How to Disable WhatsApp Chat Backup on iPhone
WhatsApp has a neat trick that makes it easier to recover chats. A backup option backs up and uploads all your chats to the cloud. This helps you restore WhatsApp messages if you switch to a new phone or delete your chats by mistake. While this is a great feature, it can eat up a lot of storage, especially on an iPhone.
Every iOS user receives 5GB of free iCloud storage, which can be expanded as needed. With WhatsApp backing up to iCloud, this 5GB can fill up quickly, especially if you receive a lot of photos and videos.
If you are running out of iCloud storage on your iPhone or want to keep your chats on your device for privacy, here’s how you can disable WhatsApp Chat Backup.
What Does WhatsApp Chat Backup Include
WhatsApp takes backups of all media files received through direct messages and groups. This includes photos, videos, GIFs, and documents. These files can accumulate over time and occupy a significant amount of your iCloud Storage.
Disabling WhatsApp chat backup on your iPhone prevents other apps from backing up their data to iCloud. You cannot save files to iCloud Drive either. This is why it might be a good option to disable WhatsApp chat backup. You can manually backup your chats from time to time to have something to restore if needed.
How to Check Storage Occupied by WhatsApp Backup on iPhone
If you want to check how your WhatsApp backup is occupying much storage on your iCloud, here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name. This will open up your iCloud settings.
Step 2: Tap on iCloud.
Step 3: Select the Manage Storage option.
Step 4: You will see a list of apps and services arranged by size on iCloud. Look for WhatsApp and the storage it occupies.
How to Disable WhatsApp Chat Backup on Your iPhone
WhatsApp can take up a lot of space. To prevent it from using more storage on iCloud, disable automatic backup in the app. Here’s how:
1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Settings option in the bottom-right corner.
Step 2: Tap on Chats.
Step 3: Next, choose Chat Backup.
Step 4: Select Auto Backup and turn it off.
Step 5: If you don’t want to disable the backup but want to save storage, return to the previous menu and toggle off the Include Videos option. This way, videos (the main source of large files) will not be part of the backup.
Step 6: WhatsApp chat backup is disabled on iPhone. To back up occasionally, go back to the menu and manually select Back Up Now.
How to Delete Existing WhatsApp Backup From iCloud
Suppose your iPhone has already backed up videos and media files, and your WhatsApp backup is consuming too much space. You can delete your existing backup and take a new one that’s cleaner before disabling auto backup. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name displayed at the top. This will open your iCloud settings.
Step 2: Tap on iCloud.
Step 3: Select Manage Storage.
Step 4: Find WhatsApp in the list and tap on it. It should be the top option since the list is arranged by size.
Step 5: Delete Data and Confirm Operation. Your WhatsApp backup will be deleted from iCloud.
Free up iCloud Storage by Disabling WhatsApp Backup
If you don’t want WhatsApp to regularly back up your chats and media, it’s a good way to save iCloud storage for your photos and files. You can manually backup before switching phones or uninstalling WhatsApp. If you’re moving from iPhone to Android, you can directly transfer your WhatsApp chats.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
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