WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps across the world, with over 2 billion active users. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family members, colleagues, and more through text messages, voice calls, video calls, photos, documents and other media.
One great feature of WhatsApp is that it creates a backup of your chats on a regular basis. This can be incredibly useful if you accidentally delete a chat that you wanted to keep, as you may be able to restore it from your recent backup.
Can you restore deleted WhatsApp chats on iPhone?
Yes, it is possible to restore deleted WhatsApp chats on an iPhone, provided that you have a recent enough backup that contains the deleted chat.
WhatsApp backups include your messages, media files, and other chat data. They are saved to iCloud by default if you have iCloud Backup enabled for your iPhone. You can also backup to Google Drive if desired.
So if you accidentally deleted a chat, your best chance of getting it back is to restore your WhatsApp from the most recent iCloud or Google Drive backup that still contains that chat. However, this will also restore all of your other WhatsApp data to the state it was in at the time of that backup.
Requirements for restoring deleted WhatsApp chats
Here are the key requirements for being able to successfully restore a deleted WhatsApp chat on iPhone:
- You must have created a backup of your WhatsApp chats before the chat was deleted
- The backup must be recent enough to still contain the deleted chat
- You need to be able to restore WhatsApp from that backup
If you don’t have a suitable backup containing the deleted chat available, then unfortunately there is no way currently to retrieve it.
How to restore deleted chats from iCloud backup
Here are the steps to restore deleted WhatsApp chats from an iCloud backup on iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone
- Tap on your Apple ID banner at the top of the screen
- Select iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
- Tap on your device backup
- Tap Restore Backup
- Tap Restore on the confirmation popup
- Your iPhone will restart and restore from the iCloud backup
- Once the restore is complete, open WhatsApp and check for your deleted chats
This will overwrite your current WhatsApp data and settings with the state from your iCloud backup. So only use this method if you need to retrieve deleted chats and are okay with losing your current WhatsApp info.
How to restore deleted chats from Google Drive backup
If you backup your WhatsApp chats to Google Drive, follow these steps to restore from there:
- Completely uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your iPhone
- When prompted during setup, tap Restore from Google Drive Backup
- Select the backup date you want to restore from
- Tap Next and allow time for the restore to complete
- Your chats, media, settings from the Google Drive backup will be restored
- Check to see if the deleted chats have returned
This will again overwrite your current WhatsApp info and data with the state from your chosen Google Drive backup. Only restore this way if you need those deleted chats back.
Can I selectively restore chats?
Unfortunately, on iPhone currently you can only restore the entirety of a WhatsApp backup. There is no way to selectively restore only certain chats or data from a backup.
So restoring a backup will retrieve your deleted chats, but also revert all your WhatsApp data to the state it was in at the time of the backup. Any chats or changes made after that backup was created will be lost.
This limitation may be removed in future versions of WhatsApp, providing a more selective restore capability. But for now, you can only restore an entire backup on iPhone, not single chats.
How can I avoid this issue in future?
To avoid being in a position where you need to restore backups to retrieve deleted WhatsApp chats, here are some tips:
- Enable regular WhatsApp backups to iCloud or Google Drive
- Periodically create manual WhatsApp backups before important events
- Be careful when deleting chats and media in WhatsApp
- Think carefully before restoring backups and overwriting current WhatsApp data
Having recent, frequent backups gives you the best chance of being able to restore lost or deleted data if needed. But avoiding mass deletions in the first place is a safer approach.
Third-party WhatsApp backup tools
There are various third-party apps and tools available that claim to offer more flexibility for restoring WhatsApp backups. However, their functionality is limited.
For example, tools like iMazing allow you to browse and extract certain files from your WhatsApp backups. However, they do not give you selective restore capabilities within WhatsApp itself.
So they may allow you to retrieve media files or other data from a backup, but not to selectively restore chats within WhatsApp. Generally, these tools should be used with caution and at your own risk.
Concluding summary
To summarize the key points:
- It is possible to restore deleted WhatsApp chats on iPhone from a backup
- You need a suitable iCloud or Google Drive backup from before the chat was deleted
- Restoring the backup will retrieve the deleted chats but also replace all current WhatsApp data
- There is no selective restore option to only retrieve certain chats
- Enabling regular backups is recommended to avoid issues with deleted data
- Third-party tools provide limited functionality for WhatsApp backups
So in most cases, restoring an entire WhatsApp backup from iCloud or Google Drive will be the only option to retrieve deleted chats on iPhone. This lack of selective restore capabilities highlights the importance of frequent backups and avoiding mass data deletion where possible.
WhatsApp chat restore FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about restoring deleted WhatsApp chats on iPhone:
How far back can I restore WhatsApp chats from a backup?
WhatsApp generally keeps the most recent 7 days’ worth of backups by default. So you can restore chats from up to 7 days ago, provided a suitable backup exists. Older backups may be available depending on your backup settings.
