We've all had those moments when we accidentally deleted important messages from our computer. 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 right tools and the right steps, you can recover those messages you thought you had 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.
Content Index
Is it really possible to restore deleted WhatsApp messages?
The answer is quite 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 note that not all options are effective and can 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 restoring messages: the Google Drive backup or the local procedure. Each process works differently.
Restore Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Google Drive
To recover deleted messages using a Google Drive backup, it is not possible to do so automatically, so you need to perform a few steps.
- First, go to “Applications” on your mobile device, then tap "Settings" in the notification bar, and select “Applications”;
- Then find and access WhatsApp, tap "Storage" and then in “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 "To restore" to retrieve saved messages. If WhatsApp takes a long time to find a backup, try closing and opening the app again.
Restore Deleted WhatsApp Messages to Local Backup
If the Google Drive option doesn't work, or you believe your local backup contains the information you need, you can try restoring this backup. WhatsApp saves up to 7 local backup versions on your phone and sends the latest version to Google Drive. Local backups are saved in /WhatsApp/Databases.
To perform this option, you will need to delete the Google Drive backup, as WhatsApp prefers this backup when restoring.
- First, to do this, access the Google Drive storage area on a computer, click "Storage" is at “Backups”;
- Then click on your phone number backup and select “Delete backup”. After that, access the folder “Databases” from WhatsApp through your cell phone's file manager;
- Once done, locate the desired backup and rename the backup document. “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt15” for “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 device, the only option to recover deleted WhatsApp messages is through iCloud backup as WhatsApp for iOS does not support local mutable backups. Before we begin the restoration process, it is essential to verify that 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 whether your conversations are being saved — if they are not, you will not be able to restore the backup, but you can activate it for future needs.
Additionally, also check when the last backup was performed to ensure 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;
- Then sign in to your WhatsApp account — enter your phone number and tap "Advance" to go to the next screen;
- Finally, recover deleted messages — choose "To restore" after WhatsApp detects a backup saved in iCloud.
Restore archived WhatsApp messages
It is possible that in some situations you believe that a WhatsApp conversation has been deleted, when, in fact, it may have just been archived. If this is the case, you can relax as the process of restoring archived messages is quite straightforward and hassle-free. 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, swipe down the conversation list;
- Select the option “Archived”;
- Long press on the conversation you want to recover;
- Finally, tap the upward-pointing arrow icon.
The WhatsApp interface on Android makes it easy to restore 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, swipe down the conversation list;
- Then, when it appears, tap the option “Archived”;
- Long press on the conversation you want to restore;
- Finally, tap “Unarchive”.
Unarchiving conversations on WhatsApp on iOS is a simple process that can be done with just a few taps.
On the Web
For those who use WhatsApp Web, rescuing archived conversations is an easy task. See how:
- First, on the home screen, click on the three dots icon;
- click in “Archived”;
- Select the desired conversation and position the mouse over it;
- Click on the down arrow icon;
- Finally, click “Unarchive conversation”.
Recovering archived WhatsApp conversations 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 on the box icon in the left sidebar;
- Then right-click on the conversation you want to restore;
- Finally, click on the “Unarchive” option.
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Conclusion
As we have seen, it is possible to recover deleted and archived messages on WhatsApp simply and quickly. 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 major headaches if an important conversation is accidentally deleted. Also, it's 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.
