- What's really happening
- How long does a WhatsApp backup take?
- The four most common causes
- Fixes to try, in order
- What excluding videos does to backup speed
- When a slow backup means something's really stuck
- iPhone and Android at a glance
- Why the first backup on a new phone always feels painfully slow
- Frequently asked questions
- Further reading
The short version: a WhatsApp backup that's crawling along is nearly always down to a large amount of photos and videos in your chats, a wifi only backup setting stopping it from using mobile data, or low storage space on your phone or in your cloud account. Check how much media you're backing up first, since that's the biggest factor by far.
Useful alongside this: back up whatsapp messages before switching phones.
Useful alongside this: How Do You Set Up WhatsApp Business Through Meta: The Full Step-By-Ste.
What's really happening
A WhatsApp backup isn't just your text messages, it's every photo, video and voice note you've sent or received that hasn't been excluded, bundled up and uploaded to iCloud on iPhone or Google Drive on Android. Text alone backs up almost instantly, even with years of chat history, because it's tiny. It's the media that takes time, and the more active your chats have been, the bigger that file gets.
This is worth knowing because it explains why a backup that used to take a minute can suddenly take an hour, without anything being broken. If you've had a particularly chatty few weeks, shared a lot of photos in a group, or this is your first backup after setting up a new phone, a slow backup is expected behaviour rather than a fault.
How long does a WhatsApp backup take?
It depends mostly on how much media you're backing up. A routine backup of mostly text chats usually finishes quickly, while a first backup on an account with years of chats and thousands of photos can reasonably take several hours, even on fast wifi with plenty of storage free. Leaving videos out of the backup is the quickest way to cut the time down.
The four most common causes
1. A large amount of media to back up
Photos and videos make up the bulk of most backup sizes. Group chats especially can rack up gigabytes of shared media over time, and every bit of it needs to be uploaded unless you've specifically excluded videos or set media backup to off.
2. Wifi only backup is switched on and your connection is slow
Both iPhone and Android let you restrict backups to Wi-Fi only, which is sensible for avoiding mobile data charges but means the backup speed is entirely dependent on how fast and stable your Wi-Fi really is. A slow or congested home network will drag a backup out considerably.
3. Low storage space, on your phone or in your cloud account
If iCloud or Google Drive is nearly full, the backup can slow to a crawl or stall while trying to fit the data in, sometimes without a clear error message telling you that's the problem. Low storage directly on your phone can cause similar slowdowns, since WhatsApp needs working space to prepare the backup before it uploads.
4. This is your first backup after a restore or a long gap
If you've recently set up a new phone, or it's been months since your last backup completed, WhatsApp has to catch up on everything at once rather than doing an incremental update, which is naturally far slower than a routine daily or weekly backup.
Fixes to try, in order
- Check how much media you're really backing up. On iPhone: go to WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, and check the size shown under your last backup. On Android: go to WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, and the same size detail appears there. If the figure is several gigabytes, a long backup time is expected rather than a fault, and you can move straight to the connection and storage steps below rather than looking for a separate bug.
- Turn off wifi only backup temporarily, if you're not worried about data usage. On iPhone: WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, then toggle off "Only back up over Wi-Fi" and manually start a backup, though be aware this will use mobile data. On Android: the same path, WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, then the wifi only toggle. If the backup speeds up noticeably on mobile data, your Wi-Fi network was the bottleneck. If it's still slow, the issue is more likely storage space or the backup size itself.
- Check your cloud storage isn't full. On iPhone: go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud, and check how much space is free. On Android: open the Google Drive app, tap Storage in the menu, and check your available space against WhatsApp's backup size. If your cloud storage is full or nearly full, either free up space by deleting old backups of other apps, or upgrade your storage plan, since WhatsApp cannot complete a backup it doesn't have room for.
- Check your phone's own storage space. On iPhone: Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage, and look for at least a few gigabytes free. On Android: Settings, then Storage, and check the same. WhatsApp needs local space to prepare files before they upload, and a phone that's nearly full will slow this whole process down considerably. Clear out large apps or old videos you don't need if space is tight, then try the backup again.
