Losing important WhatsApp media like photos and videos can be frustrating, especially if you don’t have a recent backup. While backups are the best way to protect your chat history, there are still some options to try and recover WhatsApp media without a backup.
Why you may need to recover WhatsApp media without backup
There are a few common scenarios that can lead to needing to recover WhatsApp media files without a backup:
- You didn’t have automatic backups enabled
- You haven’t manually backed up in a long time
- Your backup doesn’t contain the media you need to recover
- Your backup was deleted or lost
If any of these situations apply to you, restoring from a backup may not be an option. The good news is that it’s still possible to recover deleted WhatsApp photos, videos, and other files without a recent backup.
Check your phone’s local storage
The first place to check is your phone’s internal storage or SD card. WhatsApp media files are stored locally on your device, so even if they’ve been deleted from the app they may still be on your phone.
To find hidden media files from WhatsApp on Android:
- Install a file manager app like My Files or File Manager.
- Navigate to the WhatsApp media folders on your phone:
- WhatsApp Photos – /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images
- WhatsApp Videos – /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video
- Check if there are any files saved here even if they’re not visible in the WhatsApp app.
For iPhone users, you can connect your phone to a computer and use software like iExplorer or iMyFone D-Back to access WhatsApp media folders and recover deleted files.
Use Google Photos
If you had backup to Google Photos enabled, your WhatsApp media may still be retrievable from Google Photos even if you don’t have a WhatsApp backup.
To restore WhatsApp media files from Google Photos:
- Open the Google Photos app or visit https://photos.google.com
- Search for the individual photos/videos you need or browse your library
- Find the WhatsApp media files you need and recover them to your phone or computer
This works because Google Photos automatically backs up photos and videos from various sources, including WhatsApp, on Android.
Try third-party WhatsApp recovery apps
If your files aren’t recoverable through your phone storage or Google Photos, your best option is to use a dedicated WhatsApp recovery app.
Some top apps to recover WhatsApp media without backup include:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Jihosoft WhatsMate |
|
| Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery |
|
| FonePaw Android Data Recovery |
|
These apps work by scanning your phone’s storage for residual WhatsApp files that remain even after being deleted from the app. Some of them can also extract media files from local WhatsApp backups on your phone or computer.
The key advantages of using a dedicated recovery app include:
- Ability to recover WhatsApp media without backups
- Retrieve photos, videos, messages, documents and other file types
- Extract data from phone memory as well as SD card
- Preview recoverable files before restoring
Make sure to download and use a reliable recovery app from a reputable developer. Carefully review the app capabilities and recovery process before scanning or recovering data from your device.
Retrieve WhatsApp media from chat history
If you still have access to the WhatsApp chat histories where the media was shared, you may be able to retrieve the files from there.
Here’s how to recover media from WhatsApp chats on Android and iPhone:
On Android
- Open the individual or group chat where the media was sent
- Tap and hold on the media file’s thumbnail to open context menu
- Select ‘Save [media type]’. This will save the file to your phone’s storage
On iPhone
- Open the chat and tap on the media thumbnail
- Tap on the Share icon in the lower left
- Choose ‘Save to Files’ to save the media to your phone
While somewhat limited, this method can help you quickly recover recently shared media files as long as the message is still available.
Retrieve from sender’s phone
If you received the lost media files from another WhatsApp user, you can request them to share the files again from their device if possible.
WhatsApp stores all sent and received media on the sender’s phone as well, so as long as they haven’t deleted the files you need, your friends or family can retrieve and resend the photos or videos to you.
This only works if the sender still has access to the media files on their phone’s storage. But it’s worth a try if you desperately need to recover important WhatsApp media.
Use cloud storage integrations
Some third-party cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud offer integrations with WhatsApp to automatically back up your sent and received media.
If you had any such integrations set up, you may be able to restore missing WhatsApp media from these cloud storage services:
- Google Drive – Check WhatsApp folder in Drive app or web interface
- Dropbox – Check App/WhatsApp folder in Dropbox
- iCloud – Restore from iCloud Drive on iPhone or Mac
The media files saved via these integrations aren’t visible directly within WhatsApp. But they provide an additional backup option beyond the built-in Google Drive backup.
Contact WhatsApp Support
As a last resort, you can try reaching out to the WhatsApp Support team for assistance with retrieving lost data from your account.
WhatsApp may be able to restore deleted media in some cases if it’s still available on their servers. Although the chances are slim, it’s worth trying if you’ve exhausted all other options.
To contact WhatsApp support:
- Open WhatsApp > Settings > Help > Contact Us
- Describe your lost media issue and what troubleshooting you’ve tried
- Wait for their response on whether recovery is possible
Make sure to provide as much detail as possible, including dates, file types, and the circumstances of the data loss. Be patient as it may take some time to receive a response.
Prevent future data loss
To avoid going through this recovery ordeal again, be sure to set up regular WhatsApp backups going forward:
- Enable automated daily backups in WhatsApp settings
- Manually back up to Google Drive or local storage regularly
- Consider a secondary backup option like Dropbox or iCloud
- Back up important media files to your phone gallery
Following these backup best practices will ensure you always have a way to restore lost or deleted WhatsApp data.
Conclusion
While not easy, recovering WhatsApp media without a backup is possible in some situations. First check your local phone storage and cloud apps like Google Photos. If that doesn’t work, use a dedicated WhatsApp recovery app to extract residual files from your phone. Restoring from chat history, sender’s device, or contacting WhatsApp support are other options if available.
Make sure to set up comprehensive backups going forward. But in case you ever need to recover data again without a backup, use these tips to retrieve your important WhatsApp photos, videos, and other media files.