Accidental deletion of correspondence in the messenger Viber is an extremely unpleasant situation, but often fixable. Many users panic when they see a blank screen instead of important dialogs, but modern operating systems and the application itself provide several data protection mechanisms. The effectiveness of recovery directly depends on how long ago the information was deleted and whether the automatic backup function was configured.
In this article we will analyze in detail all the available ways to return lost messages on a device with OS Android. We will look at both the standard tools of the messenger itself and working with local copies of the database, and will also touch on the capabilities of third-party software. It is important to understand that the success of the operation is not 100% guaranteed, but knowing the correct algorithms of action significantly increases the chances of success.
Before taking active steps, you need to learn one golden rule: the fewer manipulations you do with the phone after removal, the higher the likelihood of success. Any new write to the device's memory may overwrite the sector where your deleted messages were still physically stored.
Checking the backup settings in Viber
The first and most obvious step is to check if there is a saved backup copy. Messenger Viber by default offers to save correspondence history to cloud storage Google Drive. If this feature was activated before deletion, the process of returning data will take only a few minutes.
You need to go to the settings of the application itself and find the section responsible for account and privacy. The date of the last saved copy is displayed there. If the date is current (for example, yesterday or this morning), then your data is safe. Otherwise, if the last copy was made a month ago, you will only restore old chats, losing everything that was written during this period.
To check, follow these steps:
- 📱 Launch the application Viber on your smartphone.
- ⚙️ Go in the menu
More → Settings → Account. - 💾 Select the item
Viber Backup. - 📅 Check the "Last backup" field and the size of the archive file.
If you see a message that the backup was never performed or is disabled, this method, unfortunately, will not help you. However, do not despair, as there are also local ways to save data, which will be discussed below.
⚠️ Attention: The process of restoring from a cloud copy requires completely deleting the application and reinstalling it. Make sure you remember the phone number and have access to the SIM card to receive the verification code.
Recovery from a local database on Android
Even if a cloud backup is missing or outdated, local copies of the database can be stored on the internal drive of your smartphone. The application Viber automatically creates such files daily, usually at night, and stores them for the last week. This is a mechanism hidden from the user’s eyes, which often becomes a salvation.
Backup files have an extension .vbk and a specific name, including the creation date. To access them, you will need a file manager with access rights to system folders or connect your smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode. The path to this data may differ depending on the version of Android, but most often this is a directory /storage/emulated/0/android/data/com.viber.voip/files/viber_backup.
The process of replacing the current database file with an archived one is as follows:
- Find the backup folder through the file manager.
- Select the file with the desired date (for example,
viber_backup_2023-10-25_12-00-00.vbk). - Copy it and rename it to
viber_backup.vbk, removing the date from the name. - Move this file to the root backup folder, replacing the existing one (if any).
- Reinstall the application and agree to restore history upon first launch.
It is important to note that this method only works if you did not reinstall the application after deleting the messages. If you have already uninstalled Viber and reinstalled it without restoring, the local files may have been cleared along with the application cache.
Use the file manager "Total Commander" or "CX File Explorer" for easy access to hidden Android system folders without root access.
Using Google Drive for a complete system rollback
If local files did not help, and there is no cloud copy in Viber itself, you can try using a general backup copy of the entire Android system stored in Google DriveThis method is more radical, as it requires resetting the smartphone to factory settings. settings.
Google automatically creates snapshots of the system, which include a list of installed applications and, in some cases, their data. If at the time of the creation of the last snapshot your messages still existed, they can be returned along with the application. However, this method does not guarantee the restoration of the messenger database, since data storage policies differ for different applications.
Before starting the procedure, make sure that you have a current copy of other important data (photos, contacts), as they will be deleted during the reset process. Also check the date of the last backup in the phone settings: Settings → Google → Backup.
| Option | Local copy (.vbk) | Google Drive (Viber) | Full Android backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | Phone memory | Google Cloud | Google Cloud |
| Storage period | 7 days | Up to 1 year | Depends on settings |
| Complexity | Medium | Low | High |
| Risk of data loss | Minimum | Minimum | High (requires a reset) |
If you decide to do a full reset, the system will offer to restore data from your Google account during initial setup. Select the latest available recovery point and wait until all applications are downloaded.
☑️ Preparing to reset the phone
Third-party data recovery apps
When standard methods are exhausted, specialized utilities for data recovery come to the rescue. apps like Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData or DiskDigger scan the internal memory of the device in search of deleted files that have not yet been overwritten by new information.
