Have you ever accidentally deleted a chat from WhatsApp? Frustrated after trying repeatedly to find out how to get chat back? This momentary mistake can cause you to lose important information or memories in an instant. If you’ve come here to search for a solution on how to recover deleted chats, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I will teach you how you can get the lost chats back and what are the ways.
This article will show you how to recover data after deleting WhatsApp messages from memory. Also, you will learn more about msgstore, backup, file manager, and many other important topics.
Basics of deleting Whatsapp messages
When you delete a message on WhatsApp, it doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. There are some essential basics you need to remember. First of all, it is not the same when deleting a message from your device and the recipient’s device. Deleting a message from your device will make the message invisible only to you, but not to the recipient, so the entire history will be accessible here.
You need to know that you can only recover the messages for a certain period. The messages are deleted permanently after this period. Hence, it is important to know what will happen after WhatsApp messages are deleted permanently.
Ways to recover deleted Whatsapp messages
There are different methods on how you might restore a lost WhatsApp message in case you accidentally deleted one. I have included all three recovery methods below.
Using a Local backup
The first available option for you is local backing up of WhatsApp data on your device. Whatsapp settings allow you to automatically save chat history for backup to help restore your data. A backup would also enable you to recover a message if you mistakenly deleted one. Having a backup is essential if you need to be able to rewind and see all your messages.
Using Cloud backup (Google Drive, iCloud)
In case, you used Google Drive for WhatsApp chats and backups, you can recover your chats by simply downloading the data file from Google Drive.
Using a third-party data recovery software
It may also be possible to employ another type of data recovery tool such as third-party software. These software will help recover deleted messages on your phone. However, remember that when talking about such kind of software one should always consider its pros and cons. That is why it is necessary to look into some reputable third-party data recovery tools before choosing one of them.
How do I restore WhatsApp chats from the local drive?
To restore a message from a local backup, there are a few steps to take. Look for the backup file named msgstore.db.crypt from the File Manager section. The backup file ‘msgstore.db.crypt‘ contains all chats. In the file manager, navigate to either ‘Internal Storage’ or ‘SD Card’ (depending on your device) > WhatsApp > Database. Use the search option in the file manager to locate the file easily. Make a copy of the file to a secure location before you try to restore the backup. You can then rename the backup file from msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt14 to msgstore.db.crypt14 and restore it to where it belongs. Uninstall WhatsApp then go to Play Store, download and install WhatsApp, and tap restore to recover your chats.
How do I restore deleted WhatsApp messages from Google Drive or iCloud?
If chats are accidentally deleted, they can be recovered through the cloud backup feature. For this case, imagine that you had a conversation the night before after backing up your content on Google Drive or iCloud, and the next day, you accidentally deleted it. The chat is cloud-based and I was able to save my chats when needed.
Steps to follow:
- Delete WhatsApp from your Android phone or iPhone.
- Uninstall WhatsApp, reinstall, and re-verify your phone number.
- Then after installing the app, you will receive a message instructing you to recover messages from the cloud backup. Backup for Android users will be provided by Google Drive and iPhone/iPad users will get their backup from iCloud.
- Click on Restore.
- This will bring back your accidentally deleted messages.
Tips to avoid losing WhatsApp messages
Here are some handy tips to prevent losing your WhatsApp message. Here are some steps you can take:
Make regular backups of your WhatsApp data: Ensure you have turned on the automatic backup so that backup messages (msgsore.db.crypt) are stored elsewhere.
Archive important messages: For the chat history, use a long press and click “archive” so you can view all messages at all times before accidentally deleting an important one. In line with this, if this chat history gets deleted, the message will be moved into the archive folder.
Be careful when deleting messages: Ensure that you choose the appropriate message so as not to delete it accidentally.
Pay attention to data protection and security
Privacy remains a fundamental consideration when recovering WhatsApp messages. As such, you should make efforts to protect your WhatsApp data against third-party intrusion. Use a strong password or PIN to secure your data on your device. Be wary of such third-party data recovery tools that may collect your private data while trying to recover your messages. So, only trust reliable and reputable sources.
Activation of voice messages and logging of history
Restoring voice messages on WhatsApp requires special procedures. To begin, navigate to your file manager and look for the folder responsible for storing the voice messages. You can find the folder by checking WhatsApp’s settings or consulting the log file. Before making any changes, it is important to back up the voicemail folder.
If you have deleted voice messages, you can try restoring them from a backup or using data recovery software that can also extract deleted voice messages to get them back.
Concerns when using third-party tools
However, while doing this recovery for deleted WhatsApp messages using third-party tools, one should choose good software and pay attention for trust to make sure that one’s private information will not become unsafe. Know more about the features and what people say about a specific software before opting to use it. However, using any kind of a such software can be risky. Therefore, take the risk of doing so yourself. The simplest method of retrieving lost WhatsApp messages is restoring them from a backup.
Therefore, by observing the above guidelines, you will be able to retrieve your lost WhatsApp messages. Prevent losing crucial data as well as protect yourself against situations whereby you might delete something by mistake.
Now you have learned to get back a deleted text message. In addition, we will assist you on how to back up your Whatsapp messages.