WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Many people rely on WhatsApp to communicate and share photos, videos, and other media with friends, family, coworkers, and more. However, a common frustration is when a photo is accidentally deleted or lost after being viewed on WhatsApp. Thankfully, there are several methods you can try to recover your WhatsApp photos even after they have been opened.
Why Photos Disappear from WhatsApp
There are a few main reasons a photo may disappear or become inaccessible after you open it on WhatsApp:
– It was deleted from the WhatsApp conversation history. Once a photo is deleted from an individual or group chat, it’s no longer available within WhatsApp.
– Your phone’s storage was cleared. If you cleared your phone’s cache or storage, any WhatsApp photos not backed up could be erased.
– You don’t have internet connectivity. WhatsApp requires an internet connection to download and view photos. If your internet drops while viewing a photo, you may temporarily lose access to it.
– The photo was received as a “View Once” photo. WhatsApp has a “View Once” feature that deletes a photo after it is opened one time.
– Your account was logged out. If you get logged out of your WhatsApp account before saving a photo, you will not be able to retrieve it without access to your account.
Recover from Google Photos Backup
One of the easiest ways to recover disappeared WhatsApp photos is to check your Google Photos backup. Here’s how it works:
– Open the Google Photos app on your phone and sign into your Google account.
– Go to the Library tab and look for a folder called “WhatsApp”. This contains all photos from WhatsApp that have been backed up.
– Browse the WhatsApp folder for the lost photo. If it was recently backed up, it should be there.
– Tap on the photo to open it, then tap the download icon in the top right to save it back to your device.
The key is making sure WhatsApp backup to Google Photos is enabled in your WhatsApp settings. As long as the photo was backed up before disappearing, Google Photos provides a quick restoration option.
Use Local WhatsApp Backups
WhatsApp automatically saves local backups of your chat history on your device. You can use these backups to restore lost photos, even without an internet connection. Here are the steps:
– Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
– Tap “Backup” to create a new local backup if you don’t already have one.
– Now navigate to your phone’s internal storage files through your File Manager app.
– Go to the WhatsApp folder > Databases folder.
– Find the most recent .crypt12 file – this is your latest local backup.
– Email this file to yourself or transfer it to a computer.
– Download a WhatsApp backup extractor tool on your computer. Popular options include Wutsapper and ChatWatcher.
– Use the tool to open your WhatsApp backup file and extract the photo you’re looking for.
With the photo file extracted, you can upload it back to WhatsApp or save it anywhere on your device. Just be sure you regularly create local WhatsApp backups so you have them when needed.
Retrieve from iCloud or iTunes Backup
For iPhone users, iCloud and iTunes backups can save the day if you need to restore lost WhatsApp photos. Here are the steps for each method:
To use iCloud:
– Go to iPhone Settings > your name banner > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
– Select the latest iCloud backup of your device and tap to view contents.
– Look for the WhatsApp app data and check if your photo is still stored there.
– Restore the entire backup to your device if needed to get the photo back.
To use iTunes:
– Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes installed.
– In iTunes, select your iPhone and go to Summary > Backups.
– Select the latest backup file and click Restore Backup.
– Choose to restore data when prompted and the backup will be loaded onto your device, including any stored WhatsApp photos.
As long as the photo was on your iPhone before it disappeared from WhatsApp, your iCloud or iTunes backups should have a copy you can retrieve.
Scan Your Device Storage
Even if a WhatsApp photo is no longer visible in the app, the image file may still be stored somewhere on your phone’s storage. You can scan your device storage to uncover any “deleted” WhatsApp photos. Here’s how:
On Android:
– Download a file manager app like My Files or File Commander.
– Navigate to the WhatsApp Media folder, usually found at Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Media.
– Sort files by date modified and look for image/video files from around the time the photo disappeared.
On iPhone:
– Connect your iPhone to a computer and launch iTunes.
– In iTunes, select your iPhone then go to File Sharing > WhatsApp.
