WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through text, voice calls, video calls, and more. One of the key features of WhatsApp is its ability to backup your chat history and media to the cloud. This allows you to restore your chats if you ever switch phones, lose your phone, or need to reset your phone. Installing a WhatsApp backup from the cloud is a simple process that only takes a few minutes.
Requirements for Installing WhatsApp Backup from Cloud
Before restoring your WhatsApp backup from the cloud, there are a few requirements:
- You need to have the same phone number that you used to create the backup. This links the backup to your account.
- Your phone needs to be connected to the internet in order to download the backup.
- You’ll need enough free storage space on your phone for the size of the backup.
- Your phone must be running Android 5 Lollipop or newer or iOS 10 or newer.
- You’ll need to have the latest version of WhatsApp installed.
Connecting to WiFi
Before restoring your backup, you’ll want to connect your phone to a WiFi network to ensure you have a stable internet connection. Restoring a backup uses additional data, so being on WiFi helps avoid mobile data overages. Here are the steps to connect to WiFi on both iPhone and Android:
iPhone
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and turn on Wi-Fi.
- Select the WiFi network you want to join.
- If required, enter the password for the network.
- Once connected, you’ll see “Connected” under the network name.
Android
- Open Settings and tap Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
- Turn on Wi-Fi and wait for it to scan for available networks.
- Tap the name of the WiFi network you want to join.
- If required, enter the network password and tap Connect.
Installing Latest Version of WhatsApp
Before restoring your backup, you’ll want to make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your phone. Here are the steps to update WhatsApp on iPhone and Android:
iPhone
- Open the App Store app.
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to see pending updates and install any updates for WhatsApp.
Android
- Open the Play Store app.
- Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
- Tap My Apps & Games > Updates.
- Update WhatsApp if an update is available.
Enabling Google Drive Backup
WhatsApp uses Google Drive to store your chat backups on Android devices. Here’s how to make sure Google Drive backup is enabled:
- Open WhatsApp and tap More options > Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap Back up to Google Drive and confirm your Google account if prompted.
- Tap Network usage and select Wi-Fi only to avoid mobile data usage.
- Tap Back up frequency and choose a frequency for auto backups.
Enabling iCloud Backup on iPhone
For iPhones, your WhatsApp backup will be stored in iCloud. Here is how to enable iCloud backups:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
- Turn on iCloud Backup.
- Tap WhatsApp under Apps Using iCloud to enable WhatsApp backups.
- Tap iCloud Backup again and select Back Up Now to manually backup.
Restoring Chat History from Google Drive
Once your backup is enabled and created in Google Drive, restoring it on Android is easy:
- Install WhatsApp if not already installed.
- Verify your phone number when prompted.
- On the Restore screen, tap Restore to restore your chats and media from Google Drive.
That’s it! WhatsApp will fetch your latest backup and restore your chats. All your messages, photos, videos and more will be restored.
Restoring Chats from iCloud
To restore an iCloud backup on iPhone:
- Install WhatsApp if not already installed.
- Verify your phone number when prompted.
- Tap Restore when prompted to restore your backup from iCloud.
Your chats and media will all be restored from your iCloud backup. You may need to stay connected to WiFi for the restore to complete.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter issues restoring your WhatsApp backup, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you are connected to WiFi.
- Check that you have enough free storage space on your phone.
- Confirm your phone meets the minimum OS version requirements.
- Verify you are using the same phone number as your backup.
- Make sure backup is enabled in WhatsApp settings.
- Manually trigger a backup on your old phone before restoring.
- uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp if issues persist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does WhatsApp backup to the cloud?
WhatsApp backups your chats daily if you have backup enabled. However, you can also manually trigger a backup at any time from WhatsApp’s settings.
How far back does my WhatsApp backup go?
WhatsApp includes the last 7 days of chat history in a backup by default. You can include up to a month of chat history by enabling the extended backup option in WhatsApp settings.
Can I restore WhatsApp without WiFi?
While it is possible to restore WhatsApp without WiFi, it is not recommended as it will use your mobile data. Backups can be hundreds of megabytes, so it’s best to restore on WiFi whenever possible.
Do my media files get backed up?
Yes, your WhatsApp media such as photos, videos, and audio are included in backups as long as you have media auto-download enabled in WhatsApp settings.
Can I restore from iPhone to Android?
Unfortunately, you cannot directly restore an iPhone iCloud backup to an Android device. You will need to use a third-party app to transfer your chats.
Summary
Restoring your WhatsApp chats from a cloud backup is simple and ensures you don’t lose your chat history if switching devices. Follow the step-by-step instructions to enable Google Drive or iCloud backup, make sure you have the latest WhatsApp version installed, connect to WiFi, and tap restore when prompted. With a few taps, your chats and media will be restored!