If you’ve ever wondered about your WhatsApp message storage, you’ll be happy to know that WhatsApp automatically backs up and saves your chats to your phone’s internal memory. You can schedule periodic backups to Google Drive as well, with varying frequency from daily to monthly.
Have you ever wondered where are WhatsApp messages stored? When you’re using a messaging app like WhatsApp, it’s hard not to think about the storage and security of your messages, especially because many messages contain personal information that you wouldn’t want to be shared with the world.
The good news is that WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to protect your messages. It also backs them up, so you can easily restore them when you need to without security risk. Read on to learn about where WhatsApp messages are stored and how to back them up.
Contents
WhatsApp is currently one of the most popular messaging services that’s available on all platforms. It allows you to send messages, make audio and video calls as well as share media files with your contacts.
One of WhatsApp’s main selling points is that it offers End-to-End encryption which means that no one, other than you and who you’re talking to, can read your messages, not even WhatsApp.
Another key point of WhatsApp’s service is that it does not store your chat history on its servers. When you send a message, WhatsApp only keeps that message on its servers until the recipient receives the message or for a max of 30 days. Even then, the end-to-end encryption prevents WhatsApp from reading your message.
The only time a message is stored on WhatsApp’s servers is if the recipient cannot receive it (maybe they’re offline or don’t have a WhatsApp account). In cases like those, the message(s) you sent are automatically deleted off of WhatsApp’s server in 30 days’ time.
So this probably has you wondering if WhatsApp doesn’t store your messages on its servers, then where are they stored? The answer is, your WhatsApp messages are stored locally on your phone in the form of encrypted backups.
Read on to learn more about where you can find these backups on iPhone and Android, as well as how to back up your WhatsApp messages.
You’ll also learn about where WhatsApp messages are stored on your PC when you use WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp’s PC app.
When using WhatsApp on iPhone, you can back up your messages to iCloud. If you wipe your iPhone or plan to switch over to a new one, you can use these backups to restore WhatsApp messages.
Here’s how to back up your WhatsApp to iCloud:
First, you need to check that iCloud is turned on for your WhatsApp, so enter your iPhone’s settings and tap your Apple ID.
Next, tap iCloud to see which apps are available for iCloud backup.
On the iCloud page, scroll down until you see WhatsApp and ensure that it is toggled on so that it backs up to iCloud.
Next, open up WhatsApp and tap the gear icon in the lower left-hand corner to enter WhatsApp’s settings.
In your WhatsApp settings, select the Chats option to view your Chats’ settings.
Next, tap the Chat Backup option to see your WhatsApp backups details.
In the Chat Backup settings, you can back up your WhatsApp now, as well as set the frequency of WhatsApp automatic backups. To do this, tap the Auto Backup option.
Now, select the frequency of your WhatsApp’s automatic backups. I personally use WhatsApp often, so I opt for a daily backup so that I don’t lose anything.
That’s how you back up WhatsApp on iCloud. Here’s a video tutorial showing you how to back up WhatsApp on iPhone:
Besides iCloud, another great way to back up and restore WhatsApp messages on your iPhone is by using iTunes.
Here’s how to do it:
On the iTunes home screen, you’ll see a phone icon beneath the menu bar, click it to access your iPhone.
Once you’ve clicked the icon, you’ll see a summary of your iPhone with its current software, storage capacity, and backup options. Click the Back Up Now button to back up your iPhone and the WhatsApp messages on it. The time it takes to back up your iPhone will depend on how much content is on it.
Here’s a video tutorial showing you how to back up the WhatsApp messages on your iPhone using iTunes:
WhatsApp on Android allows both cloud and local storage of backups.
You can back up your WhatsApp to Google Drive, and WhatsApp can also automatically create a local backup in your phone’s internal memory every day at 2 am.
The cloud backup allows for easy transfer of WhatsApp data between phones, and the local backup allows you to easily restore your WhatsApp without the cloud backup.
Here’s how to back up WhatsApp on Android:
Open WhatsApp on your Android device and tap the three vertical dots in the top left-hand corner of your screen.
After you’ve tapped the three vertical dots, you’ll see a popup menu appear, tap Settings to access WhatsApp’s settings.
