How to Recover Deleted Messages from Backup on WhatsApp

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Restore old chats you accidentally deleted on WhatsApp
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This wikiHow shows you how to retrieve deleted messages on iPhone and Android devices. Unfortunately, since the WhatsApp messaging service does not save your chat logs, once a message is deleted from your device, you won't be able to retrieve it unless you have a backup of your chats. Luckily, it's pretty easy to set up your WhatsApp messages to back up to your phone and to restore your chats from a backup. This wikiHow article teaches you how to back up and recover deleted messages from a backup on WhatsApp.

Recover Deleted Messages on WhatsApp

You can recover any chats backed up to your iCloud or Google account on mobile devices. You cannot back up your chats on a computer. If you have not backed up your WhatsApp chats, recovering deleted chats is impossible. You can restore your chats from a backup by uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Backing Up WhatsApp Chats on iPhone

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  1. The icon looks like a white phone inside a speech bubble on a green background.
  2. This option is in the bottom right corner of the screen in the lower-right corner. [1]
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  3. It’s about halfway down the menu. It’s next to an icon that resembles a speech bubble. [2]
  4. It’s near the top of the menu. [3]
    • If you want to turn on End-to-End Encryption, tap End-to-end Encryption and tap the toggle switch next to Turn on. Then you can either create a password or use a 64-bit encryption key. Tap Create to create a password.
  5. This will instantly back up all your WhatsApp chats to iCloud.
    • Warning: If you create a backup after you accidentally delete a previous chat or message, it will not be included in the backup, and you will not be able to recover it. You can check when the last backup was done at the top of the page.
  6. To do so, tap Auto Backup . Then select whether you want to back up your messages daily, weekly, or monthly. [4]
    • If you haven't previously set up your iCloud account, you'll be prompted to do so here before continuing with the backup. Open the iPhone's Settings app, tap your name, tap iCloud , make sure the iCloud Drive toggle is set to On, and make sure the WhatsApp toggle is also set to On.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Restoring Chats from a Backup on iPhone

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  1. The other apps on the screen will begin to shake as well.
  2. This brings up a dialog window asking you to confirm that you wish to delete WhatsApp.
  3. The app is deleted from your iPhone.
    • Warning: Any changes that have been made to your WhatsApp chats since the last backup will be lost. You can check when the last backup was done in the Chat Backup menu in the Settings menu on WhatsApp.
  4. You can download and install WhatsApp from the App Store . Use the following steps to do so:
    • Tap the App Store icon to open it.
    • Tap the Search tab at the bottom of the screen.
    • Enter “WhatsApp” in the search bar and tap Search .
    • Tap WhatsApp .
    • Tap GET or the Cloud icon.
  5. The Open icon replaces the Get icon once the app has completed downloading. You can also tap the WhatsApp icon on your Home menu when it is finished downloading.
  6. This indicates that you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
  7. This determines whether the app can send you notifications.
  8. Use the drop-down menu to select your country and then enter your phone number. Make sure the phone number is the same one you used when installing WhatsApp.
  9. You will receive a text with a verification code. Check your text messages and retrieve the verification code. Then enter it into WhatsApp.
  10. It’s at the bottom of the “Restore from iCloud” page. This retrieves any chat messages that were previously backed up to your iCloud account. This includes messages that were deleted from WhatsApp, so long as those messages existed when the last backup was made. [5]
    • If your backup has End-to-End Encryption turned on, you will need to enter a password or use your biometrics to use your encryption key.
    • Warning: Any new messages or changes to your WhatsApp chats made since the last backup will be lost. You can check when the last backup was done in the Chats Backup menu in the Settings menu on WhatsApp.
  11. It is recommended that you allow WhatsApp to access your Contacts. Tap Continue to enable, and then you can tap Select contacts to select which contacts you want to share with, or tap Share all contacts to select all your contacts for WhatsApp.
  12. This brings you to the Chats page.
  13. An email can help you verify your account, even if you don’t have text messages. If you want to add an email tap, Add email, and then enter a valid email address. You will need to verify your email address. If you do not wish to add an email, tap Not Now .
  14. To do so, tap Chats at the bottom of the screen. You should see all your previously backed-up chats. Tap a chat to continue the conversation.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Backing Up Chats WhatsApp Chats on Android

