WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It offers end-to-end encryption for chats, allowing users to exchange messages, photos, videos and files privately. However, despite its immense popularity, WhatsApp doesn’t provide an official way to restore deleted messages.
When a WhatsApp message is deleted, it’s gone for good from the app’s servers. There is no ‘trash’ or ‘recycle bin’ where deleted messages are stored temporarily. This means if you accidentally delete a chat or message, you cannot retrieve it through WhatsApp.
Why are deleted WhatsApp messages not recoverable?
There are a couple of reasons why deleted WhatsApp data cannot be restored:
- End-to-end encryption – WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all communications. This means only the sender and recipient can read messages, not even WhatsApp itself. So when a message is deleted, it’s removed from WhatsApp’s servers permanently.
- Privacy policy – WhatsApp’s privacy policy states that they don’t store user messages on their servers once they are delivered. The company cannot access or retrieve deleted messages.
Due to these reasons, there is no way for WhatsApp to keep a copy of deleted chats or bring them back when requested by a user. The app prioritizes privacy and security over data backup.
When are deleted messages completely removed?
When you hit ‘delete’ on WhatsApp, the messages are not immediately wiped. They still exist on WhatsApp’s servers for a short time until the space is overwritten by new data. The duration depends on how busy the servers are.
According to WhatsApp, here’s approximately how long it takes for deleted messages to be completely removed from their servers:
- Messages – A few weeks
- Media (photos, videos) – About 30 days
- Backups – 3 months
So if you delete a message accidentally, you may be able to recover it from a recipient’s phone before WhatsApp removes it permanently from its servers. But there’s no guarantee.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp messages?
Since WhatsApp itself does not allow restoring deleted messages, is there still a way to get back deleted WhatsApp data?
Yes, there are a few methods you can try to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages, depending on your device and backup:
Recover from Google Drive backup
WhatsApp automatically backs up your chats to Google Drive daily. You can restore these backups to retrieve deleted messages.
However, this only works if the messages were deleted after the last Google Drive backup. Any messages deleted before the backup was created will still be gone.
Recover from local backup
WhatsApp also saves backups locally on your device storage. If you have these backups enabled, you can use apps like Dr.Fone to scan your phone memory and extract the deleted WhatsApp data.
Retrieve from iPhone/iTunes backup
For iOS devices, WhatsApp data is included in iPhone backups saved on iCloud or iTunes. You can restore these backups to get back deleted WhatsApp messages.
Use data recovery apps
Specialized data recovery apps like EaseUS MobiSaver for Android, iMyFone D-Back for iOS and Yolisoftware WhatsApp Recovery can help extract residual WhatsApp data from your phone memory or backups. This allows retrieving deleted messages.
Retrieve from chat history
If the WhatsApp message was deleted recently, check the recipient’s chat history. The message may still be visible there before being deleted from their device.
How can I restore from Google Drive backup?
Here are the steps to restore deleted WhatsApp messages from your Google Drive backup:
- First, check that WhatsApp backup to Google Drive is enabled in WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your phone.
- When prompted, restore your backup from Google Drive to retrieve deleted messages.
- If you have multiple backups, choose the most recent one before the message was deleted.
- Once restoration completes, open WhatsApp to check if the deleted messages are back.
Tips to prevent accidental message deletion
Since WhatsApp does not allow official recovery of deleted messages, your best bet is to avoid deleting messages accidentally in the first place. Follow these tips:
- Enable auto backup to Google Drive so your chats are regularly saved.
- Back up important chats manually before uninstalling WhatsApp.
- Use the fingerprint lock to prevent unauthorized access.
- Confirm deletion before removing messages or chats.
- Be careful while deleting messages and avoid selecting wrong chats.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s architecture and privacy policy prevents them from storing deleted user data. So once a message is removed, it’s likely gone for good from their servers.
However, with timely backups and data recovery methods, there is still a chance to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages. Follow suitable steps based on your device platform and take precautions to avoid losing important data.