WhatsApp backups now take up space on Google Drive for Android users, which was not the case before 2024.
Google Drive is used for storing Android WhatsApp backup.

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To find out how much space WhatsApp is using on your Google account, access the storage section of your Google account in the Google One app from the stable WhatsApp version on Android. Look for the “Others” category under “Storage Details” to see WhatsApp’s storage usage.

The following information is stated on the WhatsApp support page.
When opting to back up your WhatsApp chats on an Android device in the upcoming months, the backup will be completed based on your Google Account’s storage capacity.
Introduction and release dates
The adjustment to how WhatsApp for Android app backups are managed in Google Drive storage is being implemented progressively. This means that you may not need to pay for additional storage on Google Drive to maintain regular use of the cloud storage service provided by the search engine company.
