How to see whatsapp backup messages


How to Quickly Access and Read a WhatsApp Backup

Bradley Harvey | Sep 16, 2022

A veteran data engineer, experienced in data processing, data flow and data migration, etc. Also a heavy WhatsApp user, he helps you know the ins and outs of WhatsApp data transfer better than anyone else.

About a week ago, as I was talking to someone on WhatsApp, it paused.

A message was displayed on the screen saying that WhatsApp is backing up the chats. That got me thinking about where the WhatsApp backup is stored on iCloud Drive or Google Drive, and is there any way that we can access it and see what’s actually inside a WhatsApp backup?

I dug into the internet and found some interesting and some disturbing information that you might find helpful.

Accessing WhatsApp Backup on Google Drive

The first thing that I discovered was that Android phones use Google Drive to backup WhatsApp data.

That immediately made me think, even if I stop using WhatsApp, all my data will be on Google Drive, and I personally don’t feel comfortable with my data being on the cloud, especially when I am not even using it.

To delete the data, it is necessary to know where it is stored. Here’s how you can find your WhatsApp data on your Google Drive.

  1. Go to www.drive.google.com and log in with your Google account credentials. Make sure you use the same account like that on the phone you created the backup from.
  2. Click the number (xGb of yGB Free) under the “Storage” on the left-hand side of the page.
  3. On the page that opens up, click on Backups just under your profile picture in the top right corner of the page.
  4. You can view the details of any of the backups by right-clicking on it and clicking “Preview.”
  5. If you want to delete a backup, that can also be done from the same menu.

find whatsapp on google drive

That solved part of the problem for me. I could delete the backup (which I did not do because I am not planning to stop using WhatsApp anytime soon) backup but not see what actually was inside it.

Here are the three things you need to know about WhatsApp backups stored on Google Drive:

  • You can delete any or all WhatsApp backups from Google Drive when you want, but the messages and files in the backup are not in a readable format.
  • You can restore the backup to a new or the same Android phone, and it will bring back all the messages and files till the date the backup was created.
  • WhatsApp backups on Google Drive are linked to the phone number and Google account they are made from.

As I was doing this research, one of my friends asked me what I was doing. When I told her, she asked me to dig a bit about iCloud WhatsApp backup because, for some reason, she thinks that Android is a thing of past – and iPhone is the way forward.

Here is what I found.

Accessing WhatsApp Backups on iCloud

As we all know, Apple is super-sensitive when it comes to security and privacy.

To make sure that the backed-up WhatsApp data of iPhone users is secure and out of the reach of anyone with bad intentions, Apple does not let users access the backup files on iCloud.

access whatsapp backup on icloud

However, there is one way that you can access your WhatsApp backup. For this, you need to do the following:

  1. Back up your phone to your computer using iTunes.
  2. Use a dedicated iTunes backup extractor and load the “ChatStorage.sqlite” file.
  3. You can access the WhatsApp chats backup in it.

access backup whatsapp with itunes

All that brings us to one big question: how can we access the contents of WhatsApp backup for any device?

The answer to that lies in a smart little tool called Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer.

How to Read WhatsApp Backup for Any Device? – Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer

So far, we have established that neither Google nor Apple lets you access the specific files inside a WhatsApp better. However, that does not mean that you cannot access them at all.

The tool that can make it possible is Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer . It is a 100% safe and secure tool that can be used for WhatsApp data backup, transfer, and restore across different operating systems.

What makes Mobitrix the best tool when it comes to WhatsApp backups? The following features:

  • You can use it to back up your WhatsApp data to a computer for free.
  • It stores the backups in neatly organized folders that you can view, organize, and edit.
  • All your data is saved on your computer, which makes it totally safe and secure, invulnerable to any attack.
  • It can be used to backup, restore, and transfer WhatsApp data across any device, no matter what their operating system is.

Now, the next logical question is, how do we use this tool?

How to Use Mobitrix?

