WhatsApp to let users back up data to Google Drive

PanARMENIAN.Net - WhatsApp for Android now plays nice with Google Drive, letting users create a private online backup of all your data from the Facebook-owned chat service, PC Magazine reports.

The app will let you back up your entire WhatsApp chat history, including voice messages, photos, and videos, to Google Drive, giving you peace of mind that your data is safe if your phone goes kaput.

"Whether it's recounting a story, watching a video, or enjoying photos with family and friends, our memories help us reconnect with what's really important," Google Drive Director of Product Management Scott Johnston wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "And every month, nearly a billion people use WhatsApp to do just that. Of course: you don't want your memories stuck on your phone. (What if something happens?!)."

Now, once you create a backup with Google Drive, you can restore everything on a new device with just a couple taps. The new backup feature will be rolling out over the next few months, and will appear in your WhatsApp settings once it's available.

WhatsApp currently has more than 900 million users, the majority of whom are on Android devices. This new feature offers a seamless way to back up your data in the cloud with encryption for added security.

WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton said the new integration with Google Drive was a no-brainer. "It offers the native Android experience we want for our users and the scale to grow with us," he said, according to PC Mag.