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 backup function, which allows users to save their chat history, media, and other data.
But what exactly gets backed up by WhatsApp? Specifically, are documents sent and received on WhatsApp included in backups?
What gets backed up on WhatsApp
According to WhatsApp, the following data is included in backups:
- Chat history – All of your WhatsApp text messages with their date and time stamps.
- Photos and videos – Any photos or videos you sent or received on WhatsApp.
- Voice messages – Any voice messages sent or received.
- Contacts – Your WhatsApp contacts list.
- Call history – The call history of all WhatsApp calls.
- Settings – Your WhatsApp settings such as wallpaper, notification settings, etc.
WhatsApp explicitly states that backups include photos, videos and voice messages that are sent over WhatsApp. However, it does not directly mention documents.
Are documents included in WhatsApp backups?
Yes, documents sent and received over WhatsApp are included in WhatsApp backups.
Here are some key points on document backup in WhatsApp:
- Any files or documents you send or receive over WhatsApp will be part of your chat history, which gets backed up.
- WhatsApp does not impose any file size limit for documents sent over chat.
- WhatsApp backs up your entire chat history, including any files or documents exchanged.
- Documents like PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations, text files, etc. will all be backed up as long as they were sent or received over WhatsApp.
- Even documents attached to WhatsApp Status are backed up.
To verify this, you can send a document like a PDF file over WhatsApp to another user or in a group chat. Take a WhatsApp backup on your phone, then uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. When you restore from the backup, you will see that the PDF document is restored in your chat history.
Types of documents backed up
WhatsApp does not impose any type of restriction on the documents that can be sent and backed up. You can send and receive documents of any file type on WhatsApp.
Here are some common types of documents that get included in WhatsApp backups:
- PDF files
- Word documents (.doc, .docx)
- PowerPoint presentations (.ppt, .pptx)
- Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx)
- Images (.jpg, .png, .gif)
- Text files (.txt, .text)
- Compressed files (.zip, .rar)
- Audio files (.mp3, .wav)
- Program files (.exe)
As you can see, a wide variety of document formats are supported and will be included in your WhatsApp backup as long as they are sent or received as attachments over WhatsApp chats.
Backup size considerations
Since documents can sometimes be large files, backing up documents over WhatsApp may increase your backup size significantly.
Here are some points to note regarding WhatsApp backup size:
- WhatsApp backups are saved to your phone’s internal storage or your Google Drive storage if you have Google Drive backup enabled.
- The maximum backup size on Android phones is limited to the available internal storage space. On iPhone, it is limited to your iCloud storage quota.
- Large documents like PDFs or videos will increase your backup size.
- If you regularly exchange documents over WhatsApp, consider increasing your iCloud or Google Drive storage as needed to accommodate backups.
- You can exclude very large videos from backup by disabling “include videos” in WhatsApp backup settings. Other media like documents cannot be excluded.
- Take backups periodically and delete old backups to save storage space.
How to backup documents on WhatsApp
Backing up your WhatsApp chat history will automatically backup any documents sent or received over WhatsApp. Here is how to backup on iOS and Android devices:
On iPhone
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap “Back Up Now” to start a manual backup to iCloud.
- Enable auto backup to backup chats daily, weekly or monthly.
- Check your iCloud storage usage under iPhone Settings to monitor backup size.
On Android
- In WhatsApp, go to More Options > Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap “Back up” to start a manual backup.
- Enable auto backup by toggling “Backup to Google Drive” on.
- Check Google Drive to monitor backup size.
That’s it! With backups enabled, any documents you exchange over WhatsApp will automatically be included in your backup.
Restoring documents from WhatsApp backup
If you ever need to restore your WhatsApp data from a backup, any documents in your chat history will also be restored.
On Android devices, documents will be restored when you reinstall WhatsApp and restore from Google Drive backup.
On iPhone, you need to restore your iCloud backup to your device first. Then install WhatsApp and restore chats from iCloud backup.
This will restore your entire chat history including all documents that were backed up.
Limitations
While WhatsApp backup includes your full chat history and media, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- Backups do not transfer your WhatsApp call history from iOS to Android devices.
- If you have very large media files, the backup may fail to complete.
- Deleted chats and media are not backed up.
- Transferring backup across platforms (e.g. iPhone to Android) may cause some loss of data.
However, in general, you can reliably back up your text messages, documents, and most media between iOS and Android devices.
Third-party apps
Some third-party apps like WhatsApp Plus and GB WhatsApp claim to offer enhanced backup features. However, these apps violate WhatsApp’s terms of service and can get your account banned.
It’s best to use the official WhatsApp app and rely on the built-in backup capabilities for your document backup needs.
Conclusion
To summarize, WhatsApp backs up your entire chat history including any documents, files or media sent and received over WhatsApp chats. So you can reliably use WhatsApp to exchange and backup documents.
Backup sizes may increase with documents, so monitor your iCloud or Google Drive storage usage. Remember to take periodic backups, especially before uninstalling or factory resetting your device.
Enable auto backup on WhatsApp and verify it is working correctly by sending a test document and checking it after a restore. This will give you peace of mind that your important documents on WhatsApp are being safely backed up.