How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages: From Checking the Archive to Restoring a Backup
When an important message or an entire chat is deleted on WhatsApp by mistake, many people assume there is no way to get it back. In some cases, however, a deleted chat can be recovered. If the chat was only archived, it can be brought back easily. If it was permanently deleted, a backup created beforehand is needed. The method of restoring deleted messages from a backup differs somewhat between Android and iPhone.
Sometimes a chat that seems to have been deleted has actually been archived by mistake. In that case, there is no need to restore a backup. On Android, open WhatsApp and enter the Archived option at the top of the chat list. Press and hold the chat you want to bring back to select it, then tap the unarchive icon at the top, and the chat will return to the main list.
On iPhone, go to the WhatsApp chat list, swipe down to find Archived Chats, then swipe left on the relevant chat and select Unarchive.
If the WhatsApp backup is stored in Google Drive, it can be used to restore chats. First, open WhatsApp and go to Settings, then Chats and Chat Backup, to check the date and time of the latest backup. Then reinstall WhatsApp using the same phone number and Google account. After verifying the number, when the option to restore chats from the backup appears, select Restore.
A backup can also be stored in an Android phone’s internal storage. In the phone’s file manager, these files can be found in the Databases folder under Android, Media and WhatsApp. However, recovering messages from an older backup requires a few extra steps, including renaming the file.
On iPhone, go to WhatsApp Settings, then Chats and Chat Backup, to check whether a backup exists in iCloud and when it was created. If a backup exists, delete WhatsApp, reinstall it and verify the phone number. Then, when the Restore Chat History option appears, select it to bring the chats back. This method requires an iCloud backup to have been created beforehand.
It should be remembered, however, that messages received after a backup was created will not be in that backup. Checking the backup date before restoring is therefore essential. If no backup was created beforehand, the chance of recovering deleted messages is limited. Keeping regular chat backups is advisable to avoid losing important conversations in the future.
