WhatsApp for Android: how can you back up your chats on Google Drive?

google drive backupAndroid users are very lucky because, being the majority, they receive most of WhatsApp updates before (and more often) than users of other platforms. For example, only this week a new stable version of WhatsApp for Android has been been released containing several improvements and new features such as rich link previews or Direct share on Marshmallow.

Those new features, together with all the others that WhatsApp offers, contribute to the huge success of WhatsApp, which is now the most used instant messaging app over the world (900 million active monthly users!). And now there is another great option that renders WhatsApp even more attractive: the ability to backup and restore your chats with Google Drive.

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Yes, finally those who use WhatsApp through Android devices can be sure not to lose all their chats, videos or pictures. So, how does it work? First of all don’t panic. If you currently don’t see the option on your device, relax and be patient, you should have it soon. So, to use this feature, you need to tap on the menu button (three vertical dots) and go to Settings > Chats and calls. Now you can choose Chat backup to open the Google Drive options, where you can find various options.

Among the options you can choose if you want to include videos or not. Furthermore you can also choose between manual backups or on an automatic daily, weekly or monthly basis. There is also the possibility that the first time that you open WhatsApp with this new Google Drive feature, your device will ask you if you want to activate the functionality.

What if you want to restore your messages? Nothing easier: once you access into a freshly installed WhatsApp, you simply have to tap on the Restore button. Obviously, the Google account you are using on your current device must be the same as the one where your WhatsApp backup is located.