How to recover deleted WhatsApp messages: Step by step

The way in which a WhatsApp chat can be restored on Android or iOS depends on whether you have archived or deleted it. There are solutions for both, although in the case of deleted chats, you must have already created a chat backup in advance. It is also possible to transfer your WhatsApp chats from an old phone.

Chats that you have sent to the archive on your Android can be brought back to your chat listing by following a few steps. We’ll show you exactly what they look like:

If you have archived a WhatsApp chat on your iPhone, but now want to bring it back to your chat history, follow these steps:

Once you select “Archived Chats”, you will see them in a list. Find the WhatsApp chat you want to restore, and swipe left once on it with your finger.

As an Android user, you have two backup options to choose from to restore your old and also deleted WhatsApp messages. The first way is via a local backup, which automatically backs up your backups once a day, but can also be done manually under the settings. The second way works with the help of Google Drive. Proceed as follows:

On your Android, open “My Documents” and follow the path below: “Internal Storage” > “Android” > “media” > “com.WhatsApp” > “WhatsApp” > “Databases”. Here you will now see various msgstore backup files of your WhatsApp chats.

Select the msgstore file that contains the date from which you want to recover your previous WhatsApp chats. Next, tap the three-dot button at the top right and “Rename” to give the file the name msgstore.db.crypt14.

The next step is to delete and reinstall WhatsApp. You will then be notified that a local backup has been found. If you have a WhatsApp backup created with Google Drive then you will be offered this backup as well. Tap “Restore” and your old WhatsApp chats will be available again.

If you want to restore your chat history and deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone with a backup, you must have created one beforehand using iCloud. Otherwise, you will not be able to restore them. Proceed as follows:

To restore your chat history via a backup, you first need to check whether such a backup exists at all. To do this, go to “Settings” in WhatsApp, then “Chats” and finally “Chat Backup”.

If you have an iCloud backup, you just need to delete and reinstall WhatsApp. After you enter your phone number, you will see the backup. Tap “Restore” in the top right corner and last but not least, enter your profile name. Your chat histories are now restored.

If you have bought a new phone and are now wondering how to transfer your WhatsApp chat history to it, there are three possible options:

If you want to transfer your WhatsApp chats from your old cell phone to another of the same kind - that is, Android to Android or iPhone to iPhone - you can do it using the backups already presented. To do this, you just need to download your Google Drive or iCloud backup in the WhatsApp of your new cell phone. However, this only works if you use the same phone number (and Apple ID) as on your old device.

Even if your old phone was an iPhone and your new one is an Android, there is nothing to stop you from transferring your WhatsApp chats. Under “Settings”, there is an option “Move chats to Android” that allows you to easily transfer your text messages and media.

Transferring from an Android to an iOS device is a bit more complicated. In this case, you need to use a paid computer utility such as “Backuptrans Android WhatsApp to iPhone Transfer” or “dr.fone”. After installing it, activate the so-called USB debugging option on your Android, but you should undo it later after the transfer is successful. Finally, use two USB cables to link your old Android and your new iPhone to your computer and start the transfer of your WhatsApp data.