How to recover deleted WhatsApp chats: A complete guide

Accidentally deleting WhatsApp messages can be frustrating, especially if your chats contained important information or sentimental messages. Fortunately, there are several methods you can employ to recover those lost chats, offering a glimmer of hope for restoring your digital memories.

This guide will walk you through the different recovery options, ensuring you have a comprehensive understanding of how to retrieve your deleted WhatsApp chats.

Recovery through automatic backups

WhatsApp offers an automatic backup feature that can be a lifesaver in such situations. By default, WhatsApp backs up your chats to Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iOS) regularly. To recover deleted chats using this method:

1. Uninstall WhatsApp from your device.

2. Reinstall WhatsApp and verify your phone number.

3. During setup, you will be prompted to restore your chats from the backup. Tap on “Restore” to initiate the process.

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This method works if your deleted chats were included in a recent backup. Remember that the frequency of your backups determines how far back you can recover messages.

Recovery from local backups (for Android)

If you haven’t enabled cloud backups, there’s still hope. WhatsApp also saves local backups of your chats on your device. To restore from a local backup:

1. Navigate to your device’s file manager and find the WhatsApp folder.

2. Locate the ‘Databases’ folder.

3. Identify the backup file you want to restore (usually named “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12”).

4. Rename this file to ‘msgstore.db.crypt12.’

5. Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.

6. During setup, choose to ‘restore chats from local backup.’

Recovery using third-party apps

Several third-party apps claim to recover deleted WhatsApp chats even without backups. While these apps might work in some cases, proceed with caution as they often require access to your device’s data and may not be entirely reliable. It is essential to research and choose reputable apps before using them.

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The general approach is to look for reputable data recovery tools compatible with your device. Some popular options include Dr.Fone, EaseUS MobiSaver, and Tenorshare UltData. Install the tool on your computer and connect your device via USB. Follow the instructions provided by the software to scan and recover deleted WhatsApp chats.

While accidentally deleting WhatsApp chats can be disheartening, there are several ways to recover them, depending on your backup settings and device type. Remember to act swiftly and explore the various options outlined in this guide to increase your chances of resurrecting those lost conversations. By taking preventative measures like enabling regular backups for your chats though, you can safeguard them against future mishaps, which force you to restore them in the first place though.