How do I restore WhatsApp chat history on iPhone without iCloud?

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion active users worldwide. It allows you to send messages, share photos and videos, make voice and video calls, and more. All your WhatsApp data like chats, media, and messages are usually backed up to iCloud by default.

However, sometimes you may lose your chat history and media on WhatsApp due to switching to a new iPhone, uninstalling the app, or other reasons. If you don’t have an iCloud backup, restoring WhatsApp chat history on iPhone can be tricky.

In this guide, I’ll go over several methods to help you restore your WhatsApp data on iPhone without iCloud backup.

Using Local iTunes or Finder Backup

If you’ve synced your iPhone with iTunes on PC or Finder on Mac before, there is a chance you have a local backup available. iTunes and Finder automatically create backups of your iPhone data including WhatsApp when you connect the device.

To restore WhatsApp chats using a local backup:

Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes or Finder.

Look for available backups of your device and select the most recent one.
Click Restore to start recovering data from the local backup to your iPhone.
After the restore completes, your WhatsApp chat history should be available on your iPhone.

This method relies on having a recent local iTunes or Finder backup from before you lost WhatsApp data. If no backup is available, you won’t be able to use this solution.

Using Google Drive Backup

WhatsApp also allows users to backup chats and media to Google Drive. This can be a handy way to preserve your chat history without iCloud.

To restore WhatsApp chat history from Google Drive:

Reinstall WhatsApp on your iPhone if you had deleted it before.
Launch WhatsApp and verify your phone number when prompted.
On the backup restore screen, tap Restore when prompted to restore from Google Drive.

This will overwrite your current WhatsApp data and restore everything from your Google Drive backup. Note that your phone number must remain the same in order for this method to work.

Using WhatsApp Chat History Export

If you had previously exported your WhatsApp chat history on the same iPhone, you may be able to restore from that export file.

Here’s how to restore exported WhatsApp chats:

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat History.
Tap Export Chat and select the destination as Files.

Locate the chat export in Files and tap on it to unpack it.
Launch WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat History.
Tap Import Chat and select the unpacked chat export folder.

This will import your previous WhatsApp chat export back into the app. The export file must have been created on the same iPhone for this method to work properly.

Using Third-Party Apps

Some third-party apps claim to help you restore WhatsApp chats without backup. Here are some options:

Wutsapper: Extracts chat history from iPhone and converts it so you can import back into WhatsApp.

iMyFone iTransor: Scans iPhone data and extracts WhatsApp chats for restoring.
Fonelab: WhatsApp Transfer tool can restore chats and attachments from iOS devices.

These apps provide alternative ways to pull chat history so you can restore it. However, success will vary based on your specific situation.

Using WhatsApp Web

If you had previously linked WhatsApp Web with the account on your iPhone, your chat history may still be available on the web version.

To restore chats via WhatsApp Web:

Open web.whatsapp.com in your browser and scan the QR code with your iPhone.

On the confirmation prompt, select Merge to sync your WhatsApp Web history to your phone.

This will combine the chat history from WhatsApp Web with your iPhone version. Do keep in mind that the web version only stores recent chat history.

Using Messages Backup on iCloud.com

Your WhatsApp chats may also be included in an iCloud Messages backup even if you don’t use iCloud WhatsApp backup.

To check for a Messages backup with WhatsApp data:

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
Go to Settings > Data & Privacy > Manage Storage > Messages.

Check for any backups that contain WhatsApp data and download them.
Use a third-party app to extract WhatsApp chats from the backup.

This method relies on having a Messages backup with WhatsApp chats stored in iCloud. You’ll also need a separate app to pull WhatsApp data from the backup file.

Using a Different iPhone

If you still have access to your old iPhone that had your WhatsApp chats, you can directly transfer them to your new iPhone.

Follow these steps for chat history transfer between iPhones:

Reset your new iPhone and set it up as a new device.

On your old iPhone, create an iCloud backup or local iTunes/Finder backup.
Restore this backup to your new iPhone to transfer WhatsApp chats.

This will move your old WhatsApp chat history directly to your new device. Do note that both iPhones need to use the same Apple ID for this method to work.

Using WhatsApp Chat Transfer

WhatsApp also provides an option to directly transfer your chat history between iOS devices using the Move to iOS app.

To use Move to iOS for WhatsApp transfer:

Install the Move to iOS app on your old iPhone.

When setting up your new iPhone, select Move Data from Android.
On the old device, open Move to iOS and follow prompts to transfer data.
Select WhatsApp in the list of apps to move your chat history.

This will securely move your WhatsApp chat history from your old iPhone to the new one wirelessly. Both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network for this method.

Using Samsung Smart Switch

If your old device is a Samsung, you can use Smart Switch to transfer WhatsApp chats to iPhone.

Here’s how to use Smart Switch for WhatsApp transfer from Samsung to iPhone:

Download and install Smart Switch on both devices.
Connect the phones via USB cable and open Smart Switch.
On the old device, select WhatsApp under the app list to transfer.

Confirm on the new iPhone to start the app data transfer.

After the process completes, open WhatsApp on your new iPhone and verify your phone number. Your old Samsung chats will be available within the app.

Restoring from Android Phone Backup

If your old phone was an Android, you may be able to restore a backup file to transfer WhatsApp history.

Here are the key steps for this method:

On your old Android phone, backup WhatsApp chats via Google Drive or local storage.
Copy the backup file from your Android device to iPhone.

Use a third-party app like iMyFone iTransor to restore the backup on iPhone.
Launch WhatsApp and verify your number to load chats.

The backup needs to be unencrypted for this method to work. Encrypted backups can’t be transferred cross-platform between Android and iOS.

Getting WhatsApp to Recover Chats

In some cases, it may be possible to get WhatsApp support to recover your lost chat history.

Here’s what you need to do:

Contact WhatsApp support and explain your situation.

Provide details like your phone number, OS version, WhatsApp version, etc.
Clearly state that you want to recover chat history without a current backup.
Wait for their response – they may be able to restore chats from their server database.

WhatsApp can’t guarantee chat recovery, but it’s worth contacting them as a last resort if nothing else works. Make sure to provide as many details as possible.

Using a WhatsApp User Data Report

WhatsApp allows you to download all the data they have stored for your account. This user data report contains your chat history and messages.

Follow these steps to download your report:

Open WhatsApp Settings > Account > Request Account Info.
Tap Request Report and then Download Report when available.
Find WhatsApp chats in the user data zip file and extract them.

Use a third-party app to transfer the chats back into WhatsApp.

This method relies on WhatsApp still having your chats stored on their servers. The data report may exclude very old or deleted chats.

Conclusion

Restoring lost WhatsApp chats on iPhone without an iCloud backup can be tricky but possible in some cases. The best options involve transferring data directly from an old iPhone, Android, or backup file using official or third-party tools. You may also be able to extract chats from an iCloud Messages backup or WhatsApp user data report in some situations.

Preventing data loss is much easier than trying to recover chats – be sure to regularly backup your WhatsApp conversations and media. iCloud backup is the simplest option for iOS users. You can also periodically export the chat history or copy it to external storage for added safety.

With billions of users worldwide relying on WhatsApp daily, unexpected data loss can be disruptive. Hopefully the restoration methods covered in this guide will help you get back missing WhatsApp chats on your iPhone if you ever need to.