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  1. The icon looks like a white phone inside a speech bubble on a green background.
  2. This icon looks like three white dots in a vertical line and is in the upper-right corner of your screen. [6]
  3. This option is in the bottom of the menu. [7]
  4. It’s about halfway down the menu. It’s next to an icon that resembles a speech box. [8]
  5. It’s towards the bottom of the menu. It’s next to an icon that resembles a cloud with an arrow pointing up. [9]
  6. 6
    Tap Back up . It’s the green button at the top. This backs up your WhatsApp chat history to your Google account. [10]
    • To change the Google account you want to back up your WhatsApp chat history, tap Google Account and select a different account. Alternatively, tap Add account and sign in to a different Google account.
    • If you want to include videos in your backups, tap the toggle switch next to “Include videos.
    • If you want to set up End-to-End encryption with your WhatsApp backup, tap End-to-end encrypted backup at the bottom of the page. Tap Turn On . Then you can create a backup password or enable a 64-bit encryption key.
    • If you don’t want WhatsApp to make a backup using cellular data, make sure the toggle switch next to “Back up using cellular” is not turned on.
    • Warning: If you create a backup after you accidentally delete a previous chat, the previous chat will not be included in the backup, and you will not be able to recover it. You can check when the last backup was done at the top of the page.
  7. 7
    Set up recurring backups. If you want WhatsApp to back up your account automatically, tap Automatic backups , and then select Daily , Weekly , or Monthly .
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Retrieving Old WhatsApp Messages on Android

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  1. To do so, tap the Play Store icon, which resembles a colorful triangle.
  2. It’s in the upper-right corner. This displays your account menu.
    • If you have not set a profile picture, this icon will be a colored circle with your initial in the center.
  3. It’s at the top of the menu.
  5. To do so, tap the checkbox next to “WhatsApp.” Then tap the trashcan icon in the upper-right corner. Then tap Uninstall .
    • Warning: Any changes that have been made to your WhatsApp chats since the last backup will be lost. You can check when the last backup was done in the Chat Backup menu in the Settings menu on WhatsApp.
  6. [11]
    • Open the Google Play Store again.
    • Tap the Search tab at the bottom of the screen.
    • Enter 'WhatsApp' in the search field.
    • Tap WhatsApp from the search results and tap Install .
  7. You can either tap Open in the Google Play Store when it finishes installing or tap the WhatsApp icon on your Home screen or Apps menu.
  8. You must agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service to continue.
  9. If you want to receive notifications from WhatsApp, tap Allow . If you don’t want to receive notifications, tap Don’t allow .
  10. You can enter tap the radio option next to your existing phone number or tap Enter a different number . Then select your country from the drop-down menu and enter your phone number. Make sure you enter the same phone number you used when you made your backup. Then tap Next at the bottom of the screen.
  11. It is recommended that you allow WhatsApp to access your contacts. Tap Allow to do so. Then tap Allow or Don’t allow to allow or disallow WhatsApp to access your music and audio files on your phone, and then your pictures.
    • You can also tap Allow Limited Access and select which files you want WhatsApp to access.
  12. This retrieves any chat messages that were previously backed up to your Google account. This includes messages that were deleted from WhatsApp, so long as those messages existed when the last backup was made. [12]
  13. It’s the green button at the bottom of the screen. Tap this button when WhatsApp is finished backing up.
  14. This brings you to the Chats page.
  15. To do so, tap Chats at the bottom of the screen. You should see all previously backed-up chats. Then tap a chat to continue the conversation.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Frequently Asked Questions

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  1. 1
    Can you recover deleted messages on a computer? Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not save chat logs on its servers, and the WhatsApp web application and the Windows and macOS clients do not save a backup of chat logs. You cannot recover deleted messages on a computer.
  2. 2
    Can I recover deleted messages with no backup? You can try using third-party recovery software. Most of these programs are paid, and there is no guarantee of success. The likelihood of success depends on how long ago the messages were deleted and if they’ve been overwritten. Third-party recovery tools include Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery, EaseUs MobiSaver, iMyFone D-Back, and Dr.Fone. [13]
  3. 3
    Can I undo deleting a message? Yes, when you delete a message in a chat, you can immediately tap Undo to retrieve the message. However, you will only have a few seconds to do so.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=iphone
      2. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=iphone
      3. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=iphone
      4. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=iphone
      5. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920/?cms_platform=iphone
      6. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=android
      7. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=android
      8. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=android
      9. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=android
      1. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/481135090640375/?cms_platform=android
      2. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920/?cms_platform=android
      3. ↑ https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920/?cms_platform=android
      4. ↑ https://www.yourbusinessnumber.com/en-US/blog/restore-deleted-whatsapp-messages-without-backup

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings > Chats > Chat Backup .
      2. Tap Auto Backup .
      3. Uninstall WhatsApp.
      4. Re-download WhatsApp from your device's store.
      5. Open WhatsApp and walk through the setup process.
      6. Tap Restore Chat History when prompted at the end of setup.

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