In WhatsApp’s settings, tap Chats to access the Chat settings for WhatsApp.
When you access the Chat settings, you’ll see a list of options, select Chat Backup from that list.
In the Chat Backup settings, you’ll see the option to back up your chats now, as well as set the frequency of the auto backup.
However, before you can decide on the frequency of backups, you need to choose a Google account to back up your chats. Tap the Google Account option to pick an account.
After you’ve tapped Google Account, you’ll see a list of the Google accounts on your device. Select the one you want, but if you want to back up your WhatsApp to a different account than those already on your device, you can choose to add a new account.
After you’ve chosen the account to back up your WhatsApp, tap the Back up to Google Drive option to choose the frequency of your backups.
A popup menu will appear showing you the available options, as you can see, I chose Daily, so there isn’t an extended time between backups.
Next, you’re going to see several folders, tap the one named Backups.
Here’s a video tutorial that shows you how to back up WhatsApp on Android:
If you’re interested in how to transfer your WhatsApp backup from your phone’s internal memory to your SD card, here’s a detailed guide on how to do it.
This can be a great way to clear some space on your phone’s internal memory, as well as transfer your WhatsApp’s local backup to a new Android phone, so you can restore your WhatsApp messages on your new Android phone without using Google Drive.
However, if you’re switching from Android to iPhone and want to know how to access your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive on your new iPhone, then take a look at this detailed guide on how to make the switch.
Many people think it’s impossible or costly to move your WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone, however, this guide is a great way to help you do it.
WhatsApp has come a long way and now not only offers WhatsApp Web, but also a dedicated PC app, as well. You can link the PC app with WhatsApp on your phone and use it to text, record, and share voice notes, send pictures and videos as well as make voice and video calls, all from your computer.
When it came to finding where WhatsApp messages are stored on PC, I couldn’t do it myself. The thing is, WhatsApp on PC is not like WhatsApp on your mobile phone, and it doesn’t store backups directly on your PC.
What you can find on your PC are WhatsApp’s cache files and logs, which hold the temporary data that WhatsApp uses when you use it on your PC. However, similar to the encrypted backups on your phone, you cannot read the cache data like a regular file.
During my test, I couldn’t find the cache and log data for WhatsApp on my PC, however, from my research I found out that you can search your computer for them. Here’s how to do it:
Many articles online mention that you can find WhatsApp messages in the Downloads folder on your PC. However, I discovered that this is not the case.
It’s not WhatsApp messages or backup files that can be found in the Downloads folder, but rather media files, such as pictures, videos, audio files, and documents, that you download from WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for PC.
While the Downloads folder is the default folder for downloads from WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp for PC, you can choose another folder to save your WhatsApp files. Therefore, while you can’t find old messages via this method, it is a good way to find your downloaded pictures and other media files.
Here’s how to find downloaded WhatsApp media files on your PC:
If you’re interested, here’s a video showing you how to download existing WhatsApp media files from WhatsApp web onto your PC:
WhatsApp messages are only stored on your phone and not on the WhatsApp server.
The messages are only stored on the server when you send them and are deleted when the receivers get them. However, if they are not received, they are held and automatically deleted after 30 days.
Messages are held on WhatsApp’s servers for 30 days if they are not received after being sent. This means when you send a message, it is deleted from servers, once received. However, if it is not received, then it is stored for 30 days and automatically deleted after that time.
WhatsApp messages are not stored on iPhone, but rather on iCloud. iTunes can also be used as a backup method too. Your WhatsApp chats are stored there because WhatsApp does not store your messages on its servers. This also makes it easier for you to restore your WhatsApp after installation.
You can retrieve old WhatsApp conversations.
The best way to do this is to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. When you’ve reinstalled the app, you’ll be prompted to restore your backup, which has your old WhatsApp conversations. If you set your backup frequency to daily, you’re unlikely to lose many chats.
What’d you think of this tutorial?
Now you have the answer to the question, “Where are WhatsApp messages stored?”
Whether you’re using iPhone or Android, you’ll see that you can easily back up and locate your WhatsApp messages for restoration.