Can I restore deleted chats without restoring everything?
Unfortunately no, on iPhone currently you cannot selectively restore only certain deleted chats from a WhatsApp backup. You have to restore the entire backup which will replace all WhatsApp data with the state from the backup date.
Will restoring a backup overwrite my current chats?
Yes, restoring an iCloud or Google Drive WhatsApp backup will completely replace your current WhatsApp data and chats with the data and chats present in the backup you are restoring from.
Can I restore chats after deleting and reinstalling WhatsApp?
When you reinstall WhatsApp after deleting it, you’ll have the option to restore your chats and data from an iCloud or Google Drive backup during setup. This allows you to retrieve deleted chats as long as they are present in the backup you restore.
Do chats get deleted from WhatsApp’s servers when I delete them?
No, WhatsApp does keep deleted chat history on its servers for a period of time after deletion. But there is no official way to retrieve deleted chats from their servers. Your only option is restoring from a backup.
Conclusion
In closing, while it is possible to recover deleted WhatsApp chats on iPhone, doing so requires restoring an entire chat backup from iCloud or Google Drive. There is currently no selective restore option to only retrieve certain deleted conversations.
Setting up regular WhatsApp backups is recommended to give yourself the best chance of restoring lost data if needed. But avoiding mass deletions in the first place is wise. Be careful when deleting WhatsApp chats and think twice before restoring backups, as you may lose your more recent chat history.
With some forethought around backups and chat deletions, you can minimize situations where you need to restore from backup and potentially lose your current WhatsApp data.
| Restoring Deleted WhatsApp Chats on iPhone |
|---|
| Possible to restore from backup |
| Need backup from before deletion |
| Restores entire backup, not individual chats |
| Backups available for up to 7 days |
| Restore replaces all current WhatsApp data |
| No selective chat restore option |
For most iPhone users needing to restore deleted WhatsApp chats, using either an iCloud or Google Drive backup will be their only option. Handling your WhatsApp backups wisely and avoiding mass chat deletions will prevent you needing to restore and potentially lose data.
WhatsApp may add more selective restore features in the future. But for now, restoring full backups is the sole method to retrieve deleted WhatsApp chats on an iPhone. Use regular backups and deletions carefully for maximum protection.
Can I choose which backup to restore from?
Yes, when restoring WhatsApp from an iCloud backup you can view and choose between any saved backups associated with your account. This allows you to pick a backup that contains the deleted chat you need to restore.
Do deleted chats reappear when I restore a backup?
If the deleted chats are present in the backup being restored, then yes they will reappear after restoring that backup. However, any chats deleted after the date of the backup being restored will remain deleted.
Can I restore after uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp?
When reinstalling WhatsApp, you’ll have the option during setup to restore your previous chats and data from an iCloud or Google Drive backup. This allows you to retrieve deleted chats if they are in the backup.
What gets restored from a WhatsApp backup?
Restoring a WhatsApp backup from iCloud or Google Drive restores your chats, media files sent/received, your contacts, settings and other associated data. Essentially it puts your WhatsApp info and data back to its state at the time of the backup.
Summary of Key Points
- Deleted WhatsApp chats can be restored using backups
- Need backup from before chat was deleted
- No option for selective chat restore
- Restores all WhatsApp data, not just chats
- Regular backups recommended
- Avoid mass deleting chats
- Restore carefully to avoid data loss
In summary, restoring entire WhatsApp backups is needed to retrieve deleted iPhone chats. Preventing deletions and using backups wisely is advised. WhatsApp’s restore options are currently all-or-nothing but may improve over time.
Related Questions
Can I restore deleted chats from Android?
Yes, the process is similar – you need to restore a full WhatsApp backup from Google Drive that contains the deleted chats. On Android you also cannot selectively restore only certain conversations.
Where are my iPhone WhatsApp backups stored?
WhatsApp backups are saved to iCloud by default on iPhones. You can also backup to Google Drive if enabled in WhatsApp settings. Each service keeps a limited number of backups.
How often does WhatsApp backup chats?
By default, WhatsApp performs an iCloud or Google Drive backup once per day. You can also manually trigger a backup at any time from WhatsApp’s Chats screen > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
Can I see the contents of a WhatsApp backup?
On iPhone, you cannot directly view the contents of an iCloud WhatsApp backup. Some third-party tools claim to offer ways to browse iCloud backups, but have limitations. Google Drive backups can be viewed on a computer if downloaded.
Will I lose my current chats if I restore a backup?
Yes, restoring a WhatsApp backup will completely replace your current chats and data with the chats and data present in the backup being restored. So you would lose any chat history made after the backup’s date.
Conclusion
Restoring WhatsApp backups provides a way to retrieve deleted chats on iPhone, but lacks options for selective restore. Regular backups, avoiding mass deletions, and careful restoration avoids potential data loss. Overall, iPhone WhatsApp chat recovery currently requires all-or-nothing backup restoration.