Remove Whatsapp backup from Google account that is no longer used

Question

Last week I tried to move my Whatsapp account to a new phone. For some reason it didn't want to restore the backup, even if I moved the backup file manually. It turned out that the file was encrypted using another Google account.

This is an old work account. It's inactive, and I can still login. That made it possible to restore my backup, so I'm happy with that. But I don't work there anymore, and I don't want the backup to be in that account, even if it's encrypted. And even if it's encrypted, how does the new phone know the unlock code?

Questions

• How can I move the new backups to my normal account? Will deleting the old account suffice?
• How can I remove the old backups from the old account?
• Could someone else with access to the old account restore my entire Whatsapp history?

Answer 1

WhatsApp has a nice FAQ article about their Google Drive backup functionality, so I'll refer to that below.

How can I move the new backups to my normal account? Will deleting the old account suffice?

No, you will need to configure WhatsApp to store backups in the new Google account you intend to use from now on. See the section called "Change to which account you want to back up your chat history".

How can I remove the old backups from the old account?

Please view the section called "Deleting your backup file from your Google account". Aside from clicking "Delete hidden app data", I'd also advise clicking "Disconnect from Drive" afterwards so the link between WhatsApp and that Google account is also broken on Google's side.

Could someone else with access to the old account restore my entire Whatsapp history?

Yes, provided that they also have access to the phone number associated with that WhatsApp backup. If they only have access to your Google account, then no, that's not enough: "After verifying your number, you will be prompted to restore your messages and media from Google Drive."