Data Backup Digest

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services out there. Now owned by Facebook, the service’s popularity is only going to continue to grow. For many, it’s become a replacement for sending standard SMS text messages, with their entire conversation history now stored within the application.

For many, that conversation history is present. While some mobile users are happy to archive or delete their messages, putting no value on past messages, many people like to keep a record of every conversation they’ve ever held.

WhatsApp has an existing backup functionality, allowing users to store a copy of all their conversations, but it’s really quite a limited feature. It’ll store the backup on your internal or external memory and it’ll take a backup every twenty-four hours. However, the app doesn’t particularly advertise the feature, nor does it make it an easy process for those less technology inclined.

For example, if you move to a new device then it requires you to hunt down where that backup file is stored, distinguish between the different versions and then transfer that to your new device. And then you have to hope that WhatsApp picks up on the file when it’s setting up!

Not only that, but if the phone is lost or the memory card becomes corrupted then the chance of getting your message history back becomes very thin. And if your local copy is lost, WhatsApp aren’t able to help you get your messages back.

However, it seems that WhatsApp are now looking to make that process a bit easier with the introduction of Google Drive integration. Although nothing has been confirmed, this news comes from a member of the WhatsApp translation group who then tipped off Android Police.com.

The site reported that there are new strings of text in the app, like “a cellular data network is required to back up data to Google Drive” and “tap to give WhatsApp permission to backup chat history to Google Drive” that strongly hit of what’s to come.

This information was also supported by DroidApp.nl, a Dutch website who received the same text strings to translate, along with a few additional ones that hadn’t been previously reported.

It seems that the new feature will allow users to backup chat history and media, although not videos. It will also allow users to restrict backup to take place only on WiFi or phone connection. It seems that restoration will only take place when the app is loaded on a new device, with the backup being deleted if the offer of restoration is declined.

This is still very much a rumour at this point as nothing has been confirmed by WhatsApp. However, the detail of the text strings and the fact they’ve been reported by two different localisation groups suggest that this is something that is factual. As with every rumour, though, it’s worth taking it with a pinch of salt. It’s not currently known when, if ever, such a feature will ever hit the application.