This WhatsApp bug could be eating your data

WhatsApp is leaking! Leaking your data, that is. Some users are reporting a problem with WhatsApp that is eating up their data. A few have complained that the messaging app has used up to 5GB of data in a matter of hours.

The issue is found in the chat backup function. WhatsApp allows you to automatically back up all WhatsApp items including conversations, photos, videos, and documents as regularly as every 24 hours. WhatsApp files are uploaded to Google Drive or iCloud so that you can then delete them from your mobile.

This latest WhatsApp bug interrupts the upload process and causes it to begin again. This means that a never-ending upload cycle is triggered, causing a constant consumption of user data. If this happens outside the house then that means mobile data is on the hook and WhatsApp will keep using it until there is nothing left.

Another version of the bug sees all data being backed up rather than just the data from the last 24 hours. This isn’t quite as bad as a continuous loop, but if you think about all the media you send and receive over WhatsApp, you know that this can still be bad enough.

The best way to safeguard against this WhatsApp leak is to make sure WhatsApp only ever backs up your files over Wi-Fi. To do this go to Settings then Chats and tap Chat backup. At the bottom, you’ll find the Back up over option where you can select Wi-Fi only. It is probably safest to do this until news of a fix comes out.