How to restore WhatsApp after deleting and regain history of chats

Check if the app is installed

Before proceeding with the restoration, make sure the app is actually deleted and not just hidden or moved on your smartphone. Sometimes WhatsApp disappears from the screen, but isn’t deleted—the shortcut is hidden or moved. Here’s how to check:

1. Open your phone’s settings
2. Go to the “Apps” section (the section name may vary depending on your phone model)
3. Select “All apps” (the section name may vary depending on your phone model)
4. Type WhatsApp into the search bar

If the app appears in the list, it is installed, but its shortcut was accidentally hidden or moved. Check all folders on the home screen, the app menu, and other sections of your phone.

Restore the app

If the app is not found or is not working properly, the easiest solution is to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. Be sure to back up your chats before uninstalling! Without a backup, you usually won’t be able to restore your conversations after reinstalling.
How to back up WhatsApp (chat backup) on Android and iPhone
On Android:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Go to “Settings” > ‘Chats’ > “Chat Backup.”
3. Select the Google account where the backup will be saved.
4. Tap “Back Up”

On Android, the backup is usually linked to your Google account and stored on Google Drive.
On iPhone

1. Open WhatsApp and go to “Settings” – “Chats” – ‘Backup.’
2. Tap “Back Up Now” (make sure you have iCloud backup enabled)

Uninstalling WhatsApp
If a backup has already been created, deleting the app does not delete the backup itself from Google Drive/iCloud.

1. Find WhatsApp in the list of installed apps (as described above)
2. Tap the “Delete” button
3. Confirm the action

Restoring WhatsApp via the app store
The easiest way to restore WhatsApp on your phone is to install it from the official app store:

1. For Android: Open the Google Play Store
2. For iPhone: Open the App Store
3. Find WhatsApp
4. Tap the “Install” button
5. Wait for the download and installation to complete

Installing from an APK file (Android only)
If you can’t find WhatsApp in the app store, you can install it manually on Android devices by downloading the APK file from the official WhatsApp website. An APK is an Android installation file; download it only from the official WhatsApp website:

1. Go to the official WhatsApp website
2. Scroll down the page and go to the “Android” section
3. Select “Download WhatsApp directly” and wait for the file to finish downloading
4. Open the file using a file manager (e.g., “File Explorer”)
5. Tap the “Install” button.

When installing from an APK file, you may need to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources.

Restore chats

WhatsApp offers several ways to restore your chats and media files. Below are ways to restore WhatsApp chats and messages from a backup: Google Drive, a local copy on Android, and iCloud on iPhone. Restoration is possible if the backup was created before the messages were deleted or the app was reinstalled.
FAQ
– Can deleted messages be restored in WhatsApp?
– Answer: Yes, if there was a backup created before deletion: chats are restored during the initial setup after installation
– Is it possible to restore WhatsApp conversations without a backup?
– Answer: Usually not: restoration is not available within WhatsApp; only partial options are possible (for example, exporting a chat from the other person)

– Where is the WhatsApp backup stored?
– Answer: Android: Google Drive and/or WhatsApp/Databases. iPhone: iCloud.
Restoring from Google Drive (Android)
To restore WhatsApp from Google Drive, you’ll need the same phone number and the same Google account used to create the backup. If you created a backup on Google Drive, follow these steps:

1. Make sure your Android device is linked to the Google account where the backup is stored
2. Install and open WhatsApp on your device, then verify your phone number
3. When prompted to restore chats and media from Google Drive, tap Restore
4. Once the restoration process is complete, tap Next. Chats will appear once initialization is finished
5. WhatsApp will continue restoring media after the chats appear.

Source: WhatsApp Help Center – Restoring chat history (Android).
Restoring from a local backup (Android)
If your backup is stored locally, you’ll need to transfer these files to your phone. A local WhatsApp backup is a file containing your chat history located in the WhatsApp/Databases folder on Android.

1. Connect your phone to a computer or use an SD card (if one is in your phone)
2. On your computer (or using a file manager on your phone), locate and open the “WhatsApp” folder, then the “Databases” folder.
3. Copy the latest backup file (usually named msgstore.db.crypt14 or msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt14, where YYYY–MM–DD is the backup creation date) to your computer or SD card.
   (Depending on your WhatsApp version, the file extension may be crypt12/crypt14/crypt15).
4. Install WhatsApp on your phone.
5. Place the copied file in the “Databases” folder on your phone (if you have an SD card, put the file on the SD card; if not, put it in the phone’s internal storage)
6. Open the WhatsApp app and verify your phone number
7. When prompted to restore chats and media files from a local backup, tap the “Restore” button.

Important to remember: By default, local backups are created automatically every day at 2 a.m. and are stored on your phone for 7 days.
Restoring from iCloud (iPhone)
To restore WhatsApp from iCloud, use the same Apple ID and make sure iCloud Drive is turned on. Here’s how to restore your chats:

1. Make sure iCloud Drive is enabled in your iPhone settings
2. Install and open WhatsApp
3. Verify your phone number
4. When prompted to restore from iCloud, tap “Restore Chat History.”
5. Wait for the process to complete.

Source: WhatsApp Help Center – Restoring chat history (iPhone)
WhatsApp doesn’t see a backup: what to check
If WhatsApp doesn’t offer to restore a backup during setup, we recommend going through this list:

1. Your Google Account (Android) or Apple ID (iPhone) matches the one used to create the backup.
2. The phone number is the same as the one used when creating the backup
3. There is enough free space on your phone and in Google Drive/iCloud cloud storage
4. iCloud Drive is enabled (how to enable on iPhone: “ Settings“ – ”Your Name“ – ‘iCloud’ – ”Drive”)
5. WhatsApp is updated to the latest version
6. The necessary permissions have been granted to the app
7. Restoration occurs during the initial setup after installation. If you don’t do this right away, you may miss the relevant window and have to go through the setup process again.

What to do if there is no backup
If, for some reason, you did not create a backup or it is missing, there are several ways to try to partially restore your chats. Without a backup, it is usually not possible to restore deleted WhatsApp messages/chats within the app—the following are only partial options.
Export chat: Ask the other person to export the chat with you and send you the file. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the chat with the desired contact
2. Tap the three dots (Android) or the contact’s name (iPhone)
3. Select “Export Chat”
4. Choose whether you want to include media files
5. Send the received file (e.g., via email or a messaging app)

Unfortunately, this will allow you to view the chat, but not restore it in WhatsApp.
Third-party apps (use with caution!): There are third-party apps that claim to be able to recover deleted data from Android and iPhone.
Be aware of the risks! Using such programs may involve privacy violations and potential data loss. Only install verified apps from trusted sources. These programs may help recover photos and videos, but text messages are generally not recoverable.