– Look through the Recently Added photos for the lost image.
– Click Save to PC to download any photos you find from WhatsApp’s storage area.
With some digging through your phone’s files, you might uncover a copy of the photo that WhatsApp is no longer displaying in the app.
Use Third-Party WhatsApp Recovery Apps
In addition to the above DIY methods, there are also several apps designed specifically for WhatsApp photo recovery:
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| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Wondershare Dr.Fone | -Recovers deleted WhatsApp photos from Android and iPhone -Extracts photos from WhatsApp backups -User-friendly interface |
| FonePaw Android Data Recovery | -Scans device storage for deleted WhatsApp photos -Recovers photos without backups -100% safe read-only scanning |
| iMyFone iBypasser | -Retrieves photos from encrypted iTunes & iCloud backups -Advanced decryption technology -Supports latest iOS versions |
**
These apps provide advanced scanning and recovery capabilities beyond WhatsApp’s native tools. Features like decrypting local backups can restore photos that are otherwise inaccessible. Most of the apps offer a free trial so you can test the photo recovery before purchasing.
Just be sure to only download recovery apps from reputable developers. Avoid any apps that ask for your WhatsApp login credentials, as scams exist. Legitimate recovery tools should never require your actual WhatsApp account password or verification code.
Retrieve from Google Drive Backup (Android only)
For Android users, there’s one more powerful backup source that could have your missing WhatsApp photos – Google Drive. Here’s how to check:
– Open the Google Drive app and sign into your Google account if needed.
– Look for the WhatsApp folder. This will contain backups from WhatsApp if Drive backup is enabled.
– Open the most recent backup folder and navigate into the Media folder.
– Your WhatsApp photos and videos are sorted by date here. See if the missing file is still stored in the backup.
– Select any photos you find and tap the download icon to restore them to your device.
The key is having WhatsApp configured to backup your chat history and media to Google Drive. As long as the photo existed prior to disappearing from WhatsApp, Google Drive presents one more place you might find it again.
Contact the Sender on WhatsApp
If all else fails and your various backup sources come up empty, your last option is to directly contact the sender and ask them to resend the lost WhatsApp photo. Here are some tips:
– Politely explain the situation and exactly which photo you need sent again. Provide any details like when it was originally sent or what the photo contains.
– If you recall roughly when the photo was first sent, gently ask them to scroll back through their WhatsApp chat history with you to find and resend it.
– If it was sent in a group chat, name the group and ask if anyone still has the photo in their WhatsApp chat history.
– Avoid accusing the sender of deleting the photo or making you lose it. Assume positive intent and kindly request their help.
– Thank them sincerely if they are able to find and send the photo again!
Hopefully the sender still has the photo in their WhatsApp chat history and is willing to send it to you once more. This takes a bit more effort but is worth trying if you really need that photo back.
Prevent Future WhatsApp Photo Loss
Once you (hopefully) recover your lost WhatsApp photo via one of these methods, take a few minutes to implement some practices to avoid a repeat incident in the future:
– Enable auto-backup to Google Drive or iCloud so all WhatsApp media is regularly saved.
– Periodically make manual backups to local storage or iTunes as an extra safeguard.
– Save important photos to your camera roll rather than relying solely on WhatsApp for access.
– Be cautious when clearing device storage or caches to avoid erasing chat media.
– Add important contacts to your phone’s address book in case you ever lose access to your WhatsApp account.
– Turn on auto-save for shared media in WhatsApp Settings > Chats.
Conclusion
Losing an important WhatsApp photo can be upsetting. But in many cases, it is possible to recover photos even after they are no longer visible in the app. By utilizing Google Photos backups, local WhatsApp backups, iTunes and iCloud backups, file explorers, third party apps, and even help from the sender, you have several options to retrieve your lost media. The key is acting quickly using as many of the methods as possible before the photo is potentially overwritten. With the right tools and techniques, you can rescue photos that seem to vanish from WhatsApp.