Losing your WhatsApp data without a backup can be devastating. Your chat history contains precious memories and important information that you don’t want to lose forever. The good news is, there are a few ways you may be able to recover your WhatsApp data even without a backup.
Using Data Recovery Software
One option is to use data recovery software designed to retrieve deleted data from Android or iOS devices. These tools scan your phone’s storage and attempt to recover deleted files, including your WhatsApp data. Some popular data recovery apps include:
- Dr.Fone – Recovers Android and iOS data
- EaseUS MobiSaver – Recovers Android data
- iMyFone D-Back – Recovers iOS data
- FonePaw Android Data Recovery – Recovers Android data
The steps to retrieve your WhatsApp data using such software are:
- Download and install the data recovery software on your computer.
- Connect your Android or iOS device to the computer via USB.
- Allow USB debugging access if prompted on Android.
- Select the WhatsApp recovery or scan option in the software interface.
- The software will scan your device storage for recoverable files.
- Preview and select the WhatsApp data and media you wish to recover.
- Save the recovered WhatsApp data to your computer.
The success rate depends on whether the data has been overwritten by new data on your device. The sooner you run the recovery, the better the chances.
Via Google Drive backup
Some WhatsApp data may have been backed up to your Google Drive if you had enabled chat backups in WhatsApp settings. To check for and restore from Google Drive backup:
- Open WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Check if there is a Google Drive backup available.
- Tap “RESTORE” to restore chat history from the Google Drive backup.
This will restore your available chat history as long as the backup is not too old. Media files will also be downloaded during the restore process.
From notification history
You may be able to recover some very recent WhatsApp messages from your phone’s notification history. The steps are:
- On Android: Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced > Notification history.
On iOS: Go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews > When Unlocked. - Look for recent WhatsApp notifications and expand them to view message previews.
- Screenshot or note down important messages you find for reference.
However, this will only show very limited message previews from recent notifications.
From Google Photos cloud backup
If you had enabled backup of your WhatsApp media files to Google Photos, check there to recover photos, videos, GIFs, voice messages, etc. sent or received on WhatsApp:
- Open the Google Photos app.
- Check for a WhatsApp folder.
- Navigate to this folder and save media files to your device as needed.
The media files may still retain captions or details from your WhatsApp chats.
Via Local WhatsApp Backups
WhatsApp periodically creates local backups on Android devices. To locate and restore local backup:
- Install any file manager or explorer app on your Android device.
- Navigate to sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder.
- Check for .crypt backup files and copy the latest one to another location.
- Download an SQLite editor app to view/export contents of the backup file.
You can view your chat history and export needed media files from the local backup using an SQLite editor tool. However, local backups are still encrypted and incomplete compared to Google Drive backups.
Via iCloud Backup on iOS
For iOS users, WhatsApp data may have been backed up to iCloud. Follow these steps to check for and restore an iCloud backup:
- Go to iOS Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
- Select the desired backup > WhatsApp Messenger.
- Tap Restore Data to retrieve WhatsApp chats and media from iCloud.
This will work only if you had enabled iCloud backups that included WhatsApp data.
By contacting the recipient
If you need to recover important chats with specific WhatsApp contacts, you can request them to share a screenshot or export the chat from their end. The steps are:
- Inform the recipient about your situation and request help.
- Ask them to open WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat history.
- They can email or send you a file with chat history and media.
This requires cooperation from recipients but can recover important chat details that may be unavailable through other methods.
Via WhatsApp Linked Devices
If you had linked devices to your WhatsApp account, you may be able to restore data from another linked device:
- On the other device, open WhatsApp and tap Linked Devices.
- Select your lost device and tap Restore Chat History.
This will transfer chats and media from the linked device to your lost device. However, you need to have previously set up linked devices for this method.
By contacting WhatsApp Support
In some cases, you may be able to request WhatsApp Support to restore your data:
- Email WhatsApp Support from their contact email address on Google Play or App Store.
- Explain your situation and request help recovering data without backup.
- Provide your phone number and other details as requested.
WhatsApp may be able to assist in some limited cases. However, there is no guarantee of success via this method.
Using Root Access on Android
For advanced Android users with root access, apps like iCareFone and Dr.Fone root can directly access and restore WhatsApp data from phone storage without backups. The process involves:
- Installing the data recovery app on PC and enabling USB debugging.
- Using root access to bypass security limitations and scan internal storage.
- Selectively recovering accessible WhatsApp files and databases.
- Exporting message history, media files, contacts etc.
This gives highest success rate for Android devices. However, it requires root access plus technical expertise.
Via SD Card or SIM Card
In rare cases, some WhatsApp data may be retrieved from an SD card or SIM card:
- WhatsApp may have created a backup folder on SD card.
- Some media files sent via WhatsApp get stored on SD card.
- SIM card may retain contacts imported from WhatsApp.
So in some situations, partial chat history or media can be recovered from these external storage locations if you had been using them with WhatsApp.
Using a File Carving App
File carving apps like DiskDigger scour your phone’s storage to recover deleted files. The technique can be used on both iOS and Android to carve and retrieve deleted WhatsApp media files.
However, a major downside is that while they can recover media attachments, text messages are unlikely to be retrieved via file carving.
Conclusion
While a regular WhatsApp backup is the best insurance against data loss, the methods discussed above provide some options to recover WhatsApp data without backup in different scenarios. The best success can be achieved via data recovery apps, Google Drive backups, iCloud backups and contacting the sender. However, there are still no guarantees, so prevention is better than cure when it comes to backing up your WhatsApp data.