Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Android and IOS

Losing important WhatsApp conversations can be stressful. Fortunately, if you have enabled the automatic backup feature, restoring your chats is a straightforward process. This guide provides the clear, simple instructions you need to restore deleted WhatsApp messages on both Android and iPhone.

The recovery method is the same for all users: you must use your existing cloud backup (Google Drive for Android or iCloud for iPhone) by performing a fresh reinstallation of the app.

Crucial Pre-Recovery Checklist

Before proceeding with the uninstallation steps, you must confirm two points. Restoring the backup will permanently overwrite your current chat history, so proceed with caution.

• Verify Backup Date: Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. You can only restore messages if the “Last Backup” timestamp is older than when you deleted the messages.
• Account Match: You must be signed into the exact same phone number and same cloud account (Google Drive/iCloud) that was used to create the backup.

How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages (Android & iPhone)

To force WhatsApp to recognize and offer the restore option, you must uninstall and reinstall the application.

Android: Restoring via Google Drive

1. Uninstall WhatsApp from your Android device.
2. Reinstall WhatsApp from the Google Play Store.
3. Open the app and follow the prompts to verify your phone number.
4. Wait for the prompt where WhatsApp detects your Google Drive backup.
5. Tap the ‘Restore’ button to begin retrieving your messages and media.
6. Tap ‘Next’ once the process is complete, and your restored chats will load.

iPhone: Restoring via iCloud

1. Uninstall WhatsApp from your iPhone.
2. Reinstall WhatsApp from the Apple App Store.
3. Open the app and verify your phone number. Ensure you are signed into the correct iCloud account.
4. Wait for the prompt where WhatsApp offers to restore your chat history.
5. Tap ‘Restore Chat History’ to download your conversations from iCloud.
6. Tap ‘Next’ when the restoration is finished to complete the setup.

Preventing Future Data Loss

To ensure you always have a current backup, check your automatic backup frequency.

1. Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
2. Under ‘Back up to Google Drive’ (Android) or ‘Auto Backup’ (iPhone), change the setting to Daily.
3. Ensure the ‘Include Videos’ toggle is set according to your preference.