Where to look for WhatsApp backup on Google Drive: a complete guide for Android

Lost important messages in WhatsApp? Or want to transfer chats to a new smartphone? A backup copy in Google Drive is your lifeline. But where can you find it if the service interface changes more often than the covers in Instagram? In this article, we will look at all the ways to detect backups, including hidden folders and synchronization nuances.

Many users are faced with a problem: there is a backup copy, but it is not visible in the main storage. The fact is that WhatsApp creates special system folders that are hidden from view by default. We'll show you how to display them, how to check the date of the last backup, and what to do if the copy suddenly disappears. We’ll also find out why sometimes Google Drive shows old versions of backups instead of current ones.

Important: the procedure for searching and restoring backups depends on the version WhatsApp, smartphone model and account settings Google. If you are using a device with custom firmware (for example, MIUI or ColorOS), additional steps may be required.

Why the WhatsApp backup is not visible in Google Drive

The most common complaint: the user is sure that a backup was created, but Google Drive it is not there. There are several reasons:

• 📱 No link to a Google account. WhatsApp can only save copies to the account that is specified in the phone settings as the primary one. If you are logged into a different profile, the backup will be in a different storage.
• ⏳ Synchronization delay. Sometimes a copy is created locally, but does not have time to upload to the cloud due to slow Internet or background activity restrictions.
• 🔒 Hidden system data. The folder with backups WhatsApp is hidden by default. It is not visible in the standard interface Google Drive, but it takes up storage space.
• 🗑️ Auto Cleanup. If you have the Storage Optimization to Google Drivefunction enabled, old backups can be automatically deleted after 1 year.

Another nuance: from 2021 WhatsApp stopped creating backup copies in Google Drive for users who have not opened the messenger for more than 6 months. If you haven't used the application for a long time, check the date of your last login in Settings → Account → Information.

Where exactly is the WhatsApp backup stored in Google Drive

Test question: have you ever seen the folder WhatsApp in your Google Drive? Most likely not - because it is hidden. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. All backups are stored in a special section called "Application Backups" (App Data). Here's how to get there: Google Drive three horizontal lines (☰) in the upper left corner.

1. Open Google Drive on your phone or browser.
2. Click on the three horizontal lines (☰) in the top left corner.
3. Select item Storage (or Storage in the English version).
4. Scroll down to section Backups (Backups).
5. Tap on Manage backups (Manage backups).
6. Find in the list WhatsApp Messenger —the date of the last backup and its size will be indicated here.

Please note: if If you don't see WhatsApp in this list, it means the backup was either never created or was deleted. Also check that you are logged into the same account Googlethat was linked to the phone when creating the backup.

How to find the hidden WhatsApp folder in Google Drive

Even if you found a backup in the Manage backupssection, the folder with the files itself remains invisible. This is done to protect your data: if it could just be downloaded, anyone could access your chats. However, there is a way to display it:

1. Open Google Drive in a browser on your computer (this method does not work on a phone).
2. In the address bar after drive.google.com/drive add /folders/0AMrLd-EV5i_TUk9PVA (this is the universal folder ID App Data). The full URL will look like this:

   https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0AMrLd-EV5i_TUk9PVA

3. If the folder exists, you will see its contents. Look for the folder WhatsApp —there will be files inside it with the extension .crypt14 (encrypted backups).

Important: downloading these files manually will not help restore chats - they are encrypted and require a special key, which is generated only when installing WhatsApp on a new device.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to rename or move files in the folder App Data. This may result in loss of your backup. Google Drive does not support manual management of this data.

How to check the date of the last backup directly in WhatsApp

Don't want to dig into Google Drive? There is an easier way. Open WhatsApp and go to: ⋮ (three dots) → Settings → Chat → Chat backup.

Here you will see:

• 📅 Date of last backup in Google Drive.
• ⏰ Creation time (if the copy was made manually).
• 📱 Backup size (important for estimating the space taken places).
• 🔄 Automatic backup settings (daily, weekly, monthly or manual).

If it says here "Never", then a backup was not created. In this case, check:

• 🔌 Is your phone connected to the Internet (backup requires Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔒 Are you logged into your account Google on your phone.
• ⚙️ Is synchronization disabled in your account settings Google.

What to do if the backup date is not updated?

If the date of the last backup is frozen at one value, try:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Memory and press Clear cache.

