Have you deleted an important message in WhatsApp and don’t know how to get it back? The situation is familiar to many: accidentally clicking on “Delete for everyone,” resetting your phone settings, or even a virus attack can deprive you of your correspondence history. Fortunately, it is possible to recover deleted messages on WhatsApp on Android as long as you act quickly and use the right tools.

In this article we will cover all working methods from standard backups to advanced utilities that work even without root-right. You will learn how to return messages from a Google Drivelocal backup, as well as what to do if there are no copies. Important: some methods require preliminary configuration, therefore if you have not yet deleted messages, first create a backup copy!

We warn you: the longer you wait to restore, the lower the chances of success. Especially if we are talking about messages deleted more than 7 days ago - in this case, even official methods may not work. But don’t despair: the article has solutions for such cases as well.

1. Recovery via Google Drive (official method)

The most reliable way to get back deleted messages is to use a backup copy from Google Drive. WhatsApp automatically creates backups once a day (if synchronization is enabled), but there are nuances:

  • 📱 The copy is linked to phone number and Google accountfrom which it was created.
  • ⏳ The latest copy may be out of date - check the date in Settings → Chat → Backup.
  • 🔄 When restoring all current messages will be replaced data from backup.

To restore chats:

  1. Delete WhatsApp from the phone (not just clear the data, but completely uninstall).
  2. Install the application again from Google Play.
  3. When you first start, enter the same phone number that was used to create the backup.
  4. When the system prompts you to restore the history from Google Drive, confirm the action.

If there is no recovery button, check:

  • 🔌 Internet connection (preferably Wi-Fi).
  • 📧 Login to the same Google accountas when creating copies.
  • 📲 Is there enough space on the phone (a backup can weigh several gigabytes).
⚠️ Attention: If you changed your phone number or deleted the account Googleassociated with the backup, restore messages via Google Drive It won’t work. In this case, proceed to the next method.
📊 Do you regularly create WhatsApp backups?
Yes, every day
Yes, once a week
Only manually before important events
No, I don’t create
I don’t know how to do this

2. Local recovery (without Google Drive)

If synchronization with Google Drive is disabled or the copy is out of date, you can try to restore messages from local backup. WhatsApp saves backup files on the phone’s internal memory along the path:

/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt14

The files have the format msgstore.db.crypt12, crypt14 or crypt15 (depending on the application version). To restore data:

Use the file with the most recent date

Rename the file to msgstore.db.crypt14 (if necessary)

Delete WhatsApp and install again

Do not connect to Google Drive during recovery-->

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Connect your phone to the PC and copy the folder Databases to the computer (in case something goes wrong).
  2. Find the file with the latest number in the folder (for example, msgstore-2026-05-15.db.crypt14) and rename it in msgstore.db.crypt14.
  3. Delete WhatsApp from the phone and install it again.
  4. When you first launch the application, it will automatically find a local backup and offer to restore it.

If the file is damaged or missing, try using utilities like WhatsApp Viewer or Dr.Fone (we'll talk about them below). Also check the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Backups —sometimes backups are duplicated there.

⚠️ Attention: Do not change the extension of the backup files manually (for example, from .crypt14 to .crypt12). This may result in a restore error. If the cryptography version does not match the version WhatsApp, use special converters.

3. Restoring without backup: third-party utilities

If there are no backups, the only option left is to use data recovery apps. They scan the phone's memory for deleted files and try to resuscitate them. The most effective tools:

app Requires root? Free version Recovers media?
Dr.Fone (Wondershare) No Limited Yes
Tenorshare UltData No Trial Yes
EaseUS MobiSaver No Yes (with a limit) Partially
WhatsApp Viewer Yes Yes No

Let's look at the process using an example Dr.Fone:

  1. Install the app on your PC and connect your phone via USB (enable USB debugging in the developer settings).
  2. Select mode Whatsapp data recovery.
  3. Follow the instructions of the app - it will automatically scan the device memory.
  4. After scanning, select messages to recover and save them in format .html or .txt.

Disadvantages of the method:

  • 💰 The full version of the apps is paid (from $30).
  • 🔍 100% recovery is not guaranteed (especially if the data has been overwritten).
  • ⏱️ Scanning may take several hours.
💡

Before using third-party utilities, disable automatic update WhatsApp v Google Play. New versions of the application may change the database structure, which will complicate recovery.

4. Restoring messages deleted "for everyone"

If the message was deleted by the sender using the function Delete for everyone, the chances of recovery are minimal. However, there are several life hacks:

  • 📁 Android notifications: If notification history is enabled on your phone, you can find the text of the message in the logs. To do this:
    1. Go to Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Notifications.
    2. Click Notification history (not available on all firmware).
  • 🔄 Forwarding to yourself: If you manage to forward a message to yourself before the sender deletes it, it will be saved in your chat.
  • 📸 Screenshots: Check the gallery - you may have done this screenshots of correspondence.

