Accidental deletion of the Viber messenger is a stressful situation for any smartphone user. The application's database stores years of correspondence, important documents, photographs and contacts, the loss of which can be critical. Fortunately, the architecture Android and built-in mechanisms of the messenger itself provide for several scenarios for data recovery without the need to pay for third-party services.
The recovery process directly depends on whether the automatic backup function was previously configured. If you regularly created copies in the cloud Google Drive or saved them to the internal memory of the device, the chances of getting your entire message history back are close to 100%. However, if backups have not been made for years, the situation becomes more complicated, but does not become hopeless.
In this article we will analyze in detail all the legal and free methods of restoring work. Viber. We'll look at working with cloud storage, searching for local database files, and the nuances of account reactivation. It is important to act consistently and not take unnecessary steps that could overwrite old data with new ones.
Checking the availability of a backup copy in Google Drive
The most reliable and easiest way to return a deleted messenger along with the entire history is to use cloud storage. Default to modern versions Viber offer to configure autosave during the first installation. If you agreed to these terms, your data is already on Google's servers.
Before reinstalling the application, it is critical to ensure that a copy actually exists and is not corrupted. Go to the settings of your smartphone, find the section Accounts and synchronization or simply enter the word "Google" in the settings search. Go to storage management and check for the presence of a file marked Viber Backup.
Pay attention to the date the last copy was created. If the file was created yesterday or a week ago, you will only lose messages from the last few days. If the date is old, for example, a year ago, then all correspondence for the last year cannot be restored. This is a fundamental limitation of any backup system.
Before restoring, make sure that the same Google account that was used for the backup is active on the phone. Changing your email will result in the application not seeing the saved data.
⚠️ Attention: Never install a fresh copy of Viber or activate the number until you have checked the availability of a backup in Google Drive. The initial setup process may overwrite old data with local empty files.
Searching for local copies of the database in internal memory
If cloud backup has not been configured, do not despair. The operating system Android allows applications to create local copies of data directly in the device's internal memory. These files often remain untouched even after uninstalling the application itself, since the cleaning system does not always affect hidden system folders.
You will need any file manager to find such files. The built-in explorer may not be enough, so it is recommended to install a third-party application, for example Files by Google or Total Commander. You need to find the directory where Viber you stored your databases.
The standard path to the backup folder is as follows:
/sdcard/Viber/backup/Or in newer versions of Android:
/sdcard/Android/media/com.viber.voip/Viber/backup/Inside this folder you should see files with the extension .vbk or .zip. The presence of such files with the current date is a great sign. These are the files that contain your chat history, media files, and settings. When reinstalled, the messenger will automatically scan these directories.
☑️ Search for local backup
Recovery process through re-installation
After you have made sure that you have a backup copy (cloud or local), you can proceed to the main stage. Uninstall the current version of the application if it is installed but does not work correctly, or simply download the latest distribution from the official store Google Play.
Run the installation and wait for it to complete. When you first start it Viber will ask for your phone number. Enter the exact number to which the account was registered and the backup was made. Using another number will make recovery impossible, since the data is tied to a specific subscriber.
After entering the number and receiving an SMS with a confirmation code, the application will begin the initialization process. At this point, the system will automatically detect available backups. You will be prompted with a window asking about restoring data from the found backup.
- 📲 Press the button Restoreif the system has found a current copy.
- ⏭️ Select Skip only in in case you want to start from scratch (all old data will be lost).
- 🔄 If the recovery is stuck, check the stability of the Internet connection to download data from the cloud.
What to do if the application does not see the local backup?
Sometimes the path to the file may be non-standard. Try manually moving the .vbk file from deep folders to the root of the internal memory or to the /Viber/backup folder, creating it manually, and restart the application.
Recovering individual media files and photos
Often users are worried not so much about the text of the correspondence, but about lost photos and videos. Even if the message history is not completely restored, the media files may be saved in the device gallery. The system Android by default saves all received images in a separate folder.
Check the directory /sdcard/Pictures/Viber/ or /sdcard/DCIM/Viber/. The originals of photos sent or received in chats are often stored here. Even after deleting the application, these files may remain in memory, since they are considered part of the user's media library, and not the app's cache.
If files are also deleted from this folder, you can try using the trash functions in the smartphone gallery. Many modern shells (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS) store deleted photos for 30 days. This can be a lifesaver for important pictures that you did not manage to save to the cloud.
| Data type | Probability of recovery | Search method |
|---|---|---|
| Message text | High (if available backup) | Automatic recovery at login |
| Photos and videos | Medium | Gallery folder / File manager |
| Voice messages | Low | Only through a full database backup |
| Contact | Very high | Synchronization with the Android phone book |
⚠️ Attention: Do not write new large files (movies, games) to the phone until the recovery procedure is completed. New data may overwrite memory sectors where deleted messenger files were physically located.
Solving problems with a restore error
Sometimes the process does not go smoothly. Users may experience a "Failed to restore backup" error or an infinite boot loop. Most often this is due to a mismatch between application versions or problems with access rights to the file system.
Make sure that you are downloading Viber from an official source. Third-party builds or modified versions of the messenger may have a different database encryption structure, which will make your backup unreadable. Also check whether there is enough free space on your device to unpack the archive.
If you are using Google Drive, try temporarily disabling Wi-Fi and using mobile data, or vice versa. Sometimes your provider's network settings block the correct loading of large amounts of data. Clearing the service cache Google Play Services can also help establish communication with the cloud.
The main reason for failure is a mismatch in phone number. The data is encrypted by binding to the number, and changing the SIM card makes the old backup useless without complex procedures for transferring the number within the application.
Prevention of data loss in the future
In order to no longer face the question “how to recover a deleted Viber”, you need to set up regular automatic backups. It will take a couple of minutes, but will save hours of hassle in the future. Go to the settings of the messenger itself through the menu More → Settings → Account.
Select item Viber backup. Here you can configure the frequency of creating copies: daily, weekly or monthly. It is recommended to choose daily backups if you actively use the messenger for work.
Also make sure that the correct Google account is selected for saving. The same menu displays the size of the last copy and the date it was created. Check this status regularly to be sure of the safety of your data.
- 📅 Set the copy frequency Daily at 2-3 am when the phone is not in use.
- ☁️ Link Google account with enough free space.
- 🔋 Connect your phone to charge while creating a backup to avoid draining the battery.
Is it possible to restore Viber without a backup?
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to restore the full history of correspondence without a previously created backup copy (local or cloud). The database is encrypted, and encryption keys are often lost after the application is uninstalled. Specialized software for data recovery from Android is rarely effective for modern encrypted messenger databases.
What should I do if I changed my phone number?
You need to first restore access to the old number (by inserting the old SIM card), restore data from a backup, and then use the built-in number change function in the Viber settings (Settings → Account → Change number). This will transfer the entire history to the new number.
Where are Viber backups stored on a computer?
On PC versions of Viber do not create cloud backups in the same format as mobile versions. Chat history is stored locally in database files in the app installation folder. To transfer data between a PC and a phone, direct synchronization is not provided; the use of the mobile version as the main backup source is required.
How much space does a backup copy take?
The size of the copy depends on the number of media files. Text correspondence in a year can take up only a few megabytes. However, if you often exchange photos and videos, the backup size in Google Drive can reach several gigabytes. Take this into account when choosing a cloud storage plan.
Is it safe to use data recovery apps?
Most free apps that promise to recover data from a phone are shareware or fraudulent. They often require root access, which may violate the device's warranty, or simply show previews of deleted files, demanding payment for their “recovery”, which in fact does not happen. Trust only official methods.