Finding a WhatsApp messenger backup file on Samsung smartphones often becomes a critical point when changing a device or a sudden system failure. Users are faced with the need to manually save correspondence history when standard methods via the cloud do not work or data transfer is required without access to a Google account. Owners Samsung should take into account that the structure of file systems in modern versions Android has undergone significant changes, especially after updating to versions 11, 12, 13 and later.
The traditional folder arrangement has shifted, and what was previously located in the root of the internal memory is now hidden deep in system directories for data security. Understanding the exact path to the database files will allow you to manually copy chats to your computer or transfer them to another phone without losing information. This is especially true for devices of the msgstore.db.crypt will allow you to manually copy chats to your computer or transfer them to another phone without losing information. This is especially true for devices of the series Galaxy S i Galaxy Aseries, where the file manager can hide system folders by default.
In this article we will analyze in detail all possible locations for storing backups, the nuances of working with access rights in the new shell One UI and methods of forced data recovery. You will learn how to bypass folder access restrictions Android/media and what tools will help you see hidden files. Local storage remains the most reliable way to control your data, independent of the state of cloud storage servers.
Standard paths to backup files on Samsung
Starting with the operating system version Android 11, Google has changed its file system access policy, which directly affected smartphone owners Samsung. If previously the messenger files were in an open folder WhatsApp in the root of memory, now they have been moved to a protected directory. To find an up-to-date backup, you need to follow the path Internal memory → Android → media → com.whatsapp → WhatsApp → Databases. This is where files with the extension .crypt14 or newer, containing your correspondence, are stored.
The old way WhatsApp/Databases on many devices Galaxy may still exist, but it is often empty or only used for temporary files unless the application has updated its directory structure. Some users mistakenly copy files from here, believing that this is a current backup, but the system has been writing data to the new protected zone for a long time. Checking the modification date of the file will help you understand whether this directory is used by your device.
⚠️ Attention: The folder
Androidby default may be hidden in the standard file manager My Files on Samsung. To display it, you need to enable the “Show hidden system files” option in the Explorer settings, otherwise you will only see a shortcut or an empty directory.
Differences in paths may depend not only on the version Android, but also on the version of the application itself WhatsApp. In the latest updates, the messenger strictly follows Google's recommendations for storing application data, ignoring old root directories. So if you are looking for a file msgstore.db.crypt and don’t find it in the root, feel free to go deep into the system folders media.
Changes in the Android 11-14 file system on Galaxy devices
Introduction of folder access restrictions Android/data and Android/media has become one of the most discussed changes in the ecosystem Samsung. This was done to improve security so that malicious apps could not scan data from other applications. However, this has created difficulties for ordinary users: the standard file manager My Files often refuses to open the contents of the folder com.whatsapp, showing a message about lack of rights or an empty folder.
To bypass this limitation and access the backup copy, you may need a third-party file manager, for example Total Commander or Solid Explorer, which can request special permissions to access system folders. When you try to open a directory com.whatsapp through such an explorer, the system will display a system window asking for permission, where you need to click “Use this folder” and confirm the action. After this, you will have full access to the database files.
It is important to understand that the naming structure of backup files also has its own characteristics. The files are named according to the pattern msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.crypt14.db, where the numbers indicate the date the backup was created. Cryptographic key (crypt14, crypt15) indicates the encryption version, and files with different key versions are not compatible with each other when trying to manually decode without a key.
Why is Samsung hiding these folders?
This is a Google security requirement aimed at isolating application data. No application can simply read the files of another application without the user's explicit permission, which protects your correspondence from stealer viruses.
If you use the “Secure Folder” function on Samsung, then backups for accounts inside this isolated environment will be stored in a completely different path, inaccessible from the main system. In this case, the file search should be carried out inside the Secure Folder container, where the path structure will be similar, but isolated from the main file system.
Using Google Drive to store chat history
Although the question often concerns local search, you cannot ignore the cloud method, which is the main one for most users Samsung. The backup copy in Google Drive does not take up space on your phone in the form of a visible file that you can simply copy. It is stored in a hidden section of the cloud, linked to your Google account, and is managed exclusively through the settings of the application itself WhatsApp.
To check the availability and date of the last backup in the cloud, you need to open the chat settings in the application, select “Backup” and look at the time of the last save. It is this copy that will be used when reinstalling the application on a new device or after resetting the phone to factory settings. Local files in this case serve only as an additional safety net.
There is a common misconception that files from Google Drive can be downloaded through a browser on your computer and transferred back to your phone. This is impossible, since the database file there is encrypted and tied to a specific Google account and phone number. Direct access The file structure of the cloud copy is closed by the developers to ensure confidentiality.