One of the other tricks up the sleeve of this tool is that it is incredibly simple and easy to use. You can backup your WhatsApp data using this tool in the following three simple steps:

  1. Download and install Mobitrix on your computer.
  2. Attach your phone to the computer using a USB cable.
  3. Run Mobitrix and click on the Backup button on the interface.

backup whatsapp to pc

Your WhatsApp data will be instantly backed up to your computer. You can see it, explore what’s inside and manage it. The best part is, even if you make the backup from an iPhone and want to restore it to an Android device or make one on an Android device and want to transfer to an iPhone, that is also possible.

Summary

You can access your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive by going to the backups section, where you can delete or restore it. However, it is not able to access backup files on iCloud Drive. You can also not view the contents of a backup in either of the cases.

Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer is a third-party tool that can be used to make and restore WhatsApp backups. The backups made by this tool are saved on your computer and are not vulnerable to any attack. You can also access them and view the files inside them whenever needed.

How to Read and Extract WhatsApp Messages from Backup?

• Filed to: WhatsApp Tips • Proven solutions

"I have backed up my WhatsApp chats, but I can't seem to view or extract them without erasing the existing data on my phone. How can I see my WhatsApp messages without deleting the previous one?"

- a question from Quora

If you have a similar query about WhatsApp backup extraction, then you have come to the right place. A lot of times, users take a backup of their WhatsApp data in the cloud or the local storage.

Though, they face trouble extracting it. For instance, the native solutions would erase the other kinds of data such as contacts, call history and more on the target phone. If you don't want to face this issue, then you can use a dedicated third-party method.

In this guide, I'm going to guide you how to read and extract messages from WhatsApp backup without losing previous data.

  • Part 1: Best Mobile Phone Backup Extractor in 2021: dr.fone - WhatsApp Transfer
  • Part 2: Extract WhatsApp Messages from iPhone Using iTunes/iCloud
  • Part 3: Extract WhatsApp Messages Android from Google Drive

Part 1: Best Mobile Phone Backup Extractor in 2020

Plenty of times you would require a tool to extract messages from WhatsApp backup to a readable format, as WhatsApp data is encrypted and can't be read from a backup.

Third party tools such as dr.fone - WhatsApp Transfer can give you a hand and make life simple. This tool helps you transfer WhatsApp messages from iOS to iOS and iOS to Android devices without any flaw.

The best part about this tool is you can selectively backup WhatsApp into your PC and preview it as well.

dr.fone - WhatsApp Transfer

All-in-One Tool to Backup, Restore and Transfer WhatsApp Data on iOS/Android device

  • Easily back up WhatsApp files with one click. Extract your WhatsApp data including messages, contacts and attachments to your computer anytime.
  • Preview the WhatsApp data before you restore WhatsApp messages, photos, videos, attachments and more.
  • Transfer WhatsApp/WhatsApp Business Chats history between iOS & Android.
  • Compatible with the latest iOS systems such as iOS 13, iOS 14 and latest Android systems.

Free Download Free Download

4,290,481 people have downloaded it

Before we dive deeper to know how to extract messages from WhatsApp backup, I'm going to guide you to learn about how dr.fone - WhatsApp Transfer can help you backup messages in the most effective way.

Step 1. Connect your phone and click "WhatsApp Transfer" on the homepage.

Step 2. Then choose Backup WhatsApp messages to start scanning the WhatsApp backup files on your phone.

Step 3. Start to back up the WhatsApp messages on your iOS/Android phone.

When it finished, the program will show a pop-up stating "Backup successfully". When the WhatsApp files backed up completely, you can check on what kind of data is stored by clicking "View it" and selectively export the data to the PC or another iOS/Android device.

Once you have backup on your phone or on your desktop, now we can go through this step by step guide below to learn how to use this great WhatsApp extractor to view and export WhatsApp messages.



How Can I View and Export WhatsApp Data

Step 1. Click "WhatsApp Transfer" tab on the homepage and don't forget to plug in your device.

Step 2. Choose "Restore WhatsApp messages to iOS/Android device" and start scanning the WhatsApp backup files.

Step 3. View and restore WhatsApp messages to your phone selectively.

