You’re a frequent user of messaging apps, and let’s face it, you’re completely right to do so. Wireless Internet is spread out, and almost all of us receive a certain amount of data via the mobile Internet on our devices. Plus, you have an advantage over standard SMS, as you can send a wide variety of emojis, attach pictures, GIF, videos, and much more. But what happens if your phone crashes, and you’re forced to do a factory reset? Or maybe you’d like to take precautions to avoid stressing over it altogether? No worries – we’ll teach you all you need to know about recovering deleted WhatsApp messages on your iPhone.
Where are WhatsApp messages stored on iPhone?
On iPhone, WhatsApp messages are stored in the device storage. When you start taking backups, they will be stored either in the iCloud or iTunes, based on your preference. It’s important to realize – WhatsApp doesn’t store your messages on any of their servers, and therefore has no means of recovering them for you. That’s why you’ll need to take a different set of steps, and luckily – you already have everything you need. We’re talking about iCloud, a feature you use and should use regularly, as it’s very helpful. First, we’d like for you to follow these detailed steps we provided. If that doesn’t work, kindly scroll a bit further to try and find a solution there.
There are several steps and procedures included in creating and restoring a WhatsApp backup on your iPhone. In order to restore something, you should have a working backup. Here is how you do it, as well as how to recover from it later.
How to create WhatsApp backup on iPhone?
We’re covering the best-case scenario first, and that is – you’re aware of the danger of losing your messages poses. In order to schedule a backup manually, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Chats.
- Choose Chat Backup.
- Go to Back Up Now.
Optional: Tap Auto Backup to make the process automatic and convenient.
Keep in mind, the process can take a while, and as always, it depends on both the number of files, as well as your Internet speed, which brings us to our next point, and a few things to keep in mind.
- If you’re on a limited data plan and want to make sure it only performs the backup when you’re connected to Wi-Fi:
- iOS 7: Open iPhone Settings > iCloud > Tap Documents & Data > Make sure Use Cellular Data is turned off
- iOS 8 and newer: Once again, open iPhone Settings > Go to Cellular > Turn off iCloud Drive
- Make sure you’re signed in with your Apple ID and using iOS7 or newer operating systems.
- Check if iCloud is enabled:
- For iOS 7: Open iPhone Settings > iCloud > Tap on Documents & Data, and check if it’s turned on.
- For iOS 8 and newer: Open iPhone Settings > Tap on your name > Once again, tap on iCloud and make sure iCloud Drive is on.
- Finally, check how much free space you have left, and clean if necessary.
How to restore messages from WhatsApp backup on iPhone?
Now that backup is created and secure, in case things go awry, you have a method of defense against losing them forever.
- Restoring WhatsApp messages is easy – first, you need to make sure there is a chat back up in place.
- Open WhatsApp > Go to Settings > Open Chats > Chat Backup, and verify the date is recent.
- Now that you’re assured, you can perform a factory reset, reinstall the application, and other things you’ve planned.
- Once you reinstall the app, you’ll need to enter your phone number, and it’s smooth sailing from there – just follow on-screen instructions and choose to restore the backup from the backed up data.
- There’s an additional option to solidify your data, and that is sending your chat history to your e-mail. In order to do that, go ahead and do the following:
- Open the chat you want to be saved > Tap the name of the contact or a group > Now tap Export Chat > Choose if you want to Attach Media or proceed Without Media > Open your Mail app or choose More > Just type your e-mail address, and your data is safe.
How to fix common iCloud backup problems
Whenever it comes to software, various unexpected things can happen. Maybe it’s an error on your part, and you’ve forgotten to enable and perform a crucial step. Or maybe there are certain requirements and limitations you simply don’t meet… yet. Let’s take a look at some of the frequent problems users come across when trying to perform a backup:
- Make sure iCloud is enabled – just follow the steps we’ve mentioned above.
- It’s important that no other device is using iCloud with your Apple ID. Even if it has used in the past before you moved on, it can stay enabled and cause issues. In that case, you should update to iOS 8 and newer, which will likely fix the problem.
- Do you have enough free space on your iCloud account? If you’ve uploaded various things in the past, it might be running low. In order to take a look, go right ahead with this:
- iOS 8.0 and newer: iPhone Settings > Find your name on the list > Tap iCloud
- iOS 7: iPhone Settings > Choose iCloud > Go to Storage & Backup
If you’ve created a backup, but cannot recover it, verify if you did these –
- Did you type the correct phone number, and is it the right iCloud account connected to it?
- Once again, verify there is enough free space to download your backup.
- To clarify, iCloud has changed to iCloud Drive after iOS 8.0. This, unfortunately, means that they’re not compatible with each other. Therefore, you cannot restore an iOS 7.0 backup on an iPhone using iOS 8.0 and later operating systems.
- If everything else fails, consider enabling cellular data if you have enough, or try with a different wireless network. Just make sure to be in the vicinity, as there is clever design in place – it works best if you connect near a place you usually connect from.
How to recover WhatsApp messages without a backup?
Recovering unbacked up WhatsApp messages can be difficult. This puts you in a harder situation, albeit not one impossible to deal with. Thankfully, there is various software on the market that can help you with your problem, and most of them are free. Some do allow you to do a full search, but require a Pro version in order to actually recover your files. Our recommendations go to EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, which we already reviewed recently. Furthermore, you can take a look at our list of 10 best data recovery software for PC we’ve created for your convenience, and choose the option you think is best.
FAQs
These are some of the commonly asked questions about recovering WhatsApp messages from an iPhone –
1. Can I recover WhatsApp messages if I lost my iPhone?
Yes. If you have a backup of your WhatsApp messages in services like iCloud, that means, you can restore them to any iPhone as long as you know the credentials. If you do not have a backup of your messages, then, there is no way you are getting back those messages unless you find the device. So, make sure that you backup your messages because it is easier to restore exported WhatsApp chat.
2. What is the maximum time period of messages I can recover?
There are no such limits for how far you can recover the messages. As long as the messages are frequently backed up to your iCloud or iTunes, you can recover all of them. It doesn’t matter whether the message was sent a few days ago or a few years ago.
3. Can I trust WhatsApp message recovery tools?
It depends on how popular the tool is and how they conduct their business. There are only a few good tools that actually works in recovering your WhatsApp messages. Before choosing any tool, make sure that you trust the company and that the software has good reviews.
4. Can I recover view once photos on WhatsApp?
Yes. You can recover view once photos on WhatsApp. However, there is a catch. As you can see in our guide, you will not be able to recover them if the photo has been already viewed. As long as you didn’t open it, then there is a chance.
