If you accidentally deleted WhatsApp chat history, messages and attachments on Android phones, like Samsung galaxy phones, LG phones, HTC, Lenovo, Motorola, you can get them back. In this article, we will show you different ways to recover deleted WhatsApp data. We will introduce how to get back your recover deleted WhatsApp messages or chat history with the chat app, we will also recommend a more powerful Android data recovery which is easy to use and free to download.
#1. Recover WhatsApp Chat History from recent backups
If you have any backups of WhatsApp chat history, you will be able to recover chat history from your backups. If you deleted any Chat history or messages without backup, you can still recover lost messages, attachments from the WhatsApp automatic backups. It is because WhatsApp automatically makes backups every day at 4 AM (your local time) and stores them on your phone’s internal memory (only given that there is enough free space) or external microSD card of your Android phone. What you will need in order to recover WhatsApp messages is to uninstall the WhatsApp, then reinstall the chat app again. During the installation process, you will be prompted to restore your message history. Simply tap Restore and everything less than seven days old is restored.
#2. Recover WhatsApp Chat History from older (less recent) backups
You can follow below instructions to restore WhatsApp messages or chats from a backup:
- Uninstall WhatsApp.
- Open the WhatsApp database or backup folder. Decide which backup file you want to restore.
- Rename that file from “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt7” to “msgstore.db.crypt7”.
- Install WhatsApp.
- When asked to restore, tap Restore.
You can find the WhatsApp backup files from /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder, you will see that they are saved with names like “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt7”. Note that WhatsApp backup folder may be located in either your phone’s internal memory or external memory.
What are the disadvantages of recovering WhatsApp chat messages from backups?
- The automatic backup files of your WhatsApp chat history and messages are only valid for 7 days after last saved. Make sure you import your chat history before it expires! You can’t find or restore data from backups that are more than 7 days old.
- You will lose the newest WhatsApp messages. Current chat history that has not been backed up yet will be lost upon restoration. That is to say you will lose all of the messages that you have sent and received since the backup was created.
- You can’t restore chat messages if your SD card and/or chat history is corrupted.
- You can’t restore chat history if you have a different phone number than when you backed up your chats.
- If you run a manual backup, it will overwrite the most recent automatic backup file.
#3. How to recover recent WhatsApp chat messages without losing newest chat history?
We know that new messages sent/received after a backup, and deleted before the next backup, cannot be restored. If you want to keep a copy of the newest WhatsApp messages, you can create a manual backup from
WhatsApp > Menu Button > Settings > Chat Settings > Backup conversations.
This manual backup file will normally be saved as “msgstore.db.crypt7” in your /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder. Rename this chat backup file to something like “msgstore.db.crypt7.newest” or “msgstore.db.crypt7.current”.
There’s no simple way to merge your new message with your old, recovered messages though.
Hi Matt,
Follow up to my previous question a few minutes ago that’s still waiting approval.
Am realizing that the file size is much too small to contain anything. It’s 4.75 mb, therefore it couldn’t possibly contain the files I need and the others aren’t much larger and it’s abt 6 of them. My phone storage’s whatsApp files are empty, just occupying the stupid folder. Where are they, what do I do?
Nola
If your previous backups don’t have the information you need to restore. You can try the option 4 as mentioned in above post. This solution can scan your phone’s storage and SD card if any for the deleted WhatsApp data. When the WhatsApp files and messages deleted from your phone, you can’t find them from the Whatsapp folders, as they have been marked deletion, they become unreadable and invisible using regular file explorers. the above Android phone data recovery is able to find and extract those deleted Whatsapp data from the phone to computer before the data being overwritten by new data saved on the phone. generally speaking you will have much higher chance to get back those recently deleted data, as data deleted long ago could have already been overwritten. Also we have not tested the Android phone recovery with your phone model, so we are unsure whether it will work or not. You can download the free trial version on to your computer and give it a shot. Several Blu phones we have tested to be compatible include the Blu STUDIO 6.0 HD running on Android 4.3, 4.2.2, Blu STUDIO on Android 2.3.5, 4.2.1, 4.4.2, 4.1.2, 4.2.2, Blu advance on Android 4.2.2, Blu Dash, Blu Life, Blu Neo on Android 4.4.2, Blu Star, etc. The phone recovery will root your phone in order to get the root user access to your device so as to recover as much data as possible. If it fails to root the phone, you can use a third party tool to root the phone first.