ATTENTION

For the iOS users: Turned off "Find my iPhone" on device by clicking "Settings">"iCloud">"Find my iPhone" on your mobile device before we start.

If you use Android phone: Authorize restore operation and when you export WhatsApp on your Android device, click "Yes" on your phone to enable the USB debugging.

Keep your iOS/Android device connected until the restore finishes successfully.

Part 2: Extract WhatsApp Messages from iPhone Using iTunes/iCloud

As we know, iTunes and iCloud backup are the two main solutions for backing up iOS devices. Extracting the WhatsApp message backup out of the iTunes backup file is quite easy as you can do it by using dr.fone – Data Recovery (iOS).

It is not only a data recovery tool, but it also can be used to view and extract messages from WhatsApp backup using iTunes.

1. Get your WhatsApp files from iTunes

Step 1. Launch dr.fone – Data Recovery, click "Recover from iTunes Backup file".

Step 2. Make sure your iPhone have synchronized with iTunes before, then select iTunes backup file to scan device.

Step 3. After scanning all files on your device, choose "WhatsApp" on the left, you can view all the WhatsApp messages and attachments and extract them to your device selectively.

It won't delete any the existing data on your device, if you are wondering how to read the file on your labtop, just click "Recover to Computer" you can also save them separately on your computer as well.

Download Download



2. Extract your WhatsApp files from iCloud backup

Before you proceed, just notice that you have already backed up your WhatsApp data to iCloud before.

Step 1. Launch dr.fone – Data Recovery, click "Recover from iCloud Backup file" and sign in iCloud with your iCloud account information.

Step 2. After you log into iCloud, all of your iCloud backup files will be detected and displayed in the main window. View and select the file that you would like to download

Step 3. Select "WhatsApp" when you choose the type of files you would like to download, click "Next" to proceed.

Step 4. After download messages and attachments from WhatsApp, you will see all data displayed. Viewing and extract the files to your computer or recovering them to the connected device.

Part 3: Extract WhatsApp Messages Android from Google Drive

When you have an Android device, it is advised to restore WhatsApp from Google Drive, so that you can read the WhatsApp backup files easily as Google Drive stores backup in Android relevant format.

Let's go through the step-by-step procedure to learn how to extract WhatsApp messages Android from backup file on Google Drive.

Step 1: First of all uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your Android device.

We recommend that you already create a WhatsApp backup on Google Drive, and then perform the previous operation. Make sure that your Android device is activated with the same Google account which you have used earlier for backing up data.

Step 2: Launch WhatsApp on your Android phone and then provide the same cellular number to set up the account.

As soon as your account gets verified, you will see a popup seeking your permission to restore WhatsApp from Google Drive. Here, you have to click 'Restore' and then 'Next' to initiate the restoration and finally, hit on 'Continue' once the restoring process is over.

You will be able to access and extract your WhatsApp messages without any lag. The media files will take some time to get restored on your Android phone, though the messages will instantly be there.

FAQs

  • How can I access WhatsApp backup on Google Drive?

    1. Open Google Drive and login using your Google credentials.

    2. Tap on the gear icon on the top corner of your screen and tap 'Settings' from the drop-down list.

    3. Click on 'Managing Apps' on the side panel to find the WhatsApp folder.

    ...for more

  • How can I read WhatsApp messages from iCloud backup?

    1. Go to your iPhone Settings and navigate to iCloud Drive.

    2. Click WhatsApp to toggle the backup option ON

    ...for more

  • How to backup WhatsApp from Android to iPhone

    1. Install iSkysoft toolbox on your computer and connect your iPhone and Android phones to the computer.

    2. Click "Transfer WhatsApp Messages".

    3. Wait for the programs to recognize the devices. Click "Transfer" when ready.

    ...for more

Write in The End

For both iOS and Android users, to be honest, dr.fone - WhatsApp Transfer would be a great choice to manage your WhatsApp backup data. No matter you would like to backup your daily messages or extract important files, this tool can give you a hand and make your life easier.

