Restoring deleted WhatsApp pictures without a backup can be challenging, but may be possible in some cases. There are a few different methods you can try to recover deleted WhatsApp media files like photos and videos if you don’t have a recent backup.
Can You Recover Deleted WhatsApp Photos Without Backup?
Yes, it is possible to recover deleted WhatsApp photos without a backup in some situations. Here are the main ways it can be done:
- Retrieve from WhatsApp media storage on your phone – WhatsApp keeps deleted media for 30 days before wiping it from your phone’s storage.
- Use a third party data recovery app – These apps can scan your phone’s storage to find residual copies of deleted files.
- Retrieve from the sender’s phone – If the photo was recently sent to you, the sender may still have it on their device.
- Extract from the WhatsApp web cache – If you linked the account to WhatsApp Web, deleted media may be extracted from there.
However, there are some limitations. Without a backup, your chances diminish over time as deleted files get over-written. So you have a better chance of recovering recently deleted photos compared to ones deleted further in the past. The recovery method also depends on whether you are using an Android or iPhone.
Method 1: Retrieve Deleted WhatsApp Photos from Phone Storage
When you delete a WhatsApp photo or video, it is not immediately removed from your phone’s storage. WhatsApp retains the deleted media in its local database for 30 days before permanently erasing it.
So if you accidentally deleted a photo or video within the past 30 days, it may still be retrievable from WhatsApp’s media storage on your phone. Here is how it works on Android vs iPhone.
On Android
- Download and install a file manager or file recovery app that can access WhatsApp data folders on your Android device.
- Navigate to the WhatsApp media folder location: Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Images.
- Check the folders for your deleted images – they may still be present here.
- If found, copy the deleted WhatsApp photos to another folder or external storage to recover them.
On iPhone
- Connect your iPhone to a computer and launch a data recovery program.
- Scan the iPhone drive and locate the WhatsApp database files.
- The program will parse the databases and extract recoverable media files from there.
- You can then save the deleted WhatsApp photos recovered by the program to your computer.
Method 2: Use Data Recovery Apps
Another way to restore deleted WhatsApp photos without backup is to use a dedicated data recovery app for your device – Android or iPhone. These apps work by scanning the phone’s storage for residual copies of deleted media files.
For Android
Some apps that can recover deleted WhatsApp media files on Android include:
- DiskDigger
- DigDeep Image Recovery
- Dumpster Recovery Software
- Recuva
To use these apps:
- Download and install the recovery app on your Android phone.
- Grant the app the needed permissions.
- Select the WhatsApp media folders or full phone storage to scan.
- The app will scan the storage and display recoverable deleted files.
- Select the deleted WhatsApp photos you want to restore.
- Recover them to another folder or external SD card.
For iPhone
Some of the top data recovery apps for restoring deleted WhatsApp photos on iPhone are:
- iMyFone iBypasser
- Fonelab iPhone Data Recovery
- Tenorshare UltData
- EaseUS MobiSaver
To use these programs:
- Download and install the program on your Windows/Mac computer.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Select the program’s WhatsApp recovery mode and scan your device.
- It will find deleted files still present on the iPhone.
- Select the deleted WhatsApp photos to recover.
- Save the restored pictures to your computer.
Method 3: Retrieve from Sender’s Phone
If the deleted WhatsApp photo was recently sent to you by a contact, you can try retrieving it from the sender’s device.
Here is how to restore deleted WhatsApp photos from the sender:
- Contact the person who sent you the deleted WhatsApp image.
- Ask them nicely if they still have the picture on their phone and can resend it.
- If they still have it in their WhatsApp images folder, they can simply resend it.
- You will then receive the photo again as if it is new.
- Save the picture immediately once you receive it again so it is not lost.
This method works best if the image was sent to you recently. Chances are good the sender still has it on their device. However, it does rely on the sender being willing to cooperate and resend the photo.
Method 4: Retrieve from WhatsApp Web Cache
When you link your WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Web/Desktop, all your chats and media get synced to your computer. Even when you delete something on your phone, a copy may still exist in WhatsApp Web’s cache on the computer.
So if you have connected to WhatsApp Web before, you may be able to retrieve deleted photos from there using file recovery software for computers. Here is how:
- Download and install a file recovery program on the PC/Mac you use WhatsApp Web with.
- Scan your computer’s storage drives using the program.
- It will find cache folders like AppData that contain WhatsApp Web files.
- Extract the cached media folders and check for your deleted WhatsApp photos.
- Recover any deleted pictures found in the WhatsApp Web cache.
This method is less reliable since the cached files may also be overwritten after some time. But if the deletion was very recent, you have a good chance of finding residual copies of your deleted pictures in the WhatsApp Web cache.
Tips to Increase Chances of Successful Recovery
To improve your chances of restoring deleted WhatsApp pictures without a backup, here are some helpful tips:
- Act quickly – The sooner you try after deletion, the better chance you have of recovery.
- Avoid overwriting data – Don’t save new data like pictures or videos to your phone’s storage as it overwrites deleted files.
- Leave WhatsApp media settings unchanged – Don’t disable media auto-download or clear data which removes cached media.
- Root/Jailbreak your phone – This gives file recovery tools deeper access to deleted data remnants.
- Connect to WhatsApp Web – Syncing your account provides an additional avenue for retrieval via the web cache.
Prevent Permanent Deletion
To avoid a situation where you permanently lose deleted WhatsApp pictures, the best solution is to regularly back up your WhatsApp data.
Here are tips to prevent permanent data loss:
- Enable auto backup in WhatsApp settings to backup chats & media daily.
- Manually backup WhatsApp to your Google Drive or iCloud.
- Export important WhatsApp chats and media to your device storage.
- Use a third party backup tool for periodic WhatsApp backups.
- Back up your full phone data and settings to your computer.
With timely backups in place, you can just restore if you accidentally delete anything important on WhatsApp. Backups give you a safety net against permanent data loss.
Conclusion
While not guaranteed, it is possible to recover deleted WhatsApp photos and videos without a backup in some cases. The best chances of retrieval are immediately after deletion using dedicated data recovery tools. However, prevention is better – regularly backing up your WhatsApp media and chats provides a simple safeguard against accidental deletion and data loss.