    • For advanced users, there is a method using ADB (Android Debug Bridge):

    adb shell dumpsys notification

    This command will display a list of recent notifications, including message text. However, the method only works if:

    • The message arrived less than a day ago.
    • You have not cleared the notification cache.
    • The phone is enabled USB debugging.
    ⚠️ Attention: The function Delete for everyone works for 1 hour 8 minutes 16 seconds after sending the message. After this time, even WhatsApp will not be able to delete it from the recipients' devices.

    5. Recovering from a damaged or reset phone

    If the phone was reset to factory settings, message recovery depends on whether backups were created:

    • 🔄 Google Drive: If there is a copy, just install WhatsApp again and restore the data at the first start.
    • 📱 Local backup: If the file msgstore.db.crypt14 is saved on the memory card, copy it back to the folder /WhatsApp/Databases/ before installing the messenger.
    • 🚨 Without backups: If the phone was reset and there are no copies, the chances are zero - the data is irretrievably deleted.

      • For phones with damaged screen or a broken system:

      1. Connect the device to the PC via USB.
      2. Use ADB or apps like Recuva to scan the memory.
      3. If the screen does not respond, but the phone turns on, try to control it via scrcpy (you will need enabled USB debugging).

      As a last resort, you can contact a service center - some workshops offer services for retrieving data from damaged devices (cost from 5,000 ₽).

      What to do if WhatsApp asks for a password for recovery?

      If a password request appears when restoring from Google Drive, this means that the backup is encrypted. The password is your phone number in international format (for example, +79123456789) without pluses and spaces. try:

      - Old numbers that you used before.

      - Date of birth or other significant numbers (sometimes users set the password manually).

      - Contact WhatsApp support (but they will not be able to reset the backup password).

      6. How to prevent the loss of messages in the future

      In order not to look for recovery methods, it is better to take care of the safety of your data in advance. Here are 5 mandatory steps.:

      • 🔄 Automatic backup: Enable daily backup in Settings → Chat → Backup copying. Select Google Drive and specify the account to save.
      • 📁 Local copies: Copy the folder periodically /WhatsApp/Databases/ on PC or cloud.
      • 📧 Export important chats: Send important correspondence to your email via Chat export (available in the chat menu).
      • 🔒 Protection against accidental deletion: Enable Archiving for important chats (long press on chat → Archive).
      • 🛡️ Account protection: Enable two-step authentication in settings WhatsAppso that attackers cannot delete your data.

      It is also useful to use third-party services for backup, for example:

      • BackupText — saves correspondence in .txt.
      • Swift Backup — creates backup copies of applications and their data (required root).

      If you often lose data, consider using WhatsApp Business —it has advanced functions for exporting and managing chats.

      💡

      Even if you do not plan to restore messages now, regularly check for backups in Google Drive. To do this, follow the link drive.google.com, find the folder WhatsApp and make sure that the files are there. are updated.

      7. Frequent errors and their solutions

      When restoring messages, users often encounter problems:

      Error Cause Solution
      The backup could not be restored The phone number or Google account does not match Use the same number and account as when creating the copy
      The backup file is damaged Incomplete download or failure when creating a copy Try another backup or use Dr.Fone
      Not enough space Backup weighs several gigabytes Clear your phone memory or restore a copy on your PC
      Authentication error Problems connecting to Google Drive Check the Internet, re-login to your Google account

      If WhatsApp freezes during recovery:

      1. Close the application via Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Stop.
      2. Clear the application cache.
      3. Restart the phone and try again.

      If all else fails, try restoring the backup on another phone with the same number, and then transfer the data back.

      Is it possible to recover messages deleted more than a year ago?

      Theoretically, yes, but only if:

      • You have local backup for this period (files are stored until manual cleaning).
      • You have not changed the phone or reset the settings.
      • You are ready to use paid utilities like Dr.Fonethat scan deep layers of memory.

      The chances are extremely low - over time, deleted data is overwritten by new ones.

      Why doesn't WhatsApp offer to restore the backup during installation?

      This happens for the following reasons:

      • You are logged into another Google account.
      • The backup was created under a different number phone.
      • The backup file is damaged or deleted.
      • There is not enough space on the phone to restore.

      Solution: check the availability of the backup Google Drive manually and make sure you are using the correct credentials.

      Is it possible to restore messages without access to the old phone number?

      No, if:

      • The backup is linked to another number.
      • You did not save a local copy on the memory card.

      The only option is to contact to the previous owner of the number (if it was transferred to another person) or in support WhatsApp, but they do not provide access to other people's backups.

      How to restore only individual messages, and not the entire chat?

      This is impossible using standard means - WhatsApp restores data only entirely. Alternatives:

      • Use Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver for selective recovery.
      • Find message in history notifications (if enabled).
      • View exported chats (if you saved them manually).
      Do recovery methods work on iPhone?

      No, this instruction is intended only for Android. For iPhone other methods are used:

      • Recovery via iCloud.
      • Use iMazing or iExplorer.
      • Export chats via Email Chat (in the menu chat).

      The iOS is also stricter privacy policy, so third-party utilities often require jailbreak.