Have you ever had the experience of accidentally telling you that you're running out of space on your phone, and when you check, you discover that WhatsApp is to blame? This is a much more common situation than you think. Although deleting photos, videos, and chats seems like it's enough, the WhatsApp backups They can continue to fill up your phone's memory, and now, the cloud too.
Managing WhatsApp storage has become more complex recently, especially due to the change in Google Drive and the permanent limitation of iCloud on Apple devices. A few weeks of neglect can put your account on the verge of collapse. In this article, we'll explain how to do this. How to avoid running out of space due to WhatsApp backups, reviewing in detail all the options and tricks to keep your phone and cloud under control.
Why is WhatsApp using so much space?
One of the main culprits of your device's memory filling up is the automatic WhatsApp backupsAlthough they appear invisible, they store all your chat history, messages, voice notes, emojis, stickers, as well as photos, videos, and documents you've sent or received. This means WhatsApp can restore conversations and files if you change your phone or reinstall the app, but all of this has a cost in terms of storage space.
Until recently, on Android, Google Drive backups did not count toward the free 15GB limit per account. However, Since mid-2024, Google has changed its policy And now those copies do take up space, just as they always have on the iPhone with its 5 GB free in iCloud.
This means that if you receive endless files, memes, group videos, and voice notes, your backup can grow out of control, competing for space with Google Drive documents, photos, emails, and more. When you reach the limits, you won't even be able to save new files to the cloud, upload photos to Google Photos, or receive emails in Gmail.
What exactly do WhatsApp backups save?
WhatsApp backup includes all your chat history and media files: Text messages, images, videos, voice notes, files, stickers, emojis, and GIFsWhen you make a copy, the app compiles all that information into a single file that's uploaded to your Google Drive (on Android) or iCloud (on iOS) account. To learn how to better manage these files, you can visit All about Google Drive backups.
It is important to note Even if you delete messages or files from the app, if backups are automatic and frequent, you often end up dragging those unnecessary items back to your most recent backup. That's why it's key to understand how this system works and what you can configure to adapt it to your needs.
What happens when you run out of space due to WhatsApp backup?
When you reach your Google Drive or iCloud storage limit, WhatsApp can't continue saving new backups and will notify you that you need to free up space. This leaves you with two options: pay for more storage o Manage and optimize your backups by deleting unnecessary information.
In Google Drive, once you exceed the free 15GB limit, you won't be able to create new WhatsApp backups, upload other files, save photos, or receive emails in Gmail. In iCloud, the free 5GB fills up even faster, especially if you also save photos and a system backup to the account.
If you don't take action, you may lose the ability to restore your chat history and files if you change your phone or reinstall WhatsApp. Additionally, the app may slow down or perform erratically due to lack of space.
How to free up and optimize the space occupied by WhatsApp?
Hay several very useful strategies To recover space and keep WhatsApp backups in check, we explain the most effective ones, with tips and steps so you can easily implement them.
1. Delete files and chats you no longer need
The most direct option to free up space is clean up chats, groups, images, videos, and large documentsWhatsApp has long included a feature to manage storage directly from the app:
- Go to WhatsApp and access Settings > Storage & data > Manage storage.
- Here you'll see a breakdown of how much space your files are taking up and which conversations are generating the most space.
- You can delete large files, old messages, or completely clear media from a conversation.
- If you're no longer interested in a chat (for example, old groups or past events), delete it immediately. This way, all associated content will also disappear from the backup.
Remember that deleting a chat or file will also remove it from future backups.If you want to keep something, save it outside of WhatsApp first.
2. Disable video backup
Videos are usually the file type that takes up the most space. on WhatsApp and, therefore, in the cloud. If you don't want them to be part of your backup, you can disable it:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings> Chats> Backup.
- Disable the "Include videos" option. From then on, your backups will only save messages and photos, not videos.
If a video is important, consider saving it to other services like Google Photos, Telegram, or even an external hard drive.
3. Control automatic file downloads
Another essential feature to prevent WhatsApp from filling up your phone and the cloud without you realizing it is to control what is downloaded automatically when receiving it in chats and groups:
- Accede to Settings > Storage & data.
- Under "Automatic file downloads," choose for each file type (photos, videos, audios, and documents) whether you want them to download automatically only over Wi-Fi, also over mobile data, or never.
- Select "Never" if you want complete control over what goes onto your device and, therefore, into your backup.
This way, you'll avoid all those unnecessary memes, duplicate images, and videos from becoming part of your copy without your permission.
4. Empty the WhatsApp trash
A little-known trick is that deleted WhatsApp files can still take up internal memory because they are temporarily stored in a sort of trash can. To really free up space, you need to empty this trash manually:
- Sign in Settings > Storage & data > Manage storage (or “Manage Files”).
- Look for the “Deleted Items” or “Recycle Bin” section.
- From there, select the files and choose "Delete All" to permanently delete them.
Remember that this operation is irreversible: once you delete it from the trash, you won't be able to recover it.
5. Consider paying for extra storage only if necessary
If after optimizing and cleaning you still need more space, both Google and Apple offer paid storage plans:
- Google One: from €1,99 per month for 100 GB up to several terabytes.
- Apple iCloud+: different rates depending on the country and the space required.
Before paying, carefully check whether you can reduce your backup or migrate files to other platforms to avoid the expense.
6. Use secondary Google accounts for WhatsApp backups (Android)
On Android, you can use a secondary Google account exclusively for WhatsApp backups, allowing you to take advantage of an additional 15 GB of free space. To better manage this, you can check out .
How to delete your backup on Google Drive
In extreme cases, you can completely delete your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive to recover all the space. However, keep in mind that doing so will result in the loss of all your chat history and stored files; this option is only for those who don't mind starting from scratch. To do this, you can refer to .
- Open the Google Drive app, go to the side menu, and tap "Backups."
- Find your WhatsApp backup, tap the three dots, and select "Delete backup."
This action is reversible only in the future: you can always reactivate the copy and it will start working from that moment, but everything previously done will be permanently lost.
Extra tips to avoid running out of space again
- Check your WhatsApp storage regularly.: Spend a few minutes each month cleaning up unnecessary files and conversations.
- Avoid sharing and forwarding large videos and files if they're not important. Each forward increases the amount of space used, especially in groups.
- Use other platforms to store large files or multimedia memories, such as Google Photos, Dropbox, or Telegram.
- Archive, rather than delete, chats you want to keep but no longer use. This way, they won't bother you and you can retrieve them if you need them, taking up less visual and mental space.
By applying all these recommendations, you'll notice that your phone and cloud storage run faster, without error messages or crashes. Plus, you'll gain peace of mind knowing your WhatsApp backup is under control and won't give you any unpleasant surprises. Keeping track of the space used by WhatsApp backups is essential to keeping your phone and cloud accounts in perfect condition. Good management starts with deleting unnecessary chats and files, configuring videos as an exception in backups, controlling automatic downloads, and emptying the trash. It's not always necessary to pay for more storage: with small, periodic actions, you can enjoy WhatsApp without worrying about free space.