If you’re interested in learning about how to restore backs up between iOS and Android, here’s a guide on how to transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone, how to transfer WhatsApp from iCloud to Android, and also about how to move the WhatsApp backup from Google Drive to iCloud.
If you also need to transfer your contacts between two mobile ecosystems, read here how to move them from iPhone to Android.
Be sure to leave a comment, letting me know how the backup worked for you. Also, don’t forget to share this with your family and friends.
seven days
The new feature will automatically delete older messages after seven days if you turn it on. … WhatsApp said it settled on a seven-day expiration period because it allows people enough time to see and revisit recent messages but also removes any permanence.
Subsequently, Does WhatsApp keep chat history?
Your WhatsApp chats are automatically backed up and saved daily to your phone’s memory. Depending on your settings, you can also periodically back up your WhatsApp chats to Google Drive.
Also, Does WhatsApp keep deleted messages?
Messages will not be stored on WhatsApp servers Your chat messages are deleted from WhatsApp servers once your messages are delivered. In case, if your message is undelivered, WhatsApp will hold messages for 30 days and will deliver the message if the recipient’s WhatsApp gets connected.
Does WhatsApp automatically delete old messages?
WhatsApp Messages will disappear automatically if you turn the option on. … The new feature will automatically delete older messages after seven days if you turn it on. Either person in a chat can activate it, or an admin in a group chat can enable the option, but it’s off by default.
Last Review : 15 days ago.
Related Contents
Once the feature is enabled, if a user creates a backup of the message before it disappears, then the message is saved in the backup storage.
But these messages will be deleted when a user tries to restore them from a backup.
Once a message has been delivered, it no longer resides on our servers. The contents of any delivered messages are not kept or retained by WhatsApp – the only records of the content of any delivered messages reside directly on the sender’s and recipient’s mobile devices (and which may be deleted at the user’s option).
WhatsApp will soon delete old messages, photos and videos from its backups unless they are properly protected. … But it has a catch because any old chats that haven’t been properly protected will be removed from backups at the same time.
* Login to your WhatsApp account by entering the phone number, OTP. * After setting up the app you will get an option to “Restore” all your WhatsApp chats. * Click on the Restore option and all your old/deleted WhatsApp messages will be restored on your new smartphone.
– Uninstall WhatsApp.
– Open the WhatsApp database or backup folder. Decide which backup file you want to restore.
– Rename that file from “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD. db. crypt7” to “msgstore. db. crypt7”.
– Install WhatsApp.
– When asked to restore, tap Restore.
– Step 1) Uninstall WhatsApp app from your device and reinstall WhatsApp application again.
– Step 2) Now enter your mobile number and verify the number.
– Step 3) After verifying the number WhatsApp will ask to restore your chat history from backup.
WhatsApp Messages will disappear automatically if you turn the option on. Facebook’s WhatsApp announced Thursday it’s rolling out a new feature that will let users choose to automatically delete messages after seven days.
30 days
Weekly automatic backups allow you to go back in time to recover WhatsApp deleted messages from less than seven days ago at the expense of losing recent chat messages.
In other words, you need a few backup files on the PC or in cloud services to restore WhatsApp deleted messages.
– Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
– Open WhatsApp and verify your number.
– When prompted, tap RESTORE to restore your chats and media from Google Drive.
– After the restoration process is complete, tap NEXT. …
– WhatsApp will begin restoring your media files after your chats are restored.
– Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
– Open WhatsApp and verify your number.
– When prompted, tap RESTORE to restore your chats and media from Google Drive.
– After the restoration process is complete, tap NEXT. …
– WhatsApp will begin restoring your media files after your chats are restored.
seven days
* Login to your WhatsApp account by entering the phone number, OTP.
* After setting up the app you will get an option to “Restore” all your WhatsApp chats. * Click on the Restore option and all your old/deleted WhatsApp messages will be restored on your new smartphone.
* Login to your WhatsApp account by entering the phone number, OTP. * After setting up the app you will get an option to “Restore” all your WhatsApp chats. * Click on the Restore option and all your old/deleted WhatsApp messages will be restored on your new smartphone.
– Go to Whatsapp messenger app and open the app.
– Go to settings and swipe it down.
– To delete all conversations, scroll down to below and select delete all conversations.
