Losing important correspondence, photos or work documents in the messenger can be a real blow, especially if it happened on a popular device Samsung Galaxy. The situation when a user accidentally presses the delete button or the messenger crashes is more common than it seems. However, the Android ecosystem, and in particular the shell One UI from the manufacturer, provides several reliable mechanisms for returning lost data. The main condition for success is the presence of a pre-created backup copy, which many smartphone owners forget about.
The recovery process on brand devices Samsung has its own nuances related to both the file system and the security policy Google. In this article we will examine in detail two main ways: using cloud storage Google Drive and restoring from local files on internal memory. Understanding the difference between these methods will allow you to choose the most appropriate option in a particular situation.
It is important to realize that data recovery is a process that will completely overwrite the current state of the application. If you delete a chat today and restore a copy made a week ago, all correspondence for these seven days will be irretrievably lost. Therefore, it is critical to act quickly and carefully so as not to worsen the loss of information.
Preparing the device and account before recovery
Before you begin active actions, you need to make sure that your smartphone Samsung is ready for the procedure. The key element here is the account Googlethat was linked to the messenger at the time the last backup was created. If you use several accounts, make sure that the one to which the data was saved is activated in the phone settings.
Check the status of the Internet connection. To download large archives of media files from the cloud, you will need a stable communication channel. It is recommended to use the network Wi-Fito avoid rapid consumption of mobile traffic and possible connection interruptions at the most crucial moment. On devices Samsung you should also turn off the power saving mode, which can limit background activity of applications.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to restore a copy created on an iPhone to an Android device. The database formats iOS and Android are incompatible, and direct recovery is not possible without using third-party paid conversion software.
Make sure that there is enough free space on the phone's internal storage. The process of unpacking a backup requires temporary space, which can be several times larger than the size of the archive itself. If the device memory Samsung is full, the process may fail or cause the system to freeze.
Method 1: Recovering via Google Drive on Samsung
This is the most common and convenient method for users who have previously set up automatic backups. The mechanism of operation is simple: the messenger accesses the cloud storage, checks for the presence of the archive and offers to download it during the first installation or after clearing the application data. On smartphones Samsung integration with services Google works natively, which simplifies the process.
To start the procedure, you will need to completely remove the application WhatsApp from the device, and then install it again from the store Google Play. When you first launch the app, you will be asked to confirm your phone number. After successful verification, the system will automatically detect an available backup linked to your account.
- 📲 Delete the current WhatsApp application through the settings menu or by holding the icon on the desktop.
- 🔄 Download and install the latest version of the messenger from the official application store.
- 🔢 Enter the same phone number that was used when creating the backup.
- ☁️ When the “Restore” prompt appears, click the confirm button and wait for the download to complete.
It is important to note that the process may take a significant amount of time depending on the size of the archive and Internet speed. At this moment, a progress bar or a message about preparing media files may be displayed on the screen. Interrupting this process on devices Samsung is highly not recommended, as this can lead to database corruption.
If the recovery is stuck at the "Prepare" stage, check if Do Not Disturb mode or background data limit for Google Play Services is enabled in the battery settings.
Method 2: Local recovery from internal memory
If the cloud copy is missing or outdated, local backup comes to the rescue. By default, the messenger creates copies of the database every night at 2 am and stores them in the internal memory of the device for 7 days. On smartphones Samsung with new versions of Android, the path to these files may have changed due to stricter security policies.
You will need a file manager, for example, the built-in application "My files" from Samsung. Your task is to find a file with the name of the species msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt14. The numbers in the title indicate the date the copy was created. You need to select a file with the most recent date preceding the moment the chat was deleted.
The technical side of the process requires renaming the file. The current database file (usually called simply msgstore.db.crypt14) must be deleted or renamed, and the selected backup copy must be renamed to msgstore.db.crypt14, removing the date from the name. After that, when you reinstall the application, it will pick up exactly this local file.
| File path (Android 10 and below) | File path (Android 11 and above) | File extension |
|---|---|---|
| /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases | /sdcard/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases | .db.crypt12 / .db.crypt14 |
| Direct access | Access via file manager | Encrypted format |
| Storage 7 days | Storage 7 days | Automatic update |
What to do if WhatsApp folder is empty?