Hi Matt,
I pray am not too late. I read the article option 4 where I need to recover old WhatsApp data but am still unsure whether I would qualify.
My earliest file under SD card database is June 8, 2016. I need to recover files from 2015 as well that got ‘deleted on June 14, 2016. What happened was that my phone kept prompting me that my internal storage was running low. With this prompt I would still try to access WhatsApp but kept getting the option to restore or not to restore. It seems the last attempt I accidently hit donot restore, am still not sure that was my selection, but maybe. So now all my msgs from 2015 to that point got wiped.
Today I deleted and reinstalled whatsapp hoping to recover all from Google drive and whatever else. But it appears that Google drive only stored the most recent. I saw it had only 208 mb which was impossible due to the tonne of msgs I would have received and kept for good reasons others I would have deleted. So obviously Google drive doesn’t have what I need. My questions are:
1. Is the earliest file june 8, 2016 on sd card database indicative of files from 2015 when I got the phone up to that point or merely recent files up to that point?
2. Can I also restore the whatsapp call log that I also retained for good reasons. Am so depressed. I hope u can help. I have a stupid Blu studio plus x- not even a year old.
3. Can I restore all my kept WhatsApp files, calls, recordings, media up to the point they got deletd. Whilst it would be nice to get back all up to today, I would be quite content with up to the point of deletion.
Help!
Hi,
Is there any way to retrive 2 years WhatsApp chat from a phone which was not in use for long time? WhatsApp was deleted from that phone.
Yes. it is possible if the deleted WhatsApp chat history was not overwritten by new data saved on the phone. If the WhatsApp app and its data was deleted from your phone, later you saved a lot of new data on the phone, the chance to get them back is slim.
You do not need to install WhatsApp on the phone in order to recover deleted WhatsApp messages and data from the phone. You can download the mobile phone data recovery software on to your PC or Mac, then connect up your phone to computer via USB, run the recovery software to scan your phone’s internal storage for those lost WhatsApp data.
Hi Matt,
I have Samsung galaxy pocket neo gt-s5312.this my first mobile started to use whatsapp.one year before I make factory restore. That time I miss all my messages. Again I used it as a new phone. I installed whatsapp again. I used 5 month then I changed ma mobile. Still I have the old one(not using) but I need ma old deleted msgs.what is the solution to get back the old deleted msgs. its very important for me.pls help me….
Do you mean to get back deleted Whatsapp messages from Samsung Galaxy gt-s5312? You can download above Android phone recovery software on to your PC or Mac, then connect up your phone to computer via USB and run the data recovery software to scan your phone see if any Whatsapp chat history can be retrieved. GT-s5312 is a supported model. However since the data was deleted long time ago, the chance to get them back is slim.
Hi Matt,
i am using samsung galaxy S3 android version JELLY BEAN i.e 4.3, but when i connect my phone with USB cable with my PC…and after getting scan of device a message pop up on my pc screen i.e (IF THE OS VERSION IS 4.2.2 OR ABOVE, PLEASE AUTHORIZE YOUR PC VIA YOUR DEVICE AS BELOW), but my question is that my android version is 4.3, than when cant i recover my whatsapp messages.
the data recovery software on PC requires you to authorize the scanning of phone’s internal storage from PC. when you see this messages on PC screen, double check your mobile phone screen see if a pop-up dialogue shows up, if you see an authorization prompt on mobile phone screen, choose authorize or confirm so the recovery software on PC can proceed to scan your phone and recover data from phone to PC.