The effectiveness of this approach greatly depends on the availability root access on your device. Without superuser rights, apps can only scan the visible part of the file system, which significantly reduces the chances of success. With Root access, the utility can (deeply) analyze memory sectors where deleted database records are physically located viber.db.
The algorithm for working with such software is usually as follows:
- 🖥️ Install a recovery app on your computer (Windows or Mac).
- 🔌 Connect your smartphone with a USB cable and turn on the mode
USB Debugging. - 🔍 Start scanning the device by selecting the data type "Messages" or "Viber".
- 💾 View the results found files in preview mode and restore the ones you need.
It is worth considering that most of the full-fledged functions in such apps are available only in paid versions. The free mode often only allows you to scan the device and show that it is theoretically possible to recover, but does not allow you to download files.
⚠️ Attention: Installing data recovery apps on the same phone from which you want to recover information is strictly prohibited. This may overwrite deleted sectors permanently. Use only a PC.
What are root access and how to get them?
root access give full access to the Android file system. To obtain them, apps such as Magisk or KingRoot are used, but this will void the warranty on the device and can lead to system failure if used improperly.
Why messages may not be restored
Sometimes, despite all efforts, it is not possible to return correspondence. This is due to the operating principle of NAND flash memory, which is used in modern smartphones. When you delete a file, the system does not physically erase it, but only marks the space it occupied as “free” for recording new data.
As soon as new information is written to this place (new photo, application update, browser cache), the old data is irretrievably lost. The more actively you used your phone after deleting messages in Viber, the less chance of success. The situation is especially critical if the phone has been rebooted many times or was used to shoot video.
It is also worth mentioning encryption. Modern versions of Android themselves Viber use end-to-end encryption. Even if the recovery app finds fragments of the database, without the decryption keys, which are stored in a protected area of the system, it will be impossible to read them. This makes recovery on new devices with Android 10 and higher much more difficult.
Another reason for failure may be synchronization. If you deleted a message on one device and it was synced to the cloud or another phone, the deletion could happen everywhere at the same time. In this case, the backup copy will also contain information about the deletion.
The chance of data recovery drops exponentially with each minute of active use of the phone after deletion. Immediately stop recording new data.
Preventing data loss in the future
In order not to face the problem of losing important correspondence in the future, you need to set up automatic backup right now. Do not rely on memory or luck - the setup takes one minute, but can save thousands of nerve cells.
In the settings Viber you can set the frequency of creating copies: daily, weekly or monthly. It is recommended to select daily copying, especially if you use the messenger for work issues. Also make sure that copying occurs via Wi-Fi so as not to waste mobile traffic.
Using the “Secret Chats” function can be an additional security measure. Although the messages in them cannot be forwarded or copied, they are also subject to backup if this option is enabled in the general privacy settings. Regularly check the backup status in your Google Drive account.
⚠️ Attention: The application interface and menu layout may change with updates. If you do not find the specified item, use the search inside the phone settings or refer to the developer help.
Configure copying of the Viber database not only to Google Drive, but also manually duplicate important files to your computer once a month for maximum reliability.
Can I restore messages if I changed my phone number?
Yes, this is possible, but only if you transferred the backup copy from the old device to the new one before activation. When you change the number in the Viber settings, the application will offer to transfer your chat history. If you simply deleted the old account and created a new one, recovery without a preliminary backup is impossible.
Will deleted photos and videos from chats be restored?
When restoring the database (.vbk), the text history and metadata about media files are restored. However, the photo and video files themselves are only restored if they were saved in the phone's gallery or were included in a general Google Photos backup. It is difficult to “pull” heavy media files out of the Viber database itself.
How long are backups stored in Google Drive?
Google stores Viber backups for up to 1 year if you do not update them. However, the Viber application itself uses only the most recent available copy when restoring. Old versions of archives in the cloud are usually overwritten with new ones with each successful backup.
Do you need the Internet to restore a local copy?
No, to restore from a local file .vbkthat is in the phone's memory, the Internet is not required. The process takes place entirely on the device. The Internet is only needed to download the Viber application itself from the Play Market and for authorization via SMS.
Is it safe to use data recovery apps?
Using well-known software from major developers (Dr.Fone, Tenorshare) is safe. However, avoid dubious free utilities from unverified sources, as they may contain viruses or contain your personal data. Always download software from official websites.