- Move to a strong, stable Wi-Fi connection and stay on it. If you're on mobile data or a weak Wi-Fi signal, move closer to your router or connect to a more reliable network, and avoid switching between networks mid-backup, since that can restart the process rather than resume it smoothly. Leave your phone plugged in and the WhatsApp app open in the foreground while the backup runs, since some phones slow down or pause background uploads to save battery.
- Let a large first backup run overnight. If this is your first backup in a long time, or after setting up a new phone, and your storage and connection both check out fine, the simplest fix is patience. Plug your phone in, connect to strong Wi-Fi, and leave it running overnight rather than watching it or repeatedly opening and closing the app, which can interrupt the process and force parts of it to restart.
What excluding videos does to backup speed
If backup speed matters more to you than having every video preserved, both iPhone and Android let you exclude videos from the backup specifically, which can cut the size and time dramatically since video files are usually the largest single component. On iPhone this is under WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, then the "Exclude Videos" toggle. On Android the same setting sits in the same menu path. This doesn't delete anything from your chats, it simply leaves videos out of the backup file, so weigh that trade-off before switching it on.
When a slow backup means something's really stuck
There's a difference between slow and stuck. A slow backup keeps ticking forward, even if gradually, with the percentage or file count moving over time. A stuck backup sits at exactly the same point for far longer than seems reasonable, often over an hour with no movement at all. If that happens, force close WhatsApp, on iPhone by swiping up and holding then swiping the app away, and on Android via Settings, then Apps, then WhatsApp, then Force Stop, then reopen the app and start the backup fresh from WhatsApp Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup, then Back Up Now.
iPhone and Android at a glance
| Step | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Check backup size | Settings, Chats, Chat Backup | Settings, Chats, Chat Backup |
| Turn off wifi only | Chat Backup, toggle off Only back up over Wi-Fi | Chat Backup, toggle off wifi only |
| Check cloud storage | Settings, your name, iCloud | Google Drive app, Storage |
Why the first backup on a new phone always feels painfully slow
If you've just switched phones, it's worth setting your expectations before you even start. WhatsApp doesn't carry your backup history across from your old phone in the background. Once you sign in on a new device, the very first backup has to build from scratch, packaging up every chat and every piece of media you've chosen to keep, exactly as if none of it had ever been backed up before. On an account with years of chats and thousands of photos, that first backup can reasonably take several hours, even on a fast connection with plenty of storage free.
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Every backup after that first one is incremental, meaning WhatsApp only needs to upload what's changed since the last successful backup, which is why your day to day backups feel so much quicker by comparison. If you're on a new phone and the first backup is dragging on, the most useful thing you can do is exactly what's recommended above: strong Wi-Fi, the phone plugged in, and enough patience to let it run through to the end without interrupting it partway.
I have written more around this on the site: How To Set Up A WhatsApp Business Catalogue For Your Products, How to Delete Old Instagram Direct Messages (Every Method That Works in 2026), How Do You Choose an Online Appointment Booking System That Works for Your Business.
Every fix and how-to I have written for this platform is indexed on the WhatsApp help guide.
Related reading: instagram stories taking forever to upload.
A closely related guide: how to transfer WhatsApp messages to a new phone without a backup.
To keep files safe and easy to share, see my guide to the best cloud storage for business.
Frequently asked questions
Will the backup lose progress if my phone locks or goes to sleep?
It can slow or pause, since some phones restrict background activity when locked. Keep the screen on and WhatsApp in the foreground, or plug the phone in and adjust battery settings to allow background activity while backing up.
Does deleting old chats speed up future backups?
Yes, since a smaller amount of chat history and media means less to upload each time, though it's a permanent change to your chat history so only do it deliberately, not purely to save backup time.
Why did my backup suddenly get much slower than usual?
The most common reason is a burst of photo or video sharing in your chats since the last backup, or your cloud storage getting close to full without you noticing.
Can I back up over mobile data safely?
Yes, technically, though a large backup can use a significant amount of data, so check your mobile plan's allowance before turning off the wifi only setting for a big backup.
Does a slow backup mean my messages are at risk?
No. Your messages remain safely on your phone throughout the backup process regardless of how long it takes, and a slow backup is a speed issue, not a data loss issue.
