Is your chat backup not working on your Android device and it’s draining your phone’s battery?
The error message, “Preparing storage backup” will appear as a notification and is stuck forever on a loop.
This can be caused by a bug, a battery optimization issue, or an end-to-end encryption glitch.
It can happen on Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or OnePlus series Android devices and causes them to heat up.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the WhatsApp stuck on preparing storage backup on Android (for Google Drive).
Fix 1: Turn off end-to-end encrypted backup
- Open WhatsApp and select the three dots on the top right.
- Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Select “X” to cancel the ongoing storage backup.
- Scroll down and select “End-to-end encrypted backup”.
- Select “Turn off” and enter your WhatsApp password to turn it off.
- Select “Back up” to back up your messages again.
Note: If you have end-to-end encryption enabled for backups, it may prevent your WhatsApp chats from getting backed up (this is a common bug that many users experience).
Fix 2: Set WhatsApp’s battery optimization to “Unrestricted”
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Apps > WhatsApp > Battery.
- Select “Unrestricted”.
Fix 3: Turn off power saving mode
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Select “Battery”.
- Scroll down and turn off “Power saving”.
Fix 4: Free up your Google storage space
- Go to https://one.google.com/storage and log in to your Google account.
- Check your Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos for unnecessary storage.
- Remove unncessary storage from one or more apps.
Note: Only use this method if your Google Storage is almost 100% full.
Further reading
How to Fix Music Option Not Showing on WhatsApp Status