If you change your phone number, be sure to make a backup copy to the old number, then change the number in the WhatsApp settings, and only after of this, create a new copy for the new number.
Manual creation and management of local copies
For those who prefer to keep control over data in their hands, the method of manually creating backup copies is relevant. WhatsApp automatically creates a local copy every day at 2 am, saving it for 7 days. However, you can force the creation of a fresh copy at any time through the app settings menu by selecting “Backup” and clicking the “Create” button, having first turned off Wi-Fi so that the copy goes only to the device.
After creating a copy, the file will appear in the folder Databases along the path described above. To be on the safe side, it is recommended to immediately copy the file with the latest date to your computer or external drive. Renaming the main file msgstore.db.crypt14 is not recommended; it is better to copy it with adding a date in the name, for example msgstore-backup-2026.db.crypt14, so as not to disrupt the automatic recovery.
When manually managing it, it is important to monitor the free space on the device Samsung, since databases with a large number of media files can take up gigabytes of space. Regularly cleaning old files with dates from a week ago will help maintain order in the phone’s memory.
☑️ Checklist for manual backup
Table of file locations depending on the Android version
To systematize information and avoid confusion, consider a summary table of paths. It will help you quickly figure out where exactly to look depending on your firmware version Galaxy.
| Android version | Main path to the database | Accessibility through standard explorer | File extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android 10 and below | /WhatsApp/Databases/ |
Full access | .crypt12 / .crypt14 |
| Android 11 | /Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases/ |
Confirmation required | .crypt14 |
| Android 12 - 14 | /Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases/ |
Limited (special access required) | .crypt14 / .crypt15 |
| Secure Folder | /Android/data/com.sec.android.app.myfiles/... (isolated) |
Only inside the container | .crypt14+ |
As can be seen from the table, as the version of the operating system increases, the path becomes deeper and access becomes more regulated. On devices Samsung with a shell One UI 5.0 and higher, access to the folder Android can be completely blocked for third-party applications without using special permissions through ADB or specialized file managers.
Recovering data from a local file on Samsung
The process of restoring from a local copy to Samsung requires a strict sequence of actions, since simply copying the file will not start the process automatically. First, you need to remove the application WhatsApp from your phone completely, clearing all its data. Then, before installing again, in the file manager you need to rename the desired backup file (for example, msgstore-2026-05-20.1.crypt14.db) to msgstore.db.crypt14.db, removing the date.
After renaming, the file must be placed in the correct directory. For modern versions Android this is Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases/. If you put the file in the old folder in the root, the application simply will not see it. Only after placing the file in the desired location can you install or launch WhatsApp, go through the number verification and select "Restore" on the "Restore Backup" screen.
⚠️ Attention: Make sure that you are using the same phone number and the same Google account that were used when creating the backup. Otherwise, the encryption keys will not match, and recovery will not be possibleeven if the file is physically present.
If the recovery process freezes or fails, check the file name. It should be exactly msgstore.db.crypt14 (the number may differ depending on the encryption version, but the format must match other files in the folder). Extra characters or an incorrect extension will result in the system ignoring the file.
It is critically important to rename the backup file to msgstore.db.cryptXX before installing the application, otherwise WhatsApp will not recognize it as a valid backup.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to read a WhatsApp backup file on a computer without a phone?
No, the files have an extension .crypt and are highly encrypted. The decryption key is stored only on the phone itself in system files, which cannot be accessed without root access. You can read the correspondence only by restoring it in the WhatsApp application on your smartphone.
Where did the WhatsApp folder go in the root of the internal memory on Samsung?
On Android 11 and later, Google moved all application data to the system folder Android/media. The old folder in the root may remain empty or be deleted by the system. Look for data along the way Android/media/com.whatsapp.
How often does Samsung delete old local copies?
The phone itself does not delete them automatically, the WhatsApp application does this by storing the last 7 local copies. However, if the device's memory is full, the Android system may begin aggressively clearing the cache and temporary files, which may affect the messenger folder.
Why is the backup file weighing 0 KB?
This means that the copy creation process was interrupted or a write failure occurred. Such a file does not contain data and cannot be used for recovery. You need to create a new copy, making sure that the device is stable.
Is it possible to transfer a local copy from iPhone to Samsung?
No, the database structures of iOS and Android are different, as are the encryption methods. To migrate from iPhone to Samsung, you must use the official data transfer function when initially setting up the phone or the “Move to iOS” application (does not work in reverse), local files are not compatible.