– Now the chats and conversations will be deleted but the backup of files exists.
Spread the word ! Don’t forget to share.
Most users do not know where WhatsApp correspondence is stored on a smartphone or computer, although the message archive is useful in some cases. For example, when you need to transfer it to a new phone or find some information after communication. Most applications store user data, including correspondence.
Archives with saved messages are located in the gadget's memory and cloud storage. They can be copied, transferred to other devices and searched through the data. Saved chat histories do not include messages deleted by users. Most often, the application creates 2 copies at once.
Locations may vary for:
Messenger must be configured to save all data to the archive.
To do this, just open the application, go to the menu by clicking on the ellipsis at the top right corner of the screen, and select "Settings" - "Chats" - "Backup". Here you can also specify whether the messenger saves video files in memory. To do this, check the box next to "Add video".
Android smartphones and tablets back up data in the Databases folder located at File Explorer - Memory - WhatsApp. The entire path can be located in the device's own memory or on an SD card. In addition, you can find the archive on Google Drive.
Apple devices have iCloud storage. In it you can find all files created in "Vatsap" and saved files with personal data. In the iOS operating system, it is not possible to save the archive to internal memory. You can access iCloud for Android users through Google email.
Installed on a personal computer, WhatsApp saves its internal files to the root folder.
It is located on the hard drive where the application was downloaded.
For owners of Android smartphones, there is also a Google storage where the latest backup copy of the program remains.
If you use the online version of the application, then all correspondence is immediately archived in your cloud storage. After that, you can find messages on a virtual disk or in the smartphone's memory. Nothing remains on the WhatsApp Web servers.
Messengers have time limits during which the correspondence will be saved, even if it is not delivered to the user.
For the WhatsApp application, this is 30 days or until the recipient receives the message, that is, appears online. If the recipient does not appear on the network before the expiration of the set period, then the letter is permanently deleted from all archives.
The developers of the application claim that in order to increase security, they do not save correspondence on their own servers. In the event of a hack, violators will not be able to access other people's private messages, photos and videos. For the same reason, deleted correspondence cannot be recovered.
Many users wonder where their WhatsApp messages are stored and how they can be found if needed. Files with saved messages are usually stored on the device or in virtual storage.
iPhone users can find saved conversation data in iCloud cloud storage. The ability to save messages to the internal memory of the device is not provided by the developers.
On Android smartphones, a local backup of messages can be found at File Explorer - Storage - WhatsApp - Databases. Correspondence is also stored in the cloud storage - Google Drive.
The internal files of the messenger installed on the computer are stored in the WhatsApp root folder.
This folder is located on the drive where the application was installed. However, messages forwarded via a computer are not saved. You can find them only on a mobile device or in the cloud storage.
Google Drive is a cloud storage service for Android system users. The latest backup copy of the messenger is stored on Google drive. In order for messages to be saved, you need: an activated Google account, installed Google play services and sufficient free memory on your smartphone. It is important to remember that backup information stored in Google Drive is not end-to-end encrypted. Since there can be several Google accounts, you need to remember which one will store the WhatsApp information.
In the online version of the WhatsApp Web messenger, the correspondence is immediately stored in the cloud storage. Accordingly, you can find data about it only in storage or on a mobile device.
If the messaging is heavy enough or the user is online, then the servers do not store messenger messages.
In this case, messages are immediately forwarded to the desired address, leaving no trace on the lines of WhatsApp servers.
Messages are stored on the server only if the user is not available to receive data. When a subscriber appears on the network and enters the program, messages are sent to his address.
An undelivered message hangs on the WhatsApp servers for thirty days, or until it is read. If the user has not appeared online on the WhatsAppp network for a month, then the messages are permanently deleted from the servers. The appearance of the desired address on the network before the expiration date of the message leads to the instant sending of the message to the user.
To successfully restore a Google Drive backup, you must use the same phone number and Google Account that you used to create the backup.
To restore a backup:
If you install WhatsApp and have never backed up to Google Drive, WhatsApp will automatically restore files from local backups on your phone.
If you want to use a local backup, you will need to transfer your files to your phone using a computer, file explorer, or SD card.