If you do not find the database folder, the application may have been installed recently or the local copy function has been disabled in the settings. Also check the SD memory card if it was used to store media.
Solving problems with accessing files on new versions of Android
Owners of modern flagships Samsung Galaxy S23, S24 and other models based on Android 11, 12, 13 and 14 may encounter folder access restrictions Android. The system hides the contents of this directory from third-party file managers for security purposes. This often causes panic among users who cannot find the file they need to recover.
To bypass this limitation, use the built-in file manager "My files", which has system privileges. If you are using a third-party explorer, when you try to enter the folder Android the system will ask for special permission. You must click the “Allow access” button and confirm the action by selecting the root folder or specific application directory.
In some cases, if standard methods do not work, you can connect the phone to the computer via a USB cable. In file transfer mode (MTP), the computer often sees the folder structure more completely than the phone itself, which allows you to copy the desired backup file to the PC, rename it and return it back to the correct directory.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with memory encryption, changing system files may require unlocking the bootloader, which will void the warranty. The methods described above work within the standard capabilities of the OS without/root access.
Setting the backup frequency for future cases
To avoid such situations in the future, you need to correctly configure the autosave settings. Go to the messenger settings, section Chats → Chat backup. Here you can select the frequency of creating copies: daily, weekly or monthly. For active users, the best option is to create an archive daily.
It is also worth paying attention to the “Video” item. By default, video files are often excluded from backups to save space. If it is important for you to save video messages and recorded videos, be sure to activate this option, but be prepared for the fact that the archive size will increase significantly. Google Drive. If it is important for you to save video messages and filmed videos, be sure to activate this option, but be prepared for the fact that the size of the archive will increase significantly.
- 📅 Set the copy frequency to “Daily” for maximum data relevance.
- 📹 Enable the “Backup” option copying video" if the cloud memory allows.
- 📶 Select the connection condition: only via Wi-Fi, so as not to waste mobile traffic.
☑️ Checking security settings
Frequent errors and ways to eliminate them
One of the most common errors is a mismatch of phone number. If you restored the SIM card and received a new number, or are using a different SIM card, the old backup copy will not work. The linking is carried out strictly to the phone number specified when creating the archive. On devices Samsung with the Dual SIM function, make sure that the correct slot is selected for verification.
Another problem is a damaged backup file. This may occur due to a power failure during recording or a memory card error. In this case, the messenger will report that the copy is damaged and cannot be restored. The only way out is to try to find an older copy in the list of local files, since several versions are stored for different days.
Sometimes users are faced with the fact that after restoration only some chats disappear. This is normal if the deleted chat was not included in the latest backup. For example, if you deleted a conversation this morning, and a copy was created last night, then this chat was not yet in the archive. In such cases, only searching for local files from previous days helps.
Successful recovery depends on three factors: a match of the phone number, the presence of an intact copy file and sufficient space on the device.
Is it possible to restore a chat if I did not make a backup?
Unfortunately, without a previously created backup copies (local or cloud), it is impossible to recover deleted messages using standard means. The database is permanently deleted. There are paid apps for computers that scan the phone's memory, but their effectiveness is extremely low on modern encrypted devices.
How long are local copies stored on Samsung?
Messenger automatically stores the last 7 local backups. Every night the old copy is replaced with a new one, but during the week you have access to the archives for the previous days, which allows you to roll back in time if necessary.
Does the Samsung model affect the recovery process?
The smartphone model does not matter fundamentally. Only the version of the Android operating system is important. On older models with Android 9 or 10, the path to files is simpler; on new ones with Android 11+, access to folders is limited, but the recovery algorithm itself remains the same for all devices.
What to do if Google Drive says “Not enough space”?
To restore, you need to have free space on your Google Drive that exceeds the size of the backup copy. If there is no space, delete unnecessary files from the cloud or buy additional storage, otherwise the download process will be interrupted.