Google has discontinued the unlimited cloud storage feature for WhatsApp backups on Android.
Starting next December, WhatsApp backups will occupy storage space on Android user accounts in the Google Drive cloud storage service.
It should be noted that Google provides 15 GB of free storage space to all Drive users.
According to notes in the latest beta version of the application for Android, a notification appeared in the settings indicating that backups will begin consuming storage space in the Google account in the coming months.
Google said that the current storage space for users subscribed to the paid Workspace service for work or study will not be affected by the new changes.
For years, Google has offered Android users unlimited backup storage without affecting the storage available to Drive users.
WhatsApp Android users should check the size of the backup before retrieving it and uploading it to their accounts as they may need to copy text messages and delete large documents and videos.
Google's new policy appears to be similar to Apple's, which merges iPhone WhatsApp backups into iCloud storage, even if they don't exceed 5GB.
Google's decision may encourage some users to subscribe to the additional storage capacity offered by the company through its Google One service, as the subscription price is $2 per month for the basic capacity of 100 GB.