The loss of correspondence in WhatsApp is one of the most unpleasant situations for messenger users. Fortunately, the application automatically creates local backups on the device that can be restored even without a cloud backup to Google Drive. However, the recovery process is not always obvious: many encounter errors like “could not find the backup file” or “version mismatch.” In this article we will look at all working methods for restoring a local copy of WhatsApp on Androidincluding manual copying of files, bypassing locks and solving typical problems.

Local backups are stored in the phone's memory along the way /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases (or /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases on new versions of Android) and are updated daily at 2:00 am. The files have the format msgstore.db.crypt14 (or other encryption version number). The main rule: Recovery is only possible if WhatsApp is installed on the same device or with the same phone number, as when creating a backup. If you have changed your phone or SIM card, additional steps will be required.

It is important to understand the difference between local and cloud backup. Cloud (Google Drive) synchronizes with your Google account and is available on any device, but requires the Internet and storage space. A local backup is an “official” copy that WhatsApp creates automatically, but it is tied to a specific phone. If you deleted the application and installed it again, the system will offer to restore data from the local file (if it is not damaged).

1. Preparing for recovery: what needs to be done before you begin

Before you begin recovery, make sure that the key conditions are met:

  • 📱 The same phone numberthe same as when creating a backup. If the number has changed, restoration from a local copy is impossible (a cloud backup or manual editing of files will be required).
  • 🔄 The same Google account (if you plan to use the cloud as a backup option). Local backup is not tied to Google, but some methods will require access to Google Drive.
  • 📁 The backup file exists. Check the folder WhatsApp/Databases through any file manager (for example, Total Commander or FX File Explorer).
  • 🔋 Battery charge is at least 50%. The recovery process can take up to 10-15 minutes, and interruption due to discharge will lead to data loss.

If you have deleted WhatsApp and want to restore chats, do not install the application again until you check the backupWhen you first install, WhatsApp automatically searches for a local file and offers to restore it, but if you have already registered, this step will be skipped in this case, you will have to delete the application, clear its data and start over.

📊 How often do you backup WhatsApp?
Daily
Once a week
Only before changing phone
Never

It is also worth considering that The WhatsApp version must match the backup version. For example, if the file has the extension crypt12, and you have installed a version of the messenger that works with crypt14, the recovery will fail. The solution is to roll back to the old version of the application (more about this in the section about errors).

⚠️ Attention: If you use root access or custom firmware, some recovery methods may not work. In this case, it is recommended to temporarily return the stock firmware or use specialized utilities like WhatsApp Key/DB Extractor.

2. Standard method: recovery when installing WhatsApp for the first time

This is the simplest method that works in 90% of cases. It is suitable if you:

  • 📲 Deleted WhatsApp and want to return chats.
  • 🔄 Reinstalled Android (but did not format the internal memory).
  • 📱 Bought a new phone, but transferred the folder WhatsApp from an old device.

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Delete WhatsApp, if installed. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Delete.
  2. Clear application data (if it was installed previously). It is important that during a new installation WhatsApp offers to restore the backup. To clear: Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Storage → Clear data.
  3. Download WhatsApp from Google Play and run it.
  4. Confirm the phone number (must match the number when creating a backup).
  5. Wait for the offer to restore chats. WhatsApp will automatically find the local backup and show the “Restore” button. Click it.
  6. Do not interrupt the process. Recovery may take several minutes, especially if the correspondence history is large.

Remove WhatsApp from your phone|Clear application data in settings|Check for the presence of the msgstore.db.crypt* file in the Databases folder|Charge your phone to 50% or more|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi (recommended)-->

If after these steps WhatsApp does not offer to restore the backup, check:

  • 🔍 Availability of a backup file in the folder Databases (it should be named msgstore.db.crypt14 or similar).
  • 📅 Date of file creation. If the backup is older than 7 days, WhatsApp may ignore it.
  • 📌 The path to the folder is correct. On some phones (for example Xiaomi or Huawei), the path may differ due to the characteristics of the file system.
⚠️ Attention: If you are already signed into WhatsApp and skipped the recovery step, uninstall the application, clear its data and repeat the installation. Without this, the backup cannot be restored.

3. Manual recovery: if WhatsApp does not see the backup

If the standard method did not work, you will have to manually copy the backup file to the desired folder. This method is relevant if:

  • 📂 You transferred the folder WhatsApp from another phone.
  • 🔄 The backup file is damaged or has the wrong name.
  • 📱 WhatsApp does not offer to restore data when installation.

