How to avoid losing your WhatsApp data

What’s up with WhatsApp? That’s what users could soon be saying after reports that the Facebookowned messaging app and Google will delete all of your old chats, photos and videos if they are not refreshed before November 12.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that after November 12 Google will allow WhatsApp users to back up their chats, photos, audio and video files on Google Drive without having to worry about eating into Google Drive allowance.

“Due to a new agreement between WhatsApp and Google, WhatsApp backups will no longer count against Google Drive storage quota,” Google explained in an email to users.

“However, any WhatsApp backups that have not been updated in more than a year will automatically be removed from storage.”

WhatsApp recommend taking the following action:

Select the ‘Menu’ option on Whatsapp. This can be found at the top right of the homepage.

Select ‘Settings’ Select ‘Chats’ Select ‘Chat backup’.

Finally, select ‘BACK UP’.

You may have also read recently that children are being targeted by a WhatsApp hoax which tricks them into viewing explicit images.

Children are contacted via the app by an unknown number posing as a friend called ‘Olivia’, and when the recipient demands proof that they are indeed someone they know, the sender sends a link to pornographic images.

In the event that you or someone you know receives a hoax message, there are some simple actions you can take to protect yourself.

WhatsApp first recommends blocking the sender, disregarding the message and deleting it.

Secondly, the messenger app recommends that users avoid passing on messages to contacts.

WhatsApp also recommends users look out for the following red flags when trying to identify hoax messages:

The sender claims to be affiliated with WhatsApp.

The message content includes instructions to forward the message .

The message claims you can avoid punishment – such as account suspension – if you forward the message. The message content includes a reward or gift from WhatsApp or another person.