WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by millions of people around the world. It allows you to send messages, photos, videos, documents and voice messages to your contacts for free. All your WhatsApp data including messages, media, and settings are stored in your phone’s internal storage by default.
If you ever switch to a new iPhone or accidentally delete WhatsApp, you will lose all your valuable chat history forever. Fortunately, WhatsApp provides a built-in option to backup your chats to iCloud or Google Drive. You can use this backup to restore and transfer your messages to a new phone.
In this guide, we will show you step-by-step how to backup WhatsApp to Drive and restore it later on your iPhone if needed.
How to Backup WhatsApp Chats to Google Drive
Here are the steps to backup your WhatsApp data to Google Drive on iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap on Back Up to Google Drive.
- Tap on Account and select the Google account you want to backup your chats to.
- Tap on Back Up to start the backup process.
The first WhatsApp backup to Drive can take a while depending on the size of your chat data. Subsequent backups will be incremental and much faster.
By default, WhatsApp takes daily backups at 2 AM and saves them to Drive. You can customize this frequency or disable auto backups from WhatsApp > Chats > Chat Backup > Auto Backup.
How to Restore WhatsApp Backup from Google Drive
If you have switched to a new iPhone or deleted WhatsApp by accident, follow these steps to restore your chats and settings from the Drive backup:
- Download and install WhatsApp on your new iPhone.
- Open WhatsApp and agree to the Terms of Service.
- On the ‘Restore Chat History’ screen, tap on Restore.
- Select the Google account containing your WhatsApp backup.
- Tap on the backup you want to restore from the list of available backups.
- Tap on Restore to start the restoration process.
WhatsApp will fetch the backup from Drive and restore your messages, media, settings and call history. The time taken depends on the size of the backup. Once done, you will see all your old WhatsApp chats on the new phone.
How to Backup WhatsApp to iCloud
Instead of Google Drive, you can also choose to backup WhatsApp chats to iCloud. Here are the steps:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap on Chats > Chat Backup.
- Select Back Up to iCloud.
- Tap on Account and log in to your iCloud account if prompted.
- Enable iCloud Drive.
- Tap on Back Up to start backing up your chats.
The backup will be saved to iCloud and you can restore it in case you need to transfer WhatsApp to a new iPhone.
How to Restore iCloud Backup
Follow these steps if you want to restore an iCloud backup on your iPhone:
- Install WhatsApp on your new iPhone.
- Open WhatsApp and agree to Terms.
- On ‘Restore Chat History’ screen, tap Restore.
- Sign in to your iCloud account when prompted.
- Select the iCloud backup to restore from the list.
- Tap on Restore to begin restoration.
This will restore your chats, media files, settings and call history from iCloud to your phone. The time taken will depend on the size of the backup.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp iCloud Restore Issues
Sometimes, you may encounter errors while restoring WhatsApp backup from iCloud. Here are some common issues and fixes for them:
WhatsApp Cannot Find iCloud Backup
- Make sure you are signed in to the correct iCloud account on your iPhone.
- Check your internet connection and try again.
- Restart your iPhone and then restore backup.
- Update to the latest version of iOS if an update is available.
WhatsApp Backup Corrupted Error
- First, force restart your iPhone by pressing Volume Up followed by Volume Down and finally press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Try restoring the backup again after the restart.
- Delete the corrupted backup from iCloud Drive and make a new backup.
Not Enough iCloud Storage for Backup
- Buy more iCloud storage if you are low on space.
- Delete existing backups and files from iCloud to free up space.
- Disable iCloud backup for other apps temporarily.
WhatsApp Requires Encryption Key
- Reset your iPhone to factory settings.
- Restore your latest iCloud backup after resetting the device.
- Try restoring WhatsApp backup again – this should work.
If none of these fixes work, contact WhatsApp support for further assistance on restoring your backup.
Important Things to Remember
Here are some important things to keep in mind when backing up and restoring WhatsApp chats:
- Encrypted WhatsApp backups do not transfer across iOS and Android platforms.
- Media files may not restore if already deleted from source.
- You can only restore messages on one phone at a time.
- Delete old backups to save storage space in Drive or iCloud.
- Regularly backup chats to avoid losing important data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp backup save all my chats?
Yes, the WhatsApp backup includes your messages, media files, contacts, call history, settings and other app data. It allows you to seamlessly transfer your chats across devices.
Can I backup WhatsApp without Google Drive or iCloud?
WhatsApp also allows you to locally backup chats to your phone storage. But this backup will be lost if you lose your phone. Using Drive or iCloud is recommended for retaining backups.
How much Google Drive storage do I need for WhatsApp backup?
WhatsApp backups usually take up a few hundred MBs up to 2-3 GB for very large backups. Make sure you have enough free space in Drive or buy more storage.
How long are WhatsApp backups stored in iCloud?
iCloud automatically deletes WhatsApp backups older than 120 days to manage storage space. The latest backup is always retained.
Can I restore WhatsApp backup from Android to iPhone?
Unfortunately, you cannot directly transfer WhatsApp backup from Android to iOS devices due to platform differences. You will have to start fresh chats on the new phone.
Conclusion
Backing up your WhatsApp chats regularly to Google Drive or iCloud is important to avoid losing your precious memories and conversations. Make sure to remember your backup account details in case you need to restore the messages to a new iPhone.
Follow the steps outlined in this guide carefully when restoring a WhatsApp backup from Drive or iCloud. Let us know if you have any other questions!