Instructions:

  1. Connect the phone to the PC via USB and enable file transfer mode (MTP).
  2. Open folder WhatsApp/Databases on the phone. If it is not there, create it manually.
  3. Copy the backup file (for example, msgstore.db.crypt14) to this folder. If the file has a different name (for example, msgstore-2026-05-15.db.crypt14), rename it to msgstore.db.crypt14.
  4. Delete WhatsApp and clear its data (as in previous section).
  5. Install WhatsApp again and register. The application should detect the backup and offer to restore it.

If the backup file has an extension crypt12 or older, and you have a new version of WhatsApp installed, restoration will not succeed. In this case:

  • 🔙 Install an old version of WhatsAppcompatible with your backup. For example, for crypt12 version 2.21.4.18.
  • 📥 Download the APK file from a reliable source (for example, APKMirror) and install it manually.
  • 🔄 Restore the backup using the old version, then update WhatsApp to current.
How to find the encryption version of a backup?

Whatsapp backup files have extensions in the format cryptX, where X is the encryption version number:

- crypt14 is the current version (WhatsApp 2.23+).

- crypt12 - old version (WhatsApp 2.21 and below).

- crypt8 - very old version (WhatsApp 2.18 and below).

To find out the version of your backup, look at the file extension in the folder Databases. If the file is called simply msgstore.db without crypt, this is a backup without encryption (very old versions).

File extension Whatsapp version Action
msgstore.db.crypt14 2.23 and newer Compatible with current versions
msgstore.db.crypt12 2.21–2.22 Requires rollback to old version
msgstore.db.crypt8 2.18–2.20 Requires rollback and manual recovery
msgstore.db 2.12 and older Not supported after 2016

4. Restoring to a new phone: transferring a local backup

If you changed your phone, but want to restore chats from a local backup from your old device, follow these instructions:

  1. Copy the folder WhatsApp from the old phone to a new one. This can be done through:
    • 📁 Explorer (connect both phones to the PC and transfer the files).
    • ☁️ Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox).
    • 🔗 OTG cable or Bluetooth (less reliable).
  • Place the folder WhatsApp to the root of the internal memory of the new phone. The path should be like this: /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/.
  • Install WhatsApp on the new phone and confirm the same number that was on the old device.
  • Wait for the offer to restore the backup. If it is not there, uninstall WhatsApp, clear the data and repeat the installation.

    • Important nuance: the phone number must match. If you changed the SIM card but kept the number, there will be no problems. If the number has changed, restoring from a local backup is impossible - you will need a cloud backup or manual editing of the file msgstore.db (which is extremely difficult and does not guarantee success).

    💡

    If the new phone is on Android 11+, check the permissions for the WhatsApp folder. On new versions of the OS, applications are prohibited from accessing folders of other apps, so manual copying via a PC may be required.

    If WhatsApp was already installed on the new phone and you skipped the recovery step, you will have to:

    1. Delete WhatsApp.
    2. Clear application data in the settings.
    3. Delete the folder WhatsApp (if it was created automatically).
    4. Copy the backup from the old phone again.
    5. Install WhatsApp and repeat registration.
      6. ⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI (Xiaomi), ColorOS (Oppo) or EMUI (Huawei) you may need to disable "battery optimization" for WhatsApp, otherwise the recovery process will be interrupted.

      5. Solving common errors during recovery

      Even with the right actions, users often encounter errors. Let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them:

      Error Cause Solution
      "The backup file could not be found" The file is missing or damaged Check the folder Databases, copy the backup again
      "Incorrect backup version" Mismatch cryptX and WhatsApp version Roll back to the old version of the messenger
      "Network error" during recovery WhatsApp is trying to download a cloud backup Disconnect the Internet during recovery
      "Not enough space" Low memory on the phone Clear 1-2 GB of space

      Error: “The backup could not be restored. Please try again."

      This error occurs if:

      • 🔄 The backup file is damaged (for example, when copying via Bluetooth or the cloud).
      • 📱 The WhatsApp version is not compatible with the version backup.
      • 🔒 Data encryption is enabled on the phone, blocking access to the folder.

    Solutions:

    1. Copy the backup again using USB cable (not Bluetooth or cloud).
    2. Check the file extension (crypt14, crypt12 etc.) and install the appropriate version of WhatsApp.
    3. Disable device encryption in the security settings.

    Error: “This backup was created on another device.”

    This means that:

    • 📞 The phone number does not match the number when creating the backup.
    • 📱 The backup file was created on another phone, and WhatsApp is blocking restoration.

