We have all gone through moments when, accidentally, we deleted important messages from WhatsApp. But did you know that it is possible to restore deleted messages? Yes, that's right!
In the digital universe, nothing disappears completely. Therefore, with the correct tools and the appropriate steps, you can recover those messages you thought were lost forever.
Through the following content, we will explore the process of how to restore deleted WhatsApp messages. Follow us on this journey and recover those essential conversations that were deleted for some reason.
Table of Content
Is it really possible to restore deleted WhatsApp messages?
The answer is very simple: yes. With the advancement of technology, many applications and systems have resources to recover lost or deleted data. In the case of WhatsApp, it is no different.
There are several methods that can be used to restore deleted WhatsApp messages, but it is important to emphasize that not all options are effective and may generate satisfactory results. Therefore, it is essential to follow the correct steps to ensure the recovery of your messages.
Restore deleted WhatsApp messages on Android
On Android, there are two main options for message restoration: the Google Drive backup or the local procedure. Each process works differently.
Restore deleted WhatsApp messages from Google Drive
To recover deleted messages using the Google Drive backup, it is not possible to do it automatically, so it is necessary to perform some steps.
- First, access “Apps” on your mobile device, then tap “Settings” in the notification bar, and select “Apps”;
- Next, find and access WhatsApp, tap “Storage” and then “Clear data”;
- Once done, confirm the action. Open WhatsApp again, agree to the terms, and enter the phone number used to perform the backup;
- Finally, tap “Restore” to recover the saved messages. If WhatsApp takes too long to locate a backup, try closing and reopening the app.
Restore deleted WhatsApp messages from local backup
If the Google Drive option does not work, or you believe that the local backup contains the necessary information, you can try to restore this backup. WhatsApp saves up to 7 versions of the local backup on your phone, in addition to sending the most recent version to Google Drive. Local backups are saved in /WhatsApp/Databases.
To perform this option, you will need to delete the Google Drive backup, since WhatsApp gives preference to this backup when restoring.
- First, to do this, access the Google Drive storage area on a computer, click on “Storage” and on “Backups”;
- Next, click on the backup of your phone number and select “Delete backup”. After that, access the WhatsApp “Databases” folder through your phone's file manager;
- Once done, locate the desired backup and rename the document from “msgstore-AAAA-MM-DD.1.db.crypt15” to “msgstore.db.crypt15”.
- Finally, delete and reinstall WhatsApp, enter your phone number, and restore the found backup.
Restore deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone
On iOS devices, the only option to recover deleted WhatsApp messages is through the iCloud backup, as WhatsApp for iOS does not support mutable local backups. Before starting the restoration process, it is essential to check if the automatic backup is active on your iCloud.
To do this, you can go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. In this area, you can check if your chats are being saved — if not, you will not be able to restore the backup, but you can activate it for future needs.
In addition, also check when the last backup was performed to ensure that it contains the messages you want to recover. That said, here are the steps to follow:
- First, reinstall WhatsApp — remove the app from your phone and reinstall it;
- Next, log in to your WhatsApp account — enter the phone number and tap “Next” to go to the next screen;
- Finally, recover the deleted messages — choose “Restore” after WhatsApp detects a saved backup in iCloud.
Restore archived WhatsApp messages
It is possible that in some situations you believe a conversation on WhatsApp was deleted, when in fact it may have only been archived. If this is the case, you can relax, as the process of restoring archived messages is quite straightforward and without complications. See how you can perform this task on the various available platforms:
On Android
In the case of Android devices, you can recover archived chats on WhatsApp by following the steps below:
- First, on the home screen, scroll down the list of conversations;
- Select the “Archived” option;
- Press and hold the conversation you want to recover;
- Finally, tap the upward-pointing arrow icon.
The WhatsApp interface on Android facilitates the restoration of conversations from the app's home screen.
On iOS
If you are an iOS device user, you can unarchive hidden conversations on WhatsApp by following these steps:
- First, on the home screen, scroll down the list of conversations;
- Next, when it appears, tap the “Archived” option;
- Press and hold the conversation you want to restore;
- Finally, tap “Unarchive”.
Unarchiving conversations on WhatsApp on iOS is a simple process that can be done with a few taps.
On the Web
For those who use WhatsApp Web, retrieving archived conversations is an easy task. See how:
- First, on the home screen, click the three-dot icon;
- Click on “Archived”;
- Select the desired conversation and position the mouse over it;
- Click the downward arrow icon;
- Finally, click on “Unarchive chat”.
Recovering archived conversations from WhatsApp in the browser is simple, and you can access them directly from the home screen.
On Windows
WhatsApp for Windows users also have the option to unarchive messages with just a few clicks. Below, we present the steps:
- First, on the home screen, click the box icon in the left sidebar;
- Next, right-click on the conversation you want to restore;
- Finally, click the “Unarchive” option.
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Conclusion
As we have seen, it is possible to recover deleted and archived messages on WhatsApp in a simple and quick way. However, it is important to remember that these procedures are only effective if the backups are active and contain the desired information.
Therefore, we recommend performing periodic backups to avoid greater headaches in case any important conversation is accidentally deleted. In addition, it is worth noting that these options may vary depending on the operating system and app updates, so always check if your device offers all the recovery options mentioned in this guide.
