WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is its ability to backup chats and media to the cloud. This allows users to restore their chat history if they lose their phone or switch to a new device. But what about contacts? Are your WhatsApp contacts also backed up?
The Short Answer
The short answer is yes, WhatsApp does backup your contacts. When you enable chat backups on WhatsApp, it doesn’t just backup your messages – it also backs up your WhatsApp contacts.
How WhatsApp Backups Work
To understand how WhatsApp backs up your contacts, it helps to understand how WhatsApp backups work in general:
- Backups are enabled by default on WhatsApp.
- Backups happen periodically when your phone is charging, connected to WiFi, and the screen is locked.
- Backups are saved to your Google Drive or iCloud account.
- The backup includes your messages, media, settings and contacts.
- If you restore from a backup, it will replace your existing chats, media, settings and contacts.
So as you can see, your contacts are included as part of the regular WhatsApp backup process. Unless you explicitly exclude contacts from the backup, they will be saved to the cloud whenever WhatsApp backs up your chats.
Where WhatsApp Backups Your Contacts
Backups from WhatsApp for Android are saved to your linked Google Drive account. For iPhone users, backups are saved to your iCloud account. Some key things to know:
- You need to have enough free storage on Google Drive or iCloud for backups.
- Backups do not count towards your Google Drive or iCloud storage quota.
- Larger backups may be broken up into multiple files on Google Drive or iCloud.
So when WhatsApp backs up your contacts, they are being copied to your personal cloud storage account on Google Drive or iCloud. This allows you to restore your contacts when switching phones or reinstalling WhatsApp.
How to Verify Contacts are Backed Up
If you want to double check that your WhatsApp contacts are being backed up properly, there are a couple of ways to verify:
- On Android:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Look under “Include in backup” – if Contacts is ticked, they are being backed up.
- On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Contacts are backed up by default here and can’t be excluded.
- Check cloud storage:
- Open your Google Drive or iCloud account on the web.
- Look for the WhatsApp chat backup files.
- If contacts are backed up, you’ll see files like “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12”.
As long as you see evidence of your WhatsApp contacts being included in the backup, you can rest assured they are being saved to the cloud.
How to Restore Backed Up Contacts
The main reason WhatsApp backs up your contacts is to allow you to restore them when needed. Here is how to restore your backed up WhatsApp contacts on Android and iPhone:
On Android
- Reinstall WhatsApp or install on a new phone.
- Verify your phone number when prompted.
- On the “Restore chats?” prompt, tap Restore.
- Your chats, media, settings and contacts will be restored.
On iPhone
- Reinstall WhatsApp or install on a new phone.
- Tap Restore when prompted.
- Log in to iCloud and choose the backup to restore.
- Your chats, media, settings and contacts will be restored.
And that’s all there is to it! As long as you have a recent backup, you can restore your WhatsApp contacts easily.
Backing Up Contacts vs Phone Contacts
It’s important to note that WhatsApp backups are separate from your phone’s main contacts app. Backing up your WhatsApp contacts does not automatically back up all contacts stored on your phone.
Some key differences:
- WhatsApp only backs up contacts who use WhatsApp.
- Phone contacts may include numbers/emails not on WhatsApp.
- You’ll need a separate backup for your phone contacts.
So while it’s great that WhatsApp backs up your in-app contacts, you shouldn’t rely on it as your only contacts backup. Make sure to also backup contacts stored in your phone’s main address book.
Limitations of WhatsApp Contact Backup
While WhatsApp does provide an automatic backup option for contacts, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- Backups only happen periodically, not instantly.
- Backups rely on external cloud storage being available.
- Only basic contact details are backed up, not extra info like groups or starred messages.
- You need the same phone number to restore backups on a new device.
So while WhatsApp contact backup provides useful protection against data loss, it’s not a foolproof solution. Having backups in multiple places is still a good idea if your contacts are really important.
How to Manage Your Backups
Here are some tips for managing your WhatsApp backups to keep your contacts protected:
- Check your last backup time regularly in WhatsApp settings.
- Force manual backups before resetting your phone.
- Make sure you have enough iCloud/Google Drive storage space.
- Turn on auto-backup in Google Drive/iCloud if disabled.
- Back up your phone contacts separately as well.
Following best practices like these will minimize the risk of ever losing your valuable WhatsApp contacts.
Third-Party Backup Options
While WhatsApp’s built-in tools are handy for backing up contacts, some users prefer to use third-party apps as well. Some popular options include:
| App | Platform | Features |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Transfer | Android | Backup to PC over WiFi |
| iTransor | iPhone | Encrypt backups |
| SMS Backup & Restore | Android | Scheduled backups |
These tools provide additional flexibility in backup locations, scheduling and security. However, the official WhatsApp backup may still be easier and sufficient for most users.
Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp backups include your contacts by default.
- Backups are saved periodically to Google Drive or iCloud.
- You can restore backed up contacts when reinstalling WhatsApp.
- Back up phone contacts separately as well.
- Monitor your backups and storage space for maximum reliability.
Conclusion
Having contacts disappear can be stressful, so it’s natural to want assurance that your WhatsApp contacts are being backed up. The good news is that they are included in WhatsApp’s built-in chat backups to the cloud. As long as you have backups enabled and available storage space, your contacts get copied over whenever a new backup occurs.
Just keep in mind that WhatsApp backups complement rather than replace your phone’s contacts app backups. Use both for full protection of all your numbers and addresses. With a few minutes of setup time, you can sleep easily knowing your WhatsApp contacts are saved and ready to restore if you ever need them.