Note :
If you want to restore a local backup that is not the most recent, do the following:
When communicating in instant messengers, we don’t even think about where and how long WhatsApp messages are stored, how to save or restore them. We'll talk about this today.
When you send messages in WhatsApp, no matter text, voice or even some kind of file, they are always immediately sent to the messenger server, and only then to the device of your interlocutor, if he can receive it. At the same time, nothing of what you send remains on the server. All data is stored only on your phone, tablet or computer and the device of the interlocutor.
Contents
Whatsapp correspondence is stored on the phone as an encrypted backup.
The messenger automatically creates them once a day. If you are still afraid of losing your correspondence, in WhatsApp settings you can specify saving messages to the cloud: OneDrive, Google Drive or iCloud for a computer, android and iPhone, respectively. Cloud storage is more reliable than the memory of any device, so storing correspondence there is the safest option.
Among other things, you can send messages from WhatsApp to E-mail, yours or someone else. You can read them on any device. To do this, do the following:
On iPhone, WhatsApp messages are also stored in the device's memory or in iCloud cloud storage. To set up sending messages to the cloud, do the following:
On Android, WhatsApp stores conversations encrypted in the phone's memory. To find it, go to the root section of your device through the explorer and find the WhatsApp folder there. Inside there will be another directory called Databases. All correspondence and backup copies are stored here.
If your interlocutor for some reason cannot receive the message, it will be stored on the WhatsApp server until his phone is connected to the network again and can receive the message. If the addressee cannot receive the message within 30 days, they are automatically deleted from the server.
You are going to send the messenger to the basket, but you are wondering: if you delete WhatsApp from your phone, will the correspondence be saved? People who are concerned about this issue are divided into two groups: the first are afraid of losing information, the second are eager to destroy it for all participants.
If you delete WhatsApp, will important messages remain?
For the first group, the good news is that the program creates daily backups on the phone. Therefore, it is possible to restore the correspondence. The history is stored on a microSD card or internal memory of the smartphone. Backups remain available for a certain amount of time, so very old messages cannot be restored.
If you remove WhatsApp from your phone, will unwanted correspondence remain?
The messenger gives about an hour to correct the error and destroy the message "for everyone", after this time only the "delete from me" option will remain.
And if you delete your account from WhatsApp, messages from friends will also be deleted?
Deleting an app and deleting your account from it is not the same thing.
When you delete your account, the following will happen:
backup copy; If the messenger fails, you may need to reinstall it. But if you reinstall WhatsApp, will the correspondence be saved?
In order for the data to remain in the phone, you need to make a backup in the “Settings” section. After sending the old version to the trash and installing the new message will be restored.
If you neglect this step, you may lose information, but this will not affect your friends' chats, everything will remain the same for them.
If a person deleted WhatsApp, can he send messages there? You can send if the account is not deleted. You will see from your side that it has not been read. Thus, you may decide that you are being ignored. If the date of the last use of the application by your interlocutor is more than a month ago, most likely he simply deleted it.
Another topical question: if you change the number in WhatsApp, will the correspondence be saved?
When you change your phone number, your private messages are saved.
To do this, insert a new SIM card, open Whatsapp> Menu> Settings> Account> Change number. The application will ask you to enter the old and new numbers in the top and bottom fields, respectively. All is ready.
You can manually notify your friends about your contact change, it is not sent automatically. Only members of group chats will see the changes.
If you are not receiving calls, then click here.
Will messages be received?
Friends will be able to continue their existing chat with you, but the old number will not appear in their Whatsapp contact list.
So, is the Whatsapp conversation saved after deleting the application, account, changing the number and reinstalling?
Whatever you do with the application: send it to the trash or reinstall it, saving correspondence with a competent approach is not difficult.
But it is almost impossible to remove them after the expiration of time, except with the help of specialists.
In today's article we will tell you how to recover deleted messages in WhatsApp (WhatsApp), correspondence, photos and whether it is possible to do this. Sometimes we accidentally delete things that should not have been deleted, old photos, necessary applications or correspondence - messages that contained information that was important to us. If you accidentally deleted messages on WhatsApp and then realized that you forgot to save the phone number, address or link sent in it, then you will need a way to get it back.
