How to read backed-up WhatsApp messages

Whether you use WhatsApp for business or simply to stay in touch with your friends, there’s no denying that the messages sent or received are important. While your smartphone app will prompt you every now and then to back up your data, how does one really access it? If you’re here looking for the answer, we have it simplified for you below. Read on:

Why should you back up your WhatsApp chats?

WhatsApp backup ensures all your essential communication stays in one place. This is especially useful for the times you wish to change your device or accidentally damage it and cannot access your chats. In fact, the Meta-owned app recently also announced how it will begin counting media backup against your Google Drive storage. But here’s how it actually works. 

How to find your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive

Your WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted. This means that you will not be able to read them on your laptop or a PC but will be able to go through them on Google Drive. But simply searching for ‘WhatsApp backup’ may not yield you the right results. Instead, you might have to go through a simple step-by-step process.

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Step 1: Use your Google ID to log into your Drive; ensure it is the same ID that is backing up your WhatsApp data
Step 2: On the left-hand side of the screen, you will find an option that reads Storage; click on it
Step 3: Within this option, you should be able to find a button that reads Backups on the top of the screen
Step 4: Clicking on Backups should take you to a window that holds all your device backups. If you use an Android smartphone, this is also where you will typically find data like images and apps.
Step 5: Once you locate the file WhatsApp backup, you can make changes to it, including previewing it and reading or modifying it

Reading your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to access your WhatsApp backup. Of course, when you switch to a new phone is certainly one, but you might also require it when you don’t have your device on you.

Clicking on it may not open the file, which is why it is best to use WhatsApp managing tools to help you edit, create or transfer these chats. Apps such as DroidKit or WhatsApp Recovery will allow you to read or access your chats.

How to access WhatsApp backups on iPhone

you. While you can use apps like AnyTrans to help sort and manage your WhatsApp data, you might have to resort to an additional step of syncing your social accounts to the MacBook or iMac app. Once you log in using your Gmail ID, you will be able to decrypt the chat data on your PC.

If you’re looking to access this data on iCloud, you might have to rely on iTunes, if not third-party apps, to download and view your chats.

To ensure all the important information is in one place, make sure you use a common ID to backup your data. It is always a good idea to keep a common Google ID to store your smartphone or app data in place.