WhatsApp is a globally recognized communication tool, essential for connecting with friends, family, and colleagues. If deleted, it's crucial to know how to restore WhatsApp conversations.
Don't worry, we'll show you how to recover your WhatsApp messages, including those lost from automatic backups.
Additionally, we'll explain how to recover WhatsApp backups and, if your device is Android, how to recover deleted messages.
Method to Restore WhatsApp Backup
Recovering WhatsApp backups is a straightforward process, though it varies slightly between Android and iPhone devices. Here are the steps for both:
For Android:
Android users with backup enabled on Google Drive can easily restore WhatsApp messages. When you reinstall the app, it will ask you about recovering from Google Drive.
Reinstall WhatsApp on Android if necessary.
How to Recover Deleted Messages on WhatsApp
During the initial setup, verify your phone number associated with WhatsApp. The app will identify a backup on Google Drive. Choose "Restore" to restore your chats and media. Wait for the restore to complete, which may vary depending on the backup size and your internet connection. After the restore, your old chats and media will be available on WhatsApp.
For iPhone:
Recovering WhatsApp chats on iPhone requires using an iCloud backup. Check the date of your last backup in "WhatsApp Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat Backup."
Check for a WhatsApp backup in iCloud under "Settings" > [your name] > "iCloud" > "Manage Storage" > "Backups." Reinstall WhatsApp on your iPhone if necessary. During the initial setup, verify your phone number linked to WhatsApp. WhatsApp will detect a backup in iCloud. Choose "Restore Chat History." Wait for the restore process to complete, which may vary depending on the backup size and internet speed. Once the restore is complete, your old chats and media will be in WhatsApp. Remember that restoring replaces your current chats and media in WhatsApp with those in the backup. Therefore, it is recommended to make a recent backup before restoring to preserve your current messages.
How to Force Stop and Restore WhatsApp to Recover Most Recent Chats
Force stopping and restoring WhatsApp can be useful in specific situations, such as app issues or restoring more recent chats without an older backup.
It's important to note that this method isn't foolproof and may result in the loss of unsaved messages. Therefore, make a backup before proceeding. Here are the steps for Android and iPhone devices:
Locate and select WhatsApp in the list of apps. Click "Force Stop" or "Quit" to close WhatsApp completely. Reopen WhatsApp. A message will indicate the presence of a local backup. Choose "Restore" to recover your recent chats.
Procedure to Restore Most Recent Conversations:
- Open your smartphone's file manager.
- Go to your internal storage and find the WhatsApp folder.
- Inside the folder, access “Databases”.
- Select the most recent file and rename it to “msgstore.db.crypt12”.
- This will make your backup file ready for restoration.
You still need to disable Google Drive backup: Open the Google Drive app, go to "Backups," and disable WhatsApp backup.
To complete the process:
- End all running WhatsApp processes.
- Uninstall the WhatsApp app.
- Reinstall it from the app store.
After following these steps, your most recent conversations will be restored to WhatsApp. It's essential to follow all instructions correctly for successful recovery.