"How do you permanently delete a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive?"
- From Quora
WhatsApp has become a staple in our daily lives, allowing us to stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues. One of the features that make WhatsApp even more reliable is its ability to back up data to Google Drive, ensuring that your chats and media are safe even if you lose or switch phones. However, over time, these backups can take up a significant amount of space on your Google Drive, or maybe you just want to delete them for privacy reasons. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to delete WhatsApp backups from Google Drive and give you some useful tips for managing your data effectively.
If you prefer managing things on your phone, you can easily delete your WhatsApp backup using the Google Drive app. Deleting backups this way is fast and simple, but keep in mind that this only removes the backup from Google Drive and not from your phone. Here's how:
Step 1. Launch the Google Drive app on your Android phone. If you haven't installed it yet, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
Step 2. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.
Step 3. From the menu, choose the "Backups" option to see all the backup data linked to your Google account.
Step 4. In the backup list, look for the WhatsApp backup. Once you find it, tap on it to access the details.
Step 5. In the WhatsApp backup details, tap on the three dots in the top-right corner and select "Delete Backup". Confirm the deletion and the backup will be removed from your Google Drive.
For those who prefer working on a computer, you can also delete your WhatsApp backup directly from the Google Drive website.
How to delete WhatsApp backup from Google Drive on a PC?
Step 1. Open a web browser and go to Google Drive. Log in with your Google account.
Step 2. On the left side of the screen, click on "Backups" to view all your cloud backups.
Step 3. In the list of backups, look for the WhatsApp backup. It should be listed with the date and size of the backup.
Step 4. Click on the three dots next to the WhatsApp backup, then choose "Delete backup". Confirm the action, and your WhatsApp backup will be permanently deleted from Google Drive.
If you're looking to do a deeper clean-up and want to remove not only your Google Drive backup but also your local WhatsApp data and chat history, follow these additional steps to ensure a complete deletion:
Step 1. Open the File Manager app on your phone.
Step 2. Go to the "Internal Storage" > "WhatsApp" folder.
Step 3. Delete all the files, including any folders like "Databases" and "Media".
WhatsApp not detecting local backup? Below are some solutions to solve it.
WhatsApp Not Detecting Local Backup? Fix It Now with These SolutionsStep 1. Open WhatsApp.
Step 2. Tap the "three-dot" icon to open the "Settings" menu, then select "Chats" to proceed.
Step 3. In the Chats menu, choose "Chat history" and click "Delete all chats".
Step 1. Open WhatsApp.
Step 2. Tap on "Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat Backup".
Step 3. In Google Drive Settings, select "Never" to stop WhatsApp from automatically backing up to Google Drive.
Step 1. Open your Settings app.
Step 2. Go to "Apps" > "WhatsApp".
Step 3. Tap "Uninstall" to remove the app and all its data from your phone.
1. Does deleting WhatsApp delete backups?
No, deleting the WhatsApp app does not automatically delete your WhatsApp backup from Google Drive. You will need to manually remove the backup from Google Drive by following the steps above.
2. If I disconnect WhatsApp from my Google Drive, will the backup be deleted?
Disconnecting WhatsApp from Google Drive will stop future backups from being uploaded. However, it does not delete existing backups. You will need to manually delete the backup from Google Drive.
3. Can I recover a WhatsApp backup after deleting it?
Once you delete a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive, it cannot be directly recovered. Google Drive does not offer an option to restore deleted backups. Therefore, before deleting, make sure you've backed up all important chats and media. If you need to retain certain chat records, it's advisable to export or save them beforehand.
4. If I delete my WhatsApp backup, will future backups automatically upload to Google Drive?
If you haven't disabled Google Drive backup, WhatsApp will continue to back up data automatically in the future. To prevent this, you can either turn off backups in WhatsApp's settings or disconnect WhatsApp from Google Drive.
5. Can I delete the backup of a specific chat, rather than the entire WhatsApp backup?
Google Drive does not allow you to delete individual chat backups. There is only one overall WhatsApp backup on Google Drive, which means you can only delete the entire backup or stop backups from occurring altogether. If you want to delete specific chats, you must do so manually within the WhatsApp app. The Google Drive backup will overwrite all WhatsApp data, so you can either delete the entire backup or stop backing it up.
If you're worried about losing important chats or media before deleting your WhatsApp backups, you can export your WhatsApp data to your computer using a professional tool like Coolmuster Android WhatsApp Recovery.
Coolmuster Android WhatsApp Recovery swiftly extracts WhatsApp messages and files (including photos, stickers, videos, documents, and more) from Android devices, and backs up all WhatsApp data directly to your computer. You can also preview all your WhatsApp backup data on your PC. This software exclusively reads your WhatsApp data - it lacks sharing capabilities. All your information remains stored securely on both your computer and mobile device, so you needn't worry about leaks.
How to use Android WhatsApp Recovery to back up Android WhatsApp data to your computer?
01Click the button below to download the latest version of this software onto your computer, then follow the prompts to install and enable it.
02Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable and enable USB debugging on your Android device to establish a connection. Once connected, select your mobile device and click "Next".
03The software will initiate a scan to extract your WhatsApp data to your computer as a backup.
Video guide
Deleting WhatsApp backups from Google Drive can help you free up space and ensure your data remains private. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can remove backups from both your phone and Google Drive, as well as stop future backups from occurring. If you need to save your WhatsApp data before deletion, consider using tools like Coolmuster Android WhatsApp Recovery to export your chats and media to your computer.
If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to leave a comment below to engage with us or share your thoughts.
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