Backing up your WhatsApp chats is important to prevent losing your conversation history if you lose your phone or switch devices. For WhatsApp GB (formerly GB WhatsApp), the backup process is a bit different than standard WhatsApp.
Why should I backup my WhatsApp GB chats?
Here are some key reasons to regularly backup your WhatsApp GB chats:
- Prevent loss of chat history if you lose or break your phone
- Transfer your chats to a new phone if you switch devices
- Store important conversations, photos, videos in a safe place
- Free up space on your phone while retaining chats
- Restore chats if you accidentally delete a conversation
Without a backup, you risk permanently losing all your WhatsApp GB messages, media, and group info if something happens to your phone. So regular backups are essential.
How does WhatsApp GB backup work?
WhatsApp GB uses Google Drive to store your chat backups. With Google Drive integration, backups happen automatically on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis depending on your settings. Here’s an overview of how it works:
- Backups contain your messages, photos, videos, and other chat data
- Backups are encrypted for security using a unique encryption key
- Your chat history is synced to your linked Google Drive account
- You can choose to backup over cellular data or WiFi only
- You can set backup frequency – daily, weekly, or monthly
- WhatsApp GB manages the size of backups, compressing older chats
So your chat data is regularly synced to Google Drive in an encrypted backup file only you can access. This keeps your chats safe if your phone is damaged, lost, or upgraded.
How do I backup WhatsApp GB chats?
Here are the step-by-step instructions to setup WhatsApp GB chat backups to Google Drive:
- Link Google Drive account – In WhatsApp GB, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Backup account and select Google Drive. Log into your Google account if prompted.
- Enable auto backup – In Chat backup settings, select Auto backup to enable automatic daily backups. You can also choose a daily, weekly, or monthly backup frequency.
- Data settings – Choose whether to backup when connected to WiFi only, or also over cellular data. Cellular data backups count against your mobile data limits.
- Encryption password – Create a backup encryption password. This adds an extra layer of security to your Google Drive backups.
- Manual backup – You can also manually backup chats anytime rather than rely solely on auto backup. Go to WhatsApp GB Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up now.
- Verify backup – Check Google Drive to ensure the backup file is present. The file will be named WhatsApp GB Backup and the size depends on how much chat data you have.
Follow those steps to setup regular automatic WhatsApp GB chat backups. Be sure to remember your encryption password, as you’ll need it if you ever need to restore your backup.
Where are WhatsApp GB backups saved?
WhatsApp GB chat backups are always saved to your linked Google Drive account. The encrypted backup file will appear in Google Drive here:
- Google Drive app – Check under the Backups folder
- Google Drive website – Navigate to drive.google.com and check in My Drive > Backups
You may see multiple WhatsApp GB backup files if you have backups at different frequencies (daily, weekly, etc). The most recent backup represents your latest chat data.
How much Google Drive storage do I need?
WhatsApp provides free unlimited Google Drive storage for chat backups, so you don’t need to worry about your backup size. Specifically:
- WhatsApp GB chat backups don’t count against your main Google Drive storage quota
- There are no size limits on your backups
- You can backup as frequently as you want without filling up space
This free unlimited backup storage is reserved just for WhatsApp GB chat backups. All your other Google Drive files still count against your overall storage limit unless you purchase additional storage.
Can I backup WhatsApp GB without Google Drive?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp GB only allows chat backups to Google Drive. Some other backup options include:
- Local backup – You can create a manual local backup to your phone’s storage in WhatsApp GB settings. But this backup won’t be synced anywhere off your device.
- Other cloud drives – Apps like Dropbox let you automatically upload files from your phone. You could manually copy your local WhatsApp GB backup there.
- PC/Mac backup – Manually copy your encrypted WhatsApp GB backup file from your phone to a computer for safekeeping.
While possible, these manual backup methods are less convenient than automated Google Drive syncing. But they do provide alternative options if you really want to avoid Google Drive.
WhatsApp GB backup vs WhatsApp backup
The WhatsApp GB backup process works very similarly to standard WhatsApp in terms of Google Drive integration. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | WhatsApp GB Backup | WhatsApp Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Backup locations | Google Drive only | Google Drive, iCloud, other |
| Auto backup | Daily, weekly, monthly | Daily, weekly, monthly |
| Encryption | End-to-end encrypted | End-to-end encrypted |
| Restores | Via Google Drive | Via linked cloud account |
| Storage limits | Unlimited | Unlimited for WhatsApp |
The main difference is WhatsApp allows backups to multiple cloud services, while WhatsApp GB is currently limited to Google Drive.
How do I restore WhatsApp GB chats from a backup?
If you get a new phone or reinstall WhatsApp GB, you can restore your chat history from your Google Drive backup. Here’s how:
- Install WhatsApp GB on your new phone and verify your number
- On the Chats restored screen, tap Restore to restore chat history
- Select the Google Drive backup you want to restore
- Enter your encryption password when prompted
- Wait for WhatsApp GB to restore your chats and media from the backup
As long as you used the same phone number and Google account, you can restore your chats and pick up right where you left off. Make sure to remember your backup encryption password.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp GB backups
Here are some common WhatsApp GB backup issues and fixes:
- Backups not happening automatically – Check your auto backup settings and Internet connection. Force a manual backup if needed.
- Backup stuck in progress – Retry the backup on a stable WiFi network with a strong connection.
- Can’t find Google Drive backup – Navigate to drive.google.com and check in Backups folder.
- Forgot encryption password – Unfortunately your backup cannot be restored without the password.
- Out of Google Drive storage – WhatsApp backups don’t count against your Drive storage quota.
Make sure to periodically check that backups are succeeding as expected. Reach out to WhatsApp GB support if you continue having technical issues.
Conclusion
Regularly backing up your WhatsApp GB chats provides an essential safeguard against losing your irreplaceable conversations, photos, videos, and contact info. With built-in Google Drive support, it just takes a few minutes to configure automatic backups.
Be diligent about completing initial backup setup, verifying backups are occurring, and saving your encryption password. Follow the steps outlined in this guide and you can rest assured your chat history is protected if you ever lose your phone or switch to a new device.