    Solutions:

    • Use the same phone number as when creating the backup.
    • If the number has changed, try restoring the backup via Google Drive (if it is there).
    • For advanced users: edit the file msgstore.db with SQLite Editor, removing the connection to the device (risky!).
    💡

    If WhatsApp stubbornly does not restore the backup, try rename the file from msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.db.crypt14 to msgstore.db.crypt14. Sometimes the application ignores files with a date in the name.

    6. Alternative methods: if all else fails

    If standard methods do not work, you can try alternative solutions. They are more complicated, but sometimes they save you in hopeless situations.

    Method 1: Use WhatsApp Key/DB Extractor

    This utility allows you to extract data from damaged backups or convert files between versions cryptX. Suitable for users with root access or the ability to work with ADB.

    Instructions:

    1. Download WhatsApp Key/DB Extractor with GitHub.
    2. Place the file backup (msgstore.db.crypt14) to the folder with the utility.
    3. Run the script to extract the encryption key (required Python).
    4. Convert the file to a readable format (SQLite).
    5. Import the data back to WhatsApp via Titanium Backup or analogues.

    Method 2: Recovery via Google Drive (if the local backup is lost)

    If the local backup is lost, but you have a copy in Google Drive, make the following:

    1. Uninstall WhatsApp and clear its data.
    2. Install WhatsApp again and log in with the same number.
    3. When prompted to restore your data, select "Recover from Google Drive".
    4. Wait for the process to complete (can take up to an hour if there is a large amount of data).

    Method 3: Manually editing the file msgstore.db

    This method is only suitable for experienced users and requires:

    • 🔧 Knowledge SQLite and the structure of the WhatsApp database.
    • 📄 Backup copy of the file (in case of an error).
    • 💻 Access to a PC with installed DB Browser for SQLite.

    Using editor you can:

    • Remove binding to the device (field device_id).
    • Fix damaged entries.
    • Export chats to a readable format (CSV or HTML).
    ⚠️ Attention: Manual editing the WhatsApp database may lead to the loss of some messages or account blocking. Use this method only if other options have been exhausted.

    7. How to avoid data loss in the future

    To avoid facing the problem of restoring a backup again, follow these recommendations:

    • ☁️ Set up automatic backup to Google Drive. To do this, go to WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → Chat → Backup copying and select the frequency (daily, weekly or manually).
    • 📁 Regularly copy the folder WhatsApp to a PC or external drive. This will protect against data loss when the phone is reset or broken.
    • 🔄 Before changing your phone or reinstalling Android, make a backupUse both local and cloud copying.
    • 📱 Do not delete WhatsApp without a backupEven if you just want to free up space, save your chats first.
    • 🔒 Use reliable file managers (for example, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) to check for backups.

    It is also useful to know:

    • WhatsApp stores the last 7 local backups with different dates. If the current file is damaged, you can try to restore from an older one (by renaming it to msgstore.db.crypt14).
    • On phones with Android 10+ access to the folder WhatsApp may be limited. In this case, use ADB or root access to copy files.
    • If you use dual WhatsApp (for example, through Parallel Space or the built-in phone function), backups for each account are stored separately.
    💡

    To speed up the restoration of a large backup (for example, with a history of several years), connect the phone to a charger and use a stable Wi-Fi connection. This will reduce the risk of interruption of the process.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about restoring a WhatsApp backup

    Is it possible? restore a WhatsApp backup to another phone number?

    No, the local backup is tied to the number from which it was created. If the number has changed, it is impossible to restore chats from a local copy. An alternative is a cloud backup to Google Drive (if it was configured) or manual editing of the file msgstore.db (difficult and risky).

    WhatsApp does not offer to restore the backup during installation. What should I do?

    Uninstall WhatsApp, clear its data in the settings (Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Storage → Clear data), then reinstall the application. Make sure that the file msgstore.db.crypt14 is in the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/.

    How to restore a backup if the file has an extension crypt12and I have a new version of WhatsApp?

    Install an old version of WhatsApp that is compatible with crypt12 (for example, 2.21.4.18). Restore the backup through it, then update the application to the latest version. You can download old versions at APKMirror.

    Is it possible to restore individual chats from a backup, and not all at once?

    No, WhatsApp restores the entire backup. However, you can:

    1. Restore the entire backup.
    2. Export the necessary chats to TXT or HTML via Settings → Chat → History chat → Export chat.
    3. Delete unnecessary chats manually after recovery.
    What to do if the WhatsApp folder disappeared after resetting the phone?

    If you did a factory reset (hard reset), local backup permanently deleted. The only ways to get chats back:

    • Restore from Google Drive (if there is a backup there).
    • Use apps to recover deleted files (for example, DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver), but the chances are minimal.

    In the future, set up automatic copying to the cloud to avoid data loss.