BTW, not only for WhatsApp, it works for the mojority of the communication tools in the world such as LINE/Kik/Viber/Wechat on iOS/Android flexibly.

Download Download

How to recover WhatsApp conversations on iPhone using Tenorshare UltData or from backups

WhatsApp is one of the largest instant messengers. Through it, people around the world communicate both at work and on personal matters. But whatever the subject of conversation, the loss of correspondence is unpleasant. However, this still happens, so it is useful to know what are the ways to recover deleted messages in WhatsApp. Here's how to do it on iPhone.

Method 1: Restore deleted messages from WhatsApp iCloud 9 backup0005

WhatsApp conversation history is not stored on the servers of the service itself, but you can use the backup that the application places in the iCloud cloud to backup and restore the chat history. But you need to understand that in this case it will not be possible to preview the correspondence and select the necessary elements.

Step 1: Enable automatic backup

First of all, you need to make sure that automatic backup is enabled. You can check that this is the case by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. nine0003

Step 2: Restore your chat history

Now uninstall WhatsApp on your iPhone and reinstall it from the App Store, then verify your phone number. After a successful login, a welcome notification will appear asking you to restore your chat history. Just select the "Restore Chat History" option and the recovery process will begin. When it completes, the number of recovered messages will be displayed.

Method 2. Selectively recover deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone even if there is no backup

Tenorshare UltData is a powerful data recovery tool not only for WhatsApp but also for many other types of data. Whether it was lost due to accidental deletion or malware attack, Tenorshare UltData can perfectly recover lost data. In addition, you can recover deleted data both directly from iPhone and from iCloud and iTunes backups.

This tool is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems and supports more than 20 types of data, including WhatsApp deleted data. nine0003

How to Retrieve Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone with Tenorshare UltData:

Step 1. Launch the program

If you don't have UltData, please download and install it on your computer. Then connect your iPhone with a USB cable. Click "Recover from iOS Device" and let the program detect your iPhone. After a successful discovery, all types of data on your iPhone will be displayed on the screen.

Step 2: Scan

In the list of data types displayed on the screen, select "WhatsApp and attachments". At the bottom of the screen, click the "Start Scan" button.

Step 3: Restore

After the scanning process is successfully completed, the interface will display a list of deleted items. Tick ​​the WhatsApp related options in the left panel (messages and/or attachments) and then view those deleted messages. Select what you want to restore and click the desired Restore button at the bottom of the screen. nine0003

Method 3: Restore deleted WhatsApp chat from iTunes backup

This method is suitable for those who regularly back up their iPhone to iTunes. The process of restoring WhatsApp messages from iTunes backups is quite simple, but only the last three backups are available for restoration.

Step 1. Open iTunes and connect your iPhone.

Step 2. Click on the iPhone icon and select the "Restore from Backup" option. nine0003

Step 3. Select the backup file containing the desired WhatsApp messages and click "Restore"

Method 4. Restore deleted WhatsApp chat from iCloud backup for the whole iPhone

Unlike the very first method, here we will talk about restore all iPhone data from iCloud copy. But at the same time, you will need to reset the smartphone and restore all data from the cloud.

The first step is to make sure that these backups are created. To do this, just go to Settings > iCloud > Backup. If iCloud backup is activated, you can recover deleted WhatsApp messages as follows. nine0003

Step 1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Step 2. Follow the on-screen instructions until the Apps & Data option appears. Select the "Restore from iCloud Backup" option.

Step 3. Select the appropriate iCloud backup and wait for the restore process to complete successfully. It is important to note that an internet connection is critical throughout the entire process. Therefore, make sure that the Wi-Fi network is not disabled during the process. nine0003

That's it! There are several ways to recover deleted WhatsApp messages. In this article, you will find the best ways to recover any lost WhatsApp messages, including using UltData. So, just make your choice and recover messages without much difficulty.

