Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Android Mobile

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

whatsapp message restore on android mobile

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:

  1. Uninstall WhatsApp.
  2. Open the WhatsApp database or backup folder. Decide which backup file you want to restore.
  3. Rename that file from “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt7” to “msgstore.db.crypt7”.
  4. Install WhatsApp.
  5. 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.

WhatsApp message backup settings samsung galaxy phones

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.

264 thoughts on “Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Android Mobile”

  1. hi matt
    i have galaxy6 edge and i installed the data recovery software and it scanned my phone but it keeps showing flash recovery package failed
    and i have already enabled the usb debugging

  2. hi matt,
    i have installed wondershare dr.fone for android, for recovery of my whatsapp data, but every time program get closed during 33% of scanning at recover stage. my model is LG L90-D410
    Please suggest.

  3. hi, i have Samsung note 3 and my phone stopped suddenly then i had to install anew software and i didn’t save any data and when installing the applications,i found that i lost everything on whats app because i skipped the restoration step by mistake. Is there any possible way to get back my chat history and photos? note: i don’t have a memory card.

    1. you can download the android phone data recovery software on to your computer, and connect your Samsung note to the computer via USB, finally run the recovery software to scan your device see if the lost Whatsapp chat history can still be found.

  4. I would like to recover some whatsup messages from my Samsung J700F ( Android 6), it’s not rooted, my questions are below:
    – is the phone model It’s suppoted by your Rooting application?
    – what do you suggest from me as solution? to buy the rooting application and data recovery also?

    Thanks in advance

    1. we have tested this recovery tool to be working with Samsung SM-J700F that is running on Android 5.1.1. you can download and try the data recovery trial version see if any luck. the data recovery has the built-in rooting utility, so you do not need to buy them both.

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