WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by millions of people around the world. It allows you to easily communicate with your friends, family, colleagues and more through text, voice messages, video calls, and so much more. WhatsApp also gives you the ability to back up your chat history and media to either Google Drive or your device’s local storage.
Backing up your WhatsApp data can be extremely useful if you ever lose your phone, switch to a new device, or accidently delete the app. By restoring from a recent local backup, you can get back all your valuable conversations, photos, videos and other files shared on WhatsApp.
Overview of WhatsApp Local Backups
WhatsApp gives you two backup options – iCloud and Local. iCloud requires you to be connected to WiFi and signed in to your iCloud account. It will automatically backup your data daily when your phone is charging, connected to WiFi and the screen is locked.
Local backups do not require an internet connection. They save a copy of your WhatsApp data directly to your iPhone storage. You can configure WhatsApp to do daily, weekly or monthly local backups in Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. The frequency depends on how often your WhatsApp data changes and how much space you have available on your device.
Local backups are saved in the WhatsApp folder in your iPhone’s internal storage. They can also be saved to an external SD card if your phone supports expandable storage. Each backup file is named based on the date it was created, for example “ChatBackup_YYYY-MM-DD.crypt12” where YYYY-MM-DD is the date.
When to Use a Local WhatsApp Backup
Here are some common situations when restoring from a local WhatsApp backup would be useful:
- You lost your iPhone and got a new one – Simply install WhatsApp on the new device and restore your chats during setup.
- You accidentally deleted WhatsApp – Just reinstall WhatsApp and restore from the local backup.
- Your chats and media are missing – If your WhatsApp data got corrupted or lost, the local backup acts as a recovery point.
- You’re switching from Android to iPhone – Transfer the local backup from your Android device to the iPhone using a computer.
- You want to transfer WhatsApp to a new iPhone – Back up your chats locally on the old iPhone, then restore on the new device.
- You’re having issues with iCloud backup – Restore from a local backup instead.
As you can see, local WhatsApp backups provide an easy way to recover and transfer your chat history if anything ever happens to your device or data.
Requirements for Restoring Local WhatsApp Backup on iPhone
Here are some requirements to successfully restore your WhatsApp data from a local iPhone backup:
- You need to have the local WhatsApp backup stored on your iPhone or an external SD card.
- Your iPhone must be running iOS 10 or later.
- Have enough storage space on your iPhone for the WhatsApp backup file.
- Your iPhone should preferably be the same one that created the local backup originally.
- WhatsApp must be installed on your iPhone (if restoring after deleting the app).
- Your iPhone date and time must be set correctly to restore backups properly.
- You need to have an active internet connection for WhatsApp verification.
- Your iPhone needs to be connected to a power source during restore.
As long as you meet these requirements, you should be able to successfully restore your chat history, media files and settings from a WhatsApp local iPhone backup.
Step-by-Step Guide to Restore Local WhatsApp Backup on iPhone
Follow these steps to restore your WhatsApp data from a local backup on your iPhone:
- Install WhatsApp – Download and install the latest version of WhatsApp from the App Store if you don’t already have it.
- Open WhatsApp – Launch the WhatsApp app on your iPhone. A screen will appear asking you to verify your phone number.
- Verify phone number – Enter your phone number and tap Next. WhatsApp will send a 6-digit verification code.
- Enter verification code – Once received, enter the verification code and tap Next.
- Allow Restore Option – A screen will appear with the option to Restore from an existing backup. Ensure the option is enabled.
- Select Local Backup – On the next screen, choose to restore from a Local Backup. Tap on Next.
- Pick Backup Date – A list of available local backups will appear with dates. Pick the date of the backup you want to restore.
- Wait for Restore – WhatsApp will now restore your chats and media from the local backup. Wait for the process to complete.
- Finish Up – Once restore is finished, your WhatsApp chats, groups, media etc. will be restored. You can now start using WhatsApp.
And that’s it! By following these simple steps, you can successfully restore your WhatsApp data and history from a local iPhone backup. The process is quite fast and will bring back all your chats, contacts, groups, files media and settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my old WhatsApp backup not showing up?
If you cannot see an old WhatsApp backup on your iPhone when trying to restore, here are some possible reasons –
- The local backup was deleted or moved from your iPhone storage
- Your iPhone date is incorrect so backups appear out of order
- Your iPhone does not have enough free storage space for the backup
- Your iPhone has switched from iOS to Android and back (cleanup may remove backups)
- You recently cleared WhatsApp data or reinstalled the app
Check your iPhone storage, date settings and ensure WhatsApp is not clearing old backups. Transfer the local backup from your iCloud or computer if needed.
How to restore WhatsApp backup from SD Card?
Follow these steps if your WhatsApp backup is saved on an external SD card –
- Connect the SD Card to your iPhone using a USB reader.
- Open the Files app and navigate to the SD Card folder.
- Copy the WhatsApp backup folder from the SD Card to your iPhone internal storage.
- Now go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and change location to Internal Storage.
- You can now restore this backup normally from your iPhone storage.
Can I restore WhatsApp backup from Google Drive?
Unfortunately, you cannot directly restore WhatsApp chats from a Google Drive backup on iPhone. However, there are two ways you can access the chats –
- Copy the Google Drive backup to your computer. Then transfer the backup file to your iPhone internal storage or SD card.
- Temporarily move from iOS to Android. Restore the Google Drive backup on Android. Then take a new local backup, transfer back to iPhone and restore.
My WhatsApp restore failed – how to fix?
If your WhatsApp restore gets stuck or fails, don’t worry. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Force close and restart WhatsApp. Then try restoring again.
- Check your internet connection is stable during restore process.
- Make sure your iPhone has enough storage space for restore.
- Try restoring from another local backup if available.
- Update to the latest WhatsApp version from App Store and retry restore.
- Restart your iPhone and then restore the backup.
- Clear WhatsApp data before restoring from backup.
Follow these steps to resolve failed restore issues and get your WhatsApp chats back.
Conclusion
Restoring your WhatsApp data from a local iPhone backup can be extremely useful if you ever lose access to your chats and media. Thankfully, the process is quite simple – just install WhatsApp, verify your number, pick the backup to restore and you are done!
Local WhatsApp backups provide a quick way to transfer your chats to a new phone and recover from accidental data loss. Just ensure your iPhone has enough storage space for the backups. Maintain recent backups so you can easily restore if needed.
With this guide, you should now have the knowledge to successfully restore your WhatsApp chats, groups, history, media files and settings from a local backup on your iPhone. This saves you the hassle of having to set up everything again and losing your precious conversations.