backups between Android devices if they change their mobile phones.
WhatsApp will delete all your old messages, photos, and videos
The bad news is that if you haven’t backed up your WhatsApp chats in the last 12 months, WhatsApp will delete all your old messages, including your unsaved photos and videos.
The instant messaging app’s representatives recommend users to go to the WhatsApp’s settings sections and backup their chats and content to avoid their total deletion. WhatsApp also advises users to connect their smartphones to a WiFi network before backing up to Google Drive “as the file may vary in size and consume a large amount of mobile data, generating additional charges from your mobile operator.”
Keep in mind, however, that in case you’re an iOS user, this measure will not affect you as you WhatsApp chats are saved in iCloud.
