WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Many people rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends, family, coworkers, and more. With so many important conversations happening on WhatsApp, it’s crucial to regularly back up your messages so you don’t lose them if you ever switch phones or something happens to your device.
Luckily, WhatsApp makes it easy to back up your messages and restore them when needed. Here’s an overview of how WhatsApp backups work and where you can access your backed up messages.
How WhatsApp Backups Work
WhatsApp gives you two options for backing up your messages:
- Back up to Google Drive (Android only)
- Back up locally to your device
For Android users, the recommended method is to back up to Google Drive. This allows your messages to be saved securely in the cloud automatically. The backup happens daily when your phone is charging, connected to Wi-Fi, and the WhatsApp screen is closed.
iOS users can back up messages locally to iCloud. However, unlike Android, iOS backups cannot be encrypted so they are less secure. For iOS users, it’s better to manually back up chats using the export chat feature.
Regardless of your platform, you can also back up chats manually by going into WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. Here you can manually trigger a backup or export a chat history to email or another app.
Where to Find WhatsApp Backups
Here is where you can access your WhatsApp backups based on the backup method:
Google Drive Backups (Android)
If you use Google Drive backups on Android, you can find your WhatsApp backup files by:
- Open the Google Drive app on your Android device
- Tap the menu button and tap Backups
- You should see a folder for WhatsApp backups. Open it.
- Your backup files will be organized by date. Tap on a file to download it to your device.
Alternatively, you can visit drive.google.com on your computer and navigate to WhatsApp > Backups to manage your backups.
Local iOS Backups
For local iOS backups, you can find your WhatsApp chat history files by connecting your iPhone to a computer and opening iTunes or Finder (depending on your Mac version).
Go to File Sharing > WhatsApp > Chat Storage and you will see your chat history files available to download to your computer.
Exported Chat Backups
If you manually exported a WhatsApp chat, the backup file will be saved to the Downloads folder on your device. You can also find chats exported to email in your email inbox.
How to Restore from a WhatsApp Backup
Once you’ve located your WhatsApp backup file, restoring your messages is straightforward:
Android
- Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
- When prompted, tap Restore to restore from Google Drive backup.
- Select the backup file you want to restore.
iPhone
- Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
- Open WhatsApp and tap Restore when prompted.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Select the backup you want to restore.
Imported Backups
If you exported a chat backup file or emailed yourself chat history, you can import it back into WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Import from SD card or Import from email app.
- Select the backup file to import.
And that’s it! By restoring your WhatsApp backup, you’ll get back all your valuable chat history even if you lose your phone or switch devices.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Backups
Here are some common issues when dealing with WhatsApp backups and how to fix them:
Backup Not Working
If your backups are not automatically happening, check that your phone meets these conditions:
- Connected to a power source
- Connected to the internet via WiFi (cellular data may be limited)
- Your phone screen is off/locked
- You have enough free space on your phone or cloud storage
You can also try manually triggering a backup by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
Backup File Corrupted
If your backup file appears corrupted or is unable to be restored, try deleting it from Google Drive or iCloud and making a fresh backup. Avoid interrupting the backup process.
Some Messages Missing
Not all WhatsApp messages may be included in a backup, such as:
- Media files over 100MB in size
- Messages from group chats with over 10,000 messages
To ensure important media is backed up, manually export those chats before switching devices.
Need to Transfer Chats to New Phone Number
Your backup is tied to your phone number. To transfer chats to a new number:
- Export the chats you want to transfer from your old number.
- Import the chat history files into WhatsApp on your new number.
Conclusion
Keeping regular WhatsApp message backups is crucial to avoid losing your chat history. Thankfully WhatsApp offers automatic backups and makes it easy to restore chats if you ever lose your device or change numbers.
Be sure to occasionally check that backups are correctly functioning. Know where your backups are located – whether Google Drive or local files. And if you need to migrate chats to a new device or number, you can always manually export and import your chat history.
With a few easy backup best practices, you can rest assured knowing your WhatsApp messages are safe and retrievable when needed.
Backup Method | Location | How to Restore |
---|---|---|
Google Drive (Android) | Google Drive app > Backups | Delete and reinstall WhatsApp > Tap “Restore” > Select backup |
iCloud (iOS) | iTunes/Finder > File Sharing > WhatsApp > Chat Storage | Delete and reinstall WhatsApp > Tap “Restore” > Restore from iCloud Backup |
Exported Chat | Device Downloads Folder or Email Inbox | WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Import from SD card or Import from email app |
Following these best practices for WhatsApp backups can give you peace of mind that your chat history is always available when you need it.