2. Disable and re-enable automatic backup in WhatsApp settings.

3. Delete and reinstall WhatsApp (the backup will not be lost if it is already in Google Drive).

4. Check if the traffic or battery saving mode for WhatsApp is enabled in the Android settings.

How to restore chats from a Google Drive backup to a new phone

Found a backup, but don’t know how to use it? The restoration procedure is simple but requires attention to detail. Here are step-by-step guide:

Install WhatsApp on your new phone|Sign in to the same Google account as on your old device|Connect to Wi-Fi (restoring requires a lot of traffic)|Make sure you have enough free space on your phone (the backup can be several GB)|Don't click "Skip" when WhatsApp prompts you to restore chats -->

1. Install WhatsApp to the new one phone from Google Play and open it.
2. Confirm the phone number (it must match the number from which the backup was made).
3. When the request to restore appears, click Restore. The process can take from several minutes to an hour depending on the size of the backup.
4. After recovery, wait until the synchronization of media files is completed (photos, videos, voice messages are downloaded separately).

If recovery does not start automatically:

• 🔄 Restart WhatsApp and try again.
• 📶 Check your Internet connection (it is better to use Wi-Fi).
• 🔋 Make sure that the phone's battery is at least 50% charged (the process should not be interrupted).

⚠️ Attention: If you have already used WhatsApp on a new phone and skipped restoration, then you will not be able to restore chats from Google Drive again. You will have to delete and reinstall the application.

What to do if the WhatsApp backup disappeared from Google Drive

Situation: yesterday there was a backup, but today there is none. The reasons may be different - from synchronization failure to user actions. Here's what to check first:

Problem	Cause	Solution
Backup disappeared after changing phone	The new phone is linked to another Google account	Log in to the same account that was on the old device
A backup copy is older than 1 year	Google Drive automatically deleted the old backup	Check the local copy on the old phone (folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases)
There is a backup, but it is not restored	The files are damaged or incompatible with the new version of WhatsApp	Try restoring on a phone with the same version of Android and WhatsApp as when you created the backup
The WhatsApp folder is empty	Synchronization error or failure in Google Drive	Check the section Trash in Google Drive - there may be files there

If the backup has disappeared for no apparent reason, try:

1. Check Trash in Google Drive (files are stored there for 30 days).
2. Look for a backup on your old phone in folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases (files named msgstore.db.crypt14).
3. Contact support Google Drive via the feedback form (indicate the exact dates the backup was created).

Last chance: if you had backup enabled on Google Drive, but it disappeared, try restoring it through WhatsApp Web. Sometimes the web version of the messenger sees copies that are not displayed in the mobile application.

How to transfer a WhatsApp backup from one Google account to another

Situation: backup saved in one account Google, and the new phone is linked to another. Is it possible to transfer the backup? Technically yes, but it requires additional steps. Here are two working methods:

Method 1: Through a local copy

1. On the old phone, copy the backup file from /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases to your computer.
2. Move it to the new phone in the same folder.
3. Install WhatsApp and restore chats from a local backup.
4. Create a new backup in Google Drive already from a new account.

Method 2: By changing the main Google account

1. On the new phone, add the old account Google (the one where the backup is stored).
2. Make it the main one in the settings (Accounts → Google → [your email] → Make primary).
3. Install WhatsApp and restore chats.
4. Create a new backup in Google Drive.
5. Return the main account back (if necessary).

⚠️ Attention: Transferring backups between accounts may break encryption. If, after restoration, chats are displayed incorrectly (hieroglyphs, missing media files), repeat the procedure with a clean installation of WhatsApp.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp backups in Google Drive

Is it possible to download a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive to your computer?

Technically yes, but it's pointless. Backup files are encrypted and have the extension .crypt14. Without a special key (which is generated only when WhatsApp is installed on the phone), they cannot be decrypted. You will be able to download the archive, but you will not be able to read the messages.

Why does Google Drive show that the backup takes 0 B?

This is a known bug that occurs when synchronization fails. Usually it helps:

1. Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
2. Disable and enable Google Drive synchronization in the phone settings.
3. Clear Google Drive and WhatsApp cache.

If the problem persists, check if your storage space is running out Google.

How much space does a WhatsApp backup take in Google Drive?

The size depends on the number of messages and media files. On average:

• Text messages only: 10–50 MB.
• With photos and videos: from 500 MB to 5 GB.
• Group chats with a lot of media: 10 GB or more.

WhatsApp compresses media files when creating a backup, but if you have a lot of high-resolution videos, the copy can take up tens of gigabytes.

Is it possible to restore a WhatsApp backup on iPhone if it was made on Android?

No. Backups WhatsApp are incompatible between Android and iOS due to different encryption formats. The only way to transfer chats is to use third-party tools like Dr.Fone or Backuptrans, but they do not guarantee 100% success and may violate WhatsApp's privacy policy.

How to disable automatic WhatsApp backup in Google Drive?

Go to Whatsapp Settings → Chat → Chat Backup and select Never. Please note that after this, new messages will not be saved to the cloud. Local copies (on the phone) will still be created, but they must be manually transferred when changing devices.