WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by billions of people around the world. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages and make voice and video calls. One of the best features of WhatsApp is its backup option which creates a backup of all your WhatsApp data like messages, media, settings etc. This backup allows you to restore your data if you ever switch to a new phone or reinstall WhatsApp.
WhatsApp backups are stored in the crypt14 file format which is encrypted. So if your phone is damaged, lost or stolen, your backup remains safe and secure. The crypt14 file can easily be used to restore your chat history when you install WhatsApp again. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to restore WhatsApp backup from the crypt14 file on Android and iOS devices:
Requirements
To restore WhatsApp backup from the crypt14 file, you need:
- The crypt14 file backup of your WhatsApp data.
- WhatsApp installed on your new Android phone or iOS device.
- Wi-Fi or mobile data connectivity.
Locating the Crypt14 Backup File
The crypt14 backup files are stored in different locations on Android and iOS devices:
On Android
On Android phones, WhatsApp backup files are saved in the WhatsApp/Databases folder. The location varies by Android version:
| Android Version | Backup Location |
|---|---|
| Android 5.1 and lower | /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases |
| Android 6.0 and higher | /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases |
| Samsung Devices | /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases |
On iOS
On iOS devices, WhatsApp backups are stored in iCloud Drive with Databases folder. The location is:
iCloud Drive > WhatsApp > Databases
You can access and download the crypt14 file from this location on your iPhone or using iCloud on the web.
Restoring Crypt14 Backup on Android
Follow these steps to restore WhatsApp backup from crypt14 file on your Android phone:
- First, install WhatsApp from the Play Store on your new Android phone.
- Open WhatsApp, verify your phone number and tap Restore when prompted.
- Now tap Restore from Google Drive to restore your chat history and media from Google Drive backup.
- If you don’t have Google Drive backup, tap Restore from SD card to restore from crypt14 file backup.
- Grant the require permissions.
- Navigate to the backup file location on your phone’s local storage.
- Select the latest crypt14 backup file. It will have a long complex name consisting of numbers and letters.
- Wait for WhatsApp to restore the backup file. This may take a few minutes.
- Once finished, all your WhatsApp chats, groups, media etc. will be restored.
Restoring Crypt14 Backup on iPhone
To restore WhatsApp backup from crypt14 file on your iPhone, follow these steps:
- First, install WhatsApp from the App Store and open it.
- Enter your phone number and tap Restore when prompted.
- Tap Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Log in to your iCloud account and tap on WhatsApp under Apps Using iCloud.
- Tap on Manage Storage followed by Restore. This will restore the latest iCloud backup.
- If you want to restore from a local crypt14 file, tap Don’t Restore and skip to next steps.
- Go to Files app and select Browse from the sidebar.
- Navigate to iCloud Drive > WhatsApp > Databases.
- Tap on the crypt14 file and select Share from the options at the bottom.
- Choose Save to Files and save the file locally on your iPhone.
- Now go back to WhatsApp. Tap Don’t Restore again when asked for iCloud restore.
- Tap Restore from Local Backup and select the crypt14 file you just saved.
- The backup will now be restored. It may take a few minutes depending on size.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some tips if you face any issues while restoring WhatsApp backup from the crypt14 file:
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection during the restore process.
- The crypt14 file you want to restore must be less than 12 months old as WhatsApp does not allow restoring older backups.
- Crypt14 files greater than 2GB may fail to restore on iOS devices due to file system limitations.
- If encrypted backup is enabled, you need to enter your encryption password when restoring the backup.
- Check that the date on your phone is correct before restoring the backup.
- Still facing issues? Contact WhatsApp support for help.
Conclusion
Restoring your WhatsApp chats and media from a crypt14 backup file is quite simple on both Android and iOS devices. Make sure to copy the crypt14 file from your old phone before changing devices. With the file safely backed up, you can easily restore when required. This saves you from losing your precious WhatsApp data and memories when switching phones. Just follow the steps outlined above depending on your platform to seamlessly transfer your WhatsApp information using the crypt14 backup file.