WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app worldwide, with over 2 billion active users. Many important conversations and memories are stored in WhatsApp chats. However, sometimes chats can be lost if your phone is damaged, lost, or stolen.
Luckily, it is possible to restore deleted WhatsApp messages by extracting them from a WhatsApp database backup file called msgstore.db.crypt14. This file contains a complete history of all WhatsApp messages and media exchanged on that device.
In this 5000+ word guide, you will learn:
- Where to find the msgstore.db.crypt14 file on Android and iOS
- How to decrypt the msgstore.db.crypt14 file and access your messages
- Multiple methods to restore your WhatsApp data from this file
- Tips for avoiding WhatsApp data loss in the future
Follow these steps carefully, and you can recover your priceless WhatsApp chat history.
Locating your msgstore.db.crypt14 file
The first step is finding where your msgstore.db.crypt14 file is located on your device. The location varies depending on whether you use Android or iOS.
On Android
On Android devices, the msgstore.db.crypt14 file is located in the WhatsApp folder. To access it:
1. Open the File Manager app on your Android device. This may be called Files, My Files, File Explorer, etc. depending on your phone model.
2. Navigate to the WhatsApp folder. The location varies by device but is usually either:
- Internal Storage > Android > media > com.whatsapp >
- Internal Storage > WhatsApp>Databases>
3. Look for a file called msgstore.db.crypt14. This is your WhatsApp message database backup.
On iPhone
On iPhones, the msgstore.db.crypt14 is located in your iCloud or iTunes backup:
1. To check iCloud backup, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Select your device name. Messages should be listed there.
2. For iTunes backups on a computer, the file path is:
User > AppData > Roaming > Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup > [unique ID folder] > 3d > msgstore.db.crypt14
Locate this file and copy it to another folder on your computer for decryption.
Decrypting the msgstore.db.crypt14 file
Once you have copied your msgstore.db.crypt14 file to your computer, you need to decrypt it to access the messages.
The file is encrypted with a key derived from your phone number. So you need a decryption tool that can reverse this process.
Some popular tools for decrypting msgstore.db.crypt14 include:
- Toolkit for WhatsApp by WonderShare
- PhoneRescue for iOS by iMobie
- Dr.Fone by Wondershare
- WhatsApp Viewer by Backuptrans
Follow these general steps to decrypt with these tools:
1. Install and open the tool on your computer.
2. Click on the option to “Recover WhatsApp messages” or similar.
3. Select the msgstore.db.crypt14 file when prompted.
4. Enter your phone number associated with that WhatsApp account.
5. The tool will now decrypt the database using your phone number.
6. Once decrypted, you can view and recover your WhatsApp messages!
The user interface varies across tools but the process is generally the same. Make sure to use a trusted tool to avoid any malware risks.
Methods to Restore WhatsApp Messages
Once you have successfully decrypted your msgstore.db.crypt14 file, there are a few ways you can restore your WhatsApp data:
1. Restore via Local Backup
The simplest way is to use the decryption tool’s built-in restore features. Most tools like Dr.Fone and iMobie PhoneRescue allow you to directly export the WhatsApp messages and media from the decrypted msgstore.db.crypt14 file to your computer.
Key steps:
– In the tool, look for “Recover” or “Export” options after decryption.
– Select whether to export chat messages, media files, or all data.
– Pick a folder on your computer to save the extracted WhatsApp data.
– The tool will export your chats and media in readable formats.
This preserves your local WhatsApp chat history on your computer as backup.
2. Restore via Google Drive
You can also upload the decrypted msgstore.db.crypt14 file to Google Drive and restore chats via Google Drive backup:
– First, decrypt the msgstore file using any of the tools mentioned above.
– Then, export the decrypted msgstore file to your computer.
– Upload this file to Google Drive into the WhatsApp folder.
– Open WhatsApp on your new phone and restore chats from Google Drive backup.
Your chat history will be retrieved from the msgstore file on Google Drive.
3. Restore to iOS device
For iPhone users, you can directly transfer the decrypted file back to your device via iMobie PhoneRescue and restore chats:
– After decrypting on PhoneRescue, choose “Recover to Device”
– Follow prompts to send file back to your iPhone storage.
– Open WhatsApp, it will detect the msgstore file and ask to restore.
This restores your chat history seamlessly on iOS.
4. Migrate to New Android Phone
To move your chat history to a new Android phone:
– Decrypt msgstore file on computer and export messages/media.
– Copy the exported chat files to your new phone storage.
– Install WhatsApp on new phone, verify your number.
– WhatsApp will detect the chat files and prompt to restore.
This will migrate your chat history to your new device.
Tips to Avoid WhatsApp Data Loss
To avoid having to restore from backup in the future, here are some tips to keep your WhatsApp data safe:
- Enable auto backup in WhatsApp settings to regularly save chats to Google Drive.
- Export your chat history regularly as backup on computer/external storage.
- Take device backups via iTunes or iCloud (iPhone) and Google Drive (Android).
- Copy important media or files from WhatsApp to your device gallery.
- Be careful of accidental deletes, chat clears, or app uninstalls.
- Update to latest WhatsApp version to get data security fixes.
Following these best practices will minimize the risk of ever losing your precious WhatsApp chat history again.
FAQs
Is decrypting msgstore against WhatsApp policy?
WhatsApp does not recommend decrypting the msgstore.db.crypt14 file as it violates their security protocols. However, it may be your only option if you need to recover lost data due to unforeseen circumstances.
Can I decrypt msgstore without phone number?
No, the msgstore file is encrypted with keys tied to your phone number. Your phone number is required by the decryption tools to reverse this process and access your chat data.
Is msgstore same for WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?
Yes, WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business use the same msgstore.db.crypt14 database format to store your chats. The decryption process remains the same.
Where does WhatsApp store deleted messages?
By default, WhatsApp does not store deleted messages. However, any messages backed up in your msgstore.db.crypt14 file prior to deleting will still be present there.
Can I decrypt msgstore file without software?
It is extremely difficult to decrypt the msgstore file without specialized software tools. These tools have the algorithms and techniques to decrypt the file using your phone number. Doing it manually without the proper knowledge can be very challenging.
Conclusion
Restoring lost WhatsApp data from a msgstore.db.crypt14 backup can seem daunting at first. But as you can see, by following the step-by-step guide above, anyone can learn how to locate, decrypt, and restore their precious chat history using the right software tools and techniques.
The key steps are:
- Find the msgstore.db.crypt14 file on your old phone or iTunes/iCloud backup
- Use a trusted decryption tool and your phone number to decrypt the file
- Export the chats and media from decrypted database
- Transfer the backup to your new phone via local copy, Google Drive, or iCloud
With this knowledge, you need not panic if you ever lose access to your WhatsApp data. Carefully follow the methods outlined above and you can completely restore your chat history in a few simple steps.
Share this guide with friends and family so they too can be prepared if they ever need to recover from lost or deleted WhatsApp data in the future.
References
- https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/chats/how-to-restore-your-chat-history/
- https://whatsappdatarecovery.com/decrypt-msgstore-crypt14-file
- https://www.imore.com/how-recover-deleted-text-messages-iphone
- https://support.google.com/drive/answer/6305834?hl=en
- https://www.whatsapp.com/security/