Fortunately, there is such a way, this is the chat backup function, which you can turn on at any time, through the application settings, with its help you can restore lost correspondence in a couple of clicks. But what if you did not enable this option, how to restore correspondence, messages, photos in WhatsApp (WhatsApp) after deletion then? You will learn about this from this article.
As already mentioned, having a backup copy greatly simplifies the process of recovering deleted messages. If you have a backup copy of WhatsApp chats in your system, then there are two ways to restore them.
The first method is suitable for those who have recently deleted their correspondence. If you want to restore the old correspondence, then the second option is suitable for you.
If your correspondence was deleted not so long ago, then the standard procedure with reinstalling the application will help restore it. But before transgressing to its execution, perhaps it is worth explaining a little more specifically what “recently” means.
When you activate the option to create chat backups, the system prompts you to choose how often it should create these same copies.
Let's say you chose the option to do autosave every week, then for you "recently" is no more than seven days ago.
How to write to a person in WhatsApp who is not in contacts
How to use one WhatsApp account on two devices As soon as this period expires, the system will automatically overwrite the new backup on top of the old one, and then you will need to use the second method to return the letters.
If you caught yourself in time and still manage to restore without any fraud, then here's what you need to do: baskets. Or go to the device menu - application manager, find whatsapp in the list and press the "delete" button opposite it
When the restore process is complete, your messages should be back on your phone. If the necessary correspondence was not among them, then most likely you were simply unlucky, and you deleted it just before creating a new backup. In this case, the second method will still help you.
As mentioned earlier, when it's time to create a new copy of chats, it overwrites the old one, but there is a way to restore SMS in WhatsApp, even if they were deleted a long time ago. Here's what you need to do for this:
If you did everything right and selected the desired file, then after that the letter you need should return to its place. Remember that reinstalling an old backup will also replace all other correspondence, which means that all letters that were sent and received after its creation will be deleted. Before restoring an old copy, carefully review all of your later emails and make sure you don't lose another important email.
Sometimes WhatsApp chat backups can be accidentally deleted during memory cleaning or during the installation of new applications.
Is it possible to recover deleted WhatsApp messages if you deleted a backup? Fortunately, there is a way to recover files that have been deleted from a smartphone. To do this, you will need access to a PC and the help of some third-party applications. If this option suits you, then here's what you need to do:
That's all, so, with the help of a third-party program, you can easily and easily restore a deleted chat even from a deleted backup. It is worth noting that you can use this program not only to restore WhatsApp backups, but also any other files.
It is almost impossible to restore correspondence in WhatsApp without using backups, but there is still one way to do it. For him, you will need the help of your friend, with whom you corresponded.
The fact is that when you delete a letter from your phone, it still remains on the device of your interlocutor. You can simply ask him to send you the message of interest. To do this, he will need to select the desired message, on the top panel, click on the button with the image of an arrow looking to the left, and then select your name from the contact list.
Now that we figured out how to recover deleted messages, WhatsApp conversations, let's take some time to create a backup copy in this messenger so that you are ready for such a problem in the future. To create a backup do the following:
WhatsApp will then keep a copy of all messages sent and received by you.
Here, in the settings, you can configure some additional options, such as making copies only when connected to a Wi-fi network.
You can also specify whether you want to save media files sent along with messages or not, if you refuse, you will not be able to recover deleted photos in WhatsApp, only text will be restored.
Many WhatsApp users do not even suspect that all photos and pictures sent in the application are stored not only in correspondence, but in a separate file storage, in chats and backups. But often after deletion it is very difficult to find photos and here you can not do without special programs, which we will discuss below.
How to restore photos using a backup file
There is a separate Backup folder in WhatsApp folders, which is used to store backups. These copies are created by the program automatically on a weekly basis (to do this, you need to set up autosave in the program settings).
Therefore, if you have just deleted photos on your smartphone, you can easily and quickly restore them from a saved copy in the phone's memory. But this method can only be used if less than 7 days have passed since the photo was deleted.
All now all deleted photos in WhatsApp will be restored.
These are all ways to recover deleted messages in WhatsApp. As you can see, most often the problem is solved through the use of a backup copy, and therefore you should not neglect this option.