How to view Whatsapp backup from Android and iPhone

Accidentally deleted the desired message/correspondence and want to see the deleted data? Let's figure out how to quickly find and view the saved backup copy of Whatsapp conversations. We look at what to do if copying has not been configured in the account. We offer a list of instructions with which you can restore and view the WhatsApp backup. nine0003

Whatsapp is one of the most popular instant messengers, with thousands of correspondence for work, business, friends/family. In chats, SMS, video, audio, important documents are sent, and deleting a message or dialogue can bring problems due to data loss. To prevent this from happening, it is important to always have a configured backup - so all incoming and outgoing information will be saved on the server, from where it can be easily downloaded after.

If you need to link Whatsapp with other instant messengers, use the convenient multilink service on Hypolink. Registration by clicking on the link is free. nine0003

How to view data from the cloud

By default, Whatsapp saves backups to Google Drive, some smartphones can save to a memory card, Gmail mail, other servers. To see a copy of the information from the messenger, you need to search for it manually on the cloud. But there is another, easier way. What to do:

1. Open Play Store/AppStore.

2. Remove Whatsapp.

3. Download the messenger again.

4. Authenticate with a phone number. nine0003

5. The system will prompt you to load the previous data, click "Restore".

6. After the restore procedure, click "Next".

After restoring messages, downloading of media files will start. Thus, files, messages are restored on their own, after the end you can see them. It is important to note that Whatsapp will only return the data that was saved during the last backup. If the last save was performed a month ago, then the data for the past month will be lost. It is recommended to set up a daily backup, so the risk of data loss is minimized. nine0003

To restore and view Whatsapp information, you need to use the same phone number and mailing address that are associated with the account. Without access to this data, information cannot be viewed.

How to view information from a local copy

When using Whatsapp, all messages and incoming / outgoing files are also saved on the phone. If there is no backup on the cloud, some information can be viewed from the memory card / storage of the device. It is important to understand that the local backup contains data for the last 7 days. It is stored in the "/sdcard/WhatsApp/" folder. Everything that was / sent and sent from a mobile device is stored there. nine0003

Go to the folder and see all the necessary data. For greater convenience, you can transfer dad to your computer.

Read also how to view deleted messages in Whatsapp https://hipolink.net/ru/blog/kak-mozhno-uvidet-i-prochest-udalennye-soobshcheniya-v-vatsap.

Viewing earlier local backups

If you need to restore an earlier backup, use the help of third-party programs / applications for mobile devices. Detailed instruction:

- Download/open a file manager.

- Find the "sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases" folder.

- Rename the root folder to "msgstore.db.crypt12".

- Uninstall Whatsapp, reinstall it.

Authenticate in the messenger, restore the backup when prompted by the system. After reinstalling the application, the earlier information should be restored and become available. You can then watch it from your phone or computer. nine0003

How to view information on the new phone

If the previous device was lost or completely out of order, you can restore and view the Whatsapp backup by downloading data from the cloud to the new phone. If backup was not configured on the previous phone, then there is no way to view messages and files. The data is stored on the cloud and on the device, if neither of them is accessed, the data may be lost forever.

There is only one last chance to return all messages and files - contact directly the interlocutors with whom you need to restore the correspondence. Perhaps if you explain the situation to them and ask for help, they will agree to forward the entire dialogue. In this case, the second participant in the correspondence must store information on the device/cloud. nine0003

How to set up a backup

To always be able to see copies of Whatsapp, set up automatic saving in the messenger. How to do it:

- Open Whatsapp.

- Click on the three dots/three bars in the upper right corner.

- Click "Settings".

- Select "Chats".

- Go to "Backing up chats".

- Open Google Drive Backup.

- Select one of the options listed. nine0003

It is recommended to set up a daily backup.

How to combine WhatsApp with other messengers

If you often have to give your contacts to employees, business partners, friends, clients, we recommend combining them into one multi-link. This will help simplify the process of transferring contacts - you will only need to send one pre-generated link that will accommodate as many instant messengers and social networks as you need. To create such a multilink, use the Hypolink service. Registration and use of its basic functions is free, and paid accounts will provide a more extensive list of opportunities for business and website creation. nine0003

Other features Hipolink

In addition to creating multilinks, the constructor offers the following features:

— Creating a one-page/landing page.


Learn more