WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos and make voice and video calls. WhatsApp keeps chat history stored locally on the user’s device and also provides options for backup. However, sometimes users may accidentally delete important chats or media on WhatsApp and don’t have a recent backup available. In such cases, the deleted WhatsApp data can still be recovered using some methods.
In this article, we will discuss the options available to recover deleted WhatsApp chats and media without any backups.
Reasons for Data Loss on WhatsApp
There can be several reasons for accidental deletion of WhatsApp data:
- Accidentally deleting an important chat or media file
- Phone gets lost, stolen, damaged leading to data loss
- Not having proper backups – WhatsApp backups are not enabled by default
- Automatically clearing WhatsApp cache and data from phone settings
- Factory reset of phone without backing up data
- Deleting WhatsApp account itself leading to loss of all chats
Losing important WhatsApp data due to any of these reasons can be frustrating. But in most cases, the deleted data can still be recovered with the right approach.
WhatsApp Data Storage
To understand WhatsApp data recovery better, let’s first look at how WhatsApp stores data on Android and iOS devices:
WhatsApp on Android
On Android phones, WhatsApp stores user data in two locations:
- Internal phone storage – By default, it stores media files like photos, videos here.
- External SD Card (if available) – Database and backup files are stored here.
The main database of WhatsApp chats is in the msgstore.db.crypt12 file on the SD card. The key files to recover are the crypt12 database and the media folders in phone storage.
WhatsApp on iPhone
On iPhones, WhatsApp data is stored in the user’s iCloud drive for backups. The chat history and media are not accessible directly by users. The file system is encrypted and can only be accessed using an iTunes or Finder backup on Mac.
So for iPhone data recovery, an iCloud or iTunes backup extraction is needed.
Requirements for WhatsApp Chat Recovery
Based on the WhatsApp storage structure, to recover deleted chat history, the following requirements are needed:
- Root access on Android devices to access database files
- iTunes or iCloud backup for iPhones
- A third party data recovery software
- Basic technical knowledge to operate data recovery software
Without root access or backups, WhatsApp chats cannot be recovered on Android and iOS devices respectively.
How WhatsApp Data Recovery Works?
Specialized data recovery apps use different techniques to recover deleted WhatsApp messages and media files:
For Android
- Get root access to phone and access encrypted databases
- Extract msgstore.db.crypt12 database file and decrypt it
- Use cryptographic techniques to recover keys needed for decryption
- Parse decrypted database to recover contact info, chat messages, media files
- Retrieve deleted media files from phone storage
For iPhone
- Connect iPhone to computer and take an iTunes or iCloud backup
- Use forensic techniques to extract WhatsApp data from the backup
- Parse information from encrypted backups to recover chats
- Retrieve media files from extracted backup
The specific technical process depends on the recovery tool used but it involves systematically extracting data from encrypted files.
Top 5 WhatsApp Recovery Apps
Based on features and recovery success rate, here are the top 5 apps to recover deleted WhatsApp messages and media without backup:
App | Platform | Salient Features |
---|---|---|
iMyFone D-Back | Android, iOS | Recovers 35+ data types, Easy to use, 100% safe recovery |
FoneDog Toolkit | Android, iOS | Recovers complete chat history, Affordable pricing, Secure recovery |
EaseUS MobiSaver | Android, iOS | Free trial available, Recovers media files, Safe & easy process |
PhoneRescue | iOS | Specializes in iOS recovery, Very high success rate,Recovers 35+ data types |
iSkysoft Toolbox | Android | Root not required, Web-based dashboard, Secure data recovery |
These apps provide secure and reliable options to get back lost WhatsApp data using advanced data recovery techniques.
Key Features of WhatsApp Recovery Apps
When selecting an app for WhatsApp recovery, some key features to look for include:
- Ability to recover without backup or root access
- Directly extract encrypted WhatsApp databases
- Recover entire chat history with media files
- Preview recovery results before restoring data
- Easy to use interface for quick data recovery
- Technical support in case issues arise
- Affordable pricing and flexible license options
The app should be able to directly access the encrypted databases and backups to recover maximum data.
Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chats
Here is a step-by-step guide to recover deleted WhatsApp chats and media using iMyFone D-Back as an example:
On Android
- Download and install iMyFone D-Back on your computer
- Connect Android phone to computer via USB
- Grant root access permissions to the app
- Select “WhatsApp Recovery” module and scan phone
- Preview and select chats and media files to recover
- Click “Recover” to restore WhatsApp data on computer
On iPhone
- Connect iPhone to computer and backup with iTunes
- Launch iMyFone D-Back and click “WhatsApp Recovery”
- Select iTunes backup file from list and scan
- Preview and choose WhatsApp chats and media to recover
- Click “Recover” to save data on computer
The recovery process takes just a few clicks. Make sure to preview data before recovery and have sufficient storage space on computer.
Tips for Successful WhatsApp Chat Recovery
Follow these tips for maximum chances of recovering your deleted WhatsApp data:
- Stop using phone immediately after data loss to avoid overwriting
- Don’t factory reset phone before recovery process
- Enable root access and backups before attempting recovery
- Select a trusted recovery app and learn how to use it
- Scan phone thoroughly in recovery app to locate all data
- Preview recovered data before restoring to computer
- Have patience as decryption can take time if data is overwritten
The sooner you stop using the device and start the recovery process, the higher the chances of getting your data back.
Reasons for Unsuccessful Recovery
In some cases, you may not get the deleted WhatsApp chats back due to:
- Overwriting of data – Using WhatsApp after deletion causing overwrite
- No root access on Android devices
- No iTunes or iCloud backup available for iPhones
- Encryption issues – Sometimes decryption unsuccessful
- Database file corruption making recovery impossible
- Using unreliable or fake data recovery apps
So it’s important to take the right steps immediately after data loss to achieve successful recovery.
Precautions to Take to Avoid Future Data Loss
To avoid going through WhatsApp data recovery again, some precautions include:
- Enable auto backup in WhatsApp settings
- Take regular manual backups to computer/iCloud
- Be careful when deleting chats and media
- Export important chat history to PDF files
- Avoid rooting/jailbreaking phone unnecessarily
- Install antivirus and malware protection
- Handle phone carefully to avoid physical damage
Following these simple practices will prevent permanent data loss if WhatsApp chats get accidentally deleted in future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp store deleted messages?
No, WhatsApp does not keep copies of deleted messages on its servers. Once a message is deleted by the user, it is permanently gone from WhatsApp database. Only through data recovery methods it can be retrieved.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp messages without backup?
Yes, with the help of data recovery apps, you can restore deleted WhatsApp chats and media files even without a backup. The apps directly access encrypted databases to extract deleted data.
Is it possible to recover old WhatsApp chats from years ago?
It depends when the last backup was taken. For Android phones, very old chats can be recovered if the databases still exist on device. For iPhones, chats can be recovered only from existing backups.
What gets deleted when you uninstall WhatsApp?
Uninstalling WhatsApp will delete the application data as well as chat databases and media files associated with it from phone storage. You’ll permanently lose all WhatsApp data.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp messages after 60 days?
For Android, you can recover very old deleted WhatsApp messages beyond 60 days time period using data recovery apps. But for iPhones, recovery is limited only to the last backup taken on iCloud or iTunes.
Conclusion
Accidental deletion of WhatsApp data is a common problem faced by many users. But in most cases, the deleted WhatsApp chats, photos, videos can be recovered by using data recovery apps and methods discussed in this article. With the right approach, you can get back your lost WhatsApp data without needing any backups. Just make sure to act quickly after deletion, use a reputed recovery app, enable backups, and take precautions to avoid future data loss.