WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows people to easily communicate with friends, family and coworkers through text, voice messages, video calls and more.
However, sometimes messages get deleted accidentally or intentionally on WhatsApp. This can be frustrating if the deleted messages contained important information that you need to retrieve. So is it actually possible to recover deleted WhatsApp messages?
The short answer is yes, there are several methods you can try to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages. However, success is not guaranteed and depends on several factors.
Why Do WhatsApp Messages Get Deleted?
Here are some common reasons why WhatsApp messages may get deleted:
- Accidental deletion – Users may accidentally delete a WhatsApp message by tapping on the wrong message.
- Clearing chat history – Users can choose to clear their entire WhatsApp chat history for a contact, deleting all messages.
- Remote deletion – The sender of a message can delete a message for everyone in the chat, removing it from all devices.
- Deleting the app – Deleting and reinstalling the WhatsApp app erases all local messages.
- Switching devices – When switching phones, messages can be lost if not properly backed up.
- Hardware failures – Issues like water damage or hardware crashes can cause data loss.
So if you’ve lost important WhatsApp messages for any reason, you probably want to restore them. Here are the options you have:
Method 1: Retrieve from Google Drive Backup
One of the best ways to recover deleted WhatsApp messages is to restore them from Google Drive. Here’s how it works:
- WhatsApp automatically backs up your chat history to Google Drive on a regular basis, as long as you have the backup feature enabled in WhatsApp settings.
- The backup contains your WhatsApp messages, media files, contacts etc.
- If any WhatsApp messages are deleted, you can restore your chat history from your last Google Drive backup to retrieve the deleted messages.
To restore chat history from Google Drive on WhatsApp:
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your phone.
- When prompted, tap ‘Restore’ to retrieve your Google Drive backup during WhatsApp setup.
- WhatsApp will restore your most recent backup with your deleted messages.
The only catch is that any WhatsApp messages deleted after the last Google Drive backup was created will not be retrievable through this method. So enable regular backups to maximize your chances of message recovery.
Method 2: Use Data Recovery Software
Another way you may be able to get back deleted WhatsApp messages is through data recovery software. Here are the key steps involved:
- Download and install data recovery software on your phone or computer.
- Scan your phone’s storage using the software to find WhatsApp message databases.
- Preview and selectively recover deleted WhatsApp conversations.
Some top data recovery apps like PhoneRescue for iOS and UltData for Android claim to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages, even without backups. However, this depends on whether the message content was overwritten after deletion.
Data recovery can retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages in various scenarios, like:
- When you don’t have Google Drive backup enabled
- To recover very old deleted messages from months ago
- To recover messages deleted from the sender’s side
- To recover messages even after switching phones or reinstalling WhatsApp
So if drive backup restoration does not work, give data recovery software a try. Just don’t overwrite deleted message data with new data in the meantime.
Method 3: Retrieve from Local WhatsApp Backups
WhatsApp also maintains automatic local backups of your chats on the phone itself. The steps to restore from a local backup are:
- Locate the WhatsApp backup files stored in phone storage. On Android it’s in WhatsApp/Databases folder, on iPhone it’s in iCloud.
- Copy the relevant database file to another location on your computer.
- Use a third party app like Backuptrans Android/iPhone WhatsApp Transfer to open the database and view deleted messages.
- Save or export the retrieved messages as needed.
However, local WhatsApp backups may be overwritten and won’t contain very old deleted messages. Still, this method can help recover recently deleted messages before backups are updated.
Factors That Affect Message Recovery
While the above methods may work in some cases, there are several factors that influence whether deleted WhatsApp messages can be recovered:
- Time since deletion – The longer ago a message was deleted, the lower your chances of retrieval.
- Overwriting of data – If new data is saved over areas where deleted messages were stored, recovery becomes impossible.
- Unbacked up messages – Messages deleted before a backup was created are gone for good.
- Type of deletion – Messages deleted just on your phone can be recovered; messages deleted on the sender’s side are harder to get back.
So ultimately, prevention is better – regularly back up your WhatsApp chats and be careful about what you delete!
Third Party WhatsApp Recovery Services
There are also some paid software or services that claim they can recover deleted WhatsApp messages for you remotely. Some examples are:
- Tenorshare WhatsApp Recovery Center
- Wondershare Dr.Fone
- iMyFone D-Back
They provide services like:
- Scanning phone data remotely to find deleted WhatsApp information
- Retrieving deleted WhatsApp messages and exporting them for you
- Claiming to recover even messages deleted several months ago
However, experts warn that handing your phone data to a third party service has risks:
- They require access to your Google Drive backup for cloud scanning.
- It may violate WhatsApp terms of service.
- Malware risks involved in installing software for remote access.
- Higher costs than do-it-yourself recovery options.
So think carefully before using such services – they may be your last resort for recovering very old deleted WhatsApp messages, but come with security risks.
Conclusion
Here are some key takeaways on retrieving deleted WhatsApp messages:
- Restoring from Google Drive backup is the best approved method, but only works for recently deleted messages.
- Data recovery apps may recover older deleted messages, though success depends on overwritten data.
- Timely backup your chats and don’t overwrite storage space after deletion.
- Avoid third party services due to security risks – use only well known reputable software.
- Prevention is better than cure – regularly back up chats and don’t delete important messages.
In summary, while there are ways to recover deleted WhatsApp messages, there are no guarantees. That’s why it’s always wise to backup your chats often and avoid deleting messages you may need later!