How to Restore Exported WhatsApp Chat

With over 2 billion users globally, WhatsApp has become one of the most popular communication platforms for sharing anything and everything. End-users exchange vital information daily, whether for business or personal use. When saving chats, most people prefer to take backups. It’s safe to export WhatsApp chats to external storage since you can always import them if your device or computer is lost. If you’re searching for a method to restore your lost but exported WhatsApp chat history, this guide will help you move it from that location to the same or a different device.

You can use different strategies like email, Google Drive, or third-party apps to import chat from another device. Read our instructions and determine the methods you can try on your end.

Method 1. Using Google Drive to Export and Import WhatsApp Chat

Your WhatsApp data is synced or automatically backed up to your Google account. These are the steps to configure backups of WhatsApp chats on an Android device using Google Drive.

1. On your Android phone, open the WhatsApp messenger app.
2. Tap the three-dot (more) button in the top right corner.
3. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings.”
4. On “Chats,” tap “Select a Chat” and choose the “Chat Backup” option.
5. Tap the “Back up to Google Drive” button.
6. Select the frequency at which you want to back up.
7. Start by selecting your Google Account to store your WhatsApp backup.
8. Now, from the drop-down menu, choose to back up while connected to Wi-Fi, cellular network, or both.
9. To be clear, this is only for those interested in saving video files. Select the radio button for “Include Videos” if you want to keep videos.

Method 2. Restore Exported WhatsApp Chat via Email

This segment is helpful for users who want to export WhatsApp chats from emails. Note that this approach is often more complex than the others listed below. 

1. Open Gmail, ideally on your Android or iOS device to save time and effort.
2. Look for an email that says, “Here are the highlights of your exported chat history.”
3. Download the data to your phone straight away and put it in any folder.
4. Remove WhatsApp from your smartphone.
5. Reinstall it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
6. Now, open WhatsApp.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the account set-up process and import data.
8. To restore the downloaded WhatsApp data, press the “Restore” button.
9. After you’ve completed the restoration process, proceed to the “Next” button to finish setting up.

This is the most effective method to use. The only problem with this approach is that it might take longer than you expect. If you export your WhatsApp chats to a local backup and end up with a ZIP file containing all the data, then performing it is impossible. You won’t be able to read the chat because you’ll import it into WhatsApp manually instead.

Method 3: Restoring Exported WhatsApp Chat via Wondershare MobileTrans

If you’re still stuck on how to import exported WhatsApp chat on iPhone or Android, it’s recommended to use a third-party application. The following restoration process uses Wondershare MobileTrans – WhatsApp Transfer. We have no affiliation and are merely demonstrating the procedure.

1. The Wondershare MobileTrans app is only available for iOS and Android devices. On your PC, download WhatsApp Transfer from MobileTrans.
2. Install and select “WhatsApp Transfer” from the home menu after opening it.
3. To continue, press the “Restore to device” button.
4. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable. To restore WhatsApp on your phone, you must select the backup file.
5. Restoring data from a WhatsApp backup file is as simple as selecting the “Start” option. 
6. Choosing the “Start” option to reload data from the WhatsApp backup file. It might take some time for everything to finish; be patient.

Note: The procedure is the same for iPhone users who want to learn how to import their WhatsApp chat from another device.

Method 4: Use iTransor to Retrieve Exported WhatsApp Conversations

If you don’t have an email or Google Drive backup, you need to create yours to protect yourself from data loss. Every time you take a backup, it will be stored locally on your computer and can be restored to any device. Because it differs from the official approach, Backup with iTransor for WhatsApp will not remove your previous one. Creating a backup looks like this:

1. On your PC, download iTransor for WhatsApp and launch it after installing. 
2. On the left panel, choose ‘Back Up WhatsApp on Devices.’
3. Connect your Android or iOS device to your Windows PC or Mac using a USB cable. 
4. Using the instructions on your screen, create a backup of your WhatsApp conversation. 
5. Select the “Export/Restore WhatsApp Backup” option from the left-hand menu when you’ve finished backing up.
6. A list of backups will appear, and you can choose the one you want to export. 
7. After you’ve selected the backup, select “Export to Computer.” The program will begin scanning once it’s done, and you can see all your WhatsApp chats.
8. Select the chats you wish to export by searching and selecting each.
9. Select a location for the export files, as well as their format.
   Note. It’s recommended to use the HTML format to read the chats on your browser as they display on your phone.
10. Hit the “Export” button, and your exported conversations appear immediately after completion.

Restore WhatsApp Exported Chats from an iTransor Backup

Here’s how to use iTransor for WhatsApp to import the exported WhatsApp conversations:

1. In the ‘Export/Restore WhatsApp Backup’ tab, select the backup that includes the chats you want to recover. This time, rather than Export to PC, choose ‘Restore to Device.’
2. If you select “Yes,” it will open WhatsApp backup for you to preview. To confirm that the WhatsApp chat you wish to restore is in this backup, select “Yes.”
3. If you are interested in viewing anything, select “No” and connect the Android phone to import your WhatsApp chat.
4. Proceed with “Next”. Wait until the import process finishes.