Deleting an important message in WhatsApp is a situation familiar to many users Xiaomi Redmi.hether this is an accidental click on “Delete for everyone” or an application crash, data loss always causes panic. Fortunately, there are several ways recover deleted messages —from standard messenger functions to advanced technical solutions.

In this article we will look at 5 proven methodsadapted specifically for devices Redmi (including models on MIUI 12/13/14). It is important to understand that the success of recovery depends on many factors: the availability of backups, the time the message was deleted, and even the version WhatsApp. Some methods require root access, others work without them - choose the appropriate option based on your technical capabilities.

⚠️ Warning: Recovering deleted data is always associated with risks. Wrong actions can lead to total loss of chats or disruption of the application. If messages are of critical importance (for example, legal evidence), we recommend contacting digital forensics specialists.

📊 Have you ever lost important messages on WhatsApp?
Yes, several times
Yes, but I was able to recover
No, never
I don’t know how to check it

1. Restoring via Google Drive backup

The most reliable and official way to get back deleted messages is to use automatic backup, which WhatsApp creates in Google Drive. This method works if:

  • 🔹 On your Redmi an account is linked Google with sufficient space in the cloud
  • 🔹 In settings WhatsApp backup is enabled (by default - daily at 2:00)
  • 🔹 Messages were deleted after the last backup

To restore chats:

  1. Delete WhatsApp from your smartphone via Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Delete.
  2. Install the messenger again from Google Play.
  3. When you first start, enter the same phone number as before.
  4. When the system prompts you to restore the history from Google Drive, click Restore.

⚠️ Attention: If you have already created a new backup after deleting messages, the previous copy will be overwritten. In this case, recovery will become impossible.

Make sure there is enough space on your Google account|Remember the date of the last backup (check in WhatsApp → ⚙️ → Chat → Backup)|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi|Charge your phone at least 50%-->

2. Local recovery from the file msgstore.db.crypt14

If the backup copy in Google Drive is missing or outdated, you can try to restore messages from local backupthat WhatsApp is stored in the phone memory. Backup files are located along the path: 

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

On Redmi this path may look like /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases/.

Action algorithm:

  • 📁 Use any file manager (for example, Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer) to access the folder Databases.
  • 🔍 Find the file with the most recent number (for example, msgstore.db.crypt14.1 is a copy from yesterday).
  • 📥 Rename it to msgstore.db.crypt14 (remove the number at the end).
  • 🔄 Reinstall WhatsApp and wait for the offer to restore the data.

What to do if the Databases folder is empty?

If there are no backup files in the folder, this means that the local backup copying is disabled. You can enable it in WhatsApp settings: ⚙️ → Chat → Backup → Local backup. Please note that new backups will be created only after restarting the application.

Backup type Where it is stored Update frequency Does WhatsApp need to be reinstalled
Google Drive Google Cloud Daily/weekly/manually Yes
Local (crypt14) Folder /WhatsApp/Databases/ Daily at 2:00 Yes
Local (without encryption) Folder /WhatsApp/Databases/ (old versions) Manual launch Yes
Manual copy via Titanum Backup Phone memory or SD card At user request No (root only)

3. Using data recovery utilities (without root)

If standard methods do not work, you can use specialized data recovery apps. For Xiaomi Redmi suitable:

  • 🛠️ Dr.Fone — WhatsApp Recovery (Windows/Mac)
  • 🛠️ iMobie PhoneRescue (supports Android)
  • 🛠️ EaseUS MobiSaver (free version with limitations)

Example of working with Dr.Fone:

  1. Connect Redmi to PC via USB (turn on USB debugging in Settings → About phone → MIUI version → click on the version 7 times).
  2. Run app and select the mode Whatsapp data recovery.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen (the app will automatically scan the phone's memory).
  4. After scanning, select the desired messages and click Recover.

💡

Before connecting to the PC Disable the screen lock (PIN/pattern) on your phone. Some utilities cannot access data if the device is locked.

⚠️ Attention: Free versions of apps often show “ghost” files that cannot be recovered without purchasing a license. Before payment, check whether scan results show specific message texts, and not just date stamps.

4. Recovery via root access (for advanced users)

If on your Redmi received root access, the chances of recovering deleted messages increase significantly. To do this you will need:

  • 🔧 Utility SQLite Editor (from Google Play)
  • 🔧 File manager with root support (for example, Root Explorer)
  • 🔧 Database data msgstore.db from the folder /data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Open Root Explorer and follow the path /data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/.
  2. Copy the file msgstore.db to a safe place (for example, to an SD card).
  3. Install SQLite Editor and open the copied file.
  4. Go to the table messages and find deleted messages by keyword or date.
  5. Export the desired records in the format .txt or .csv.

Critical detail: In the database msgstore.db deleted messages are not marked as “deleted”, but are simply excluded from display in the interface. With the right approach, they can be retrieved manually, but this requires knowledge. SQL queries.

💡

Root access provides maximum recovery opportunities, but voids the Xiaomi warranty and increases the risk of system security breach.

5. Viewing Android notifications (only for recently deleted messages)

If the message was deleted just a few minutes ago, its text could be saved in notification log Android. This method works without root and additional apps, but only for messages that came in the form of push notifications.

How to check:

  • 📱 Open Settings → Notifications → Notification log.
  • 🔍 Enable the option Notification log (if it is disabled).
  • 📋 Scroll the list looking for notifications from WhatsApp.
  • 📋 Click on the notification to see the text of the message (if it has not been hidden by privacy settings).

⚠️ Attention: On MIUI 14 and later, the notification log may be disabled by default. In addition, WhatsApp has recently hidden the text of messages in notifications to increase privacy (setting Show message text in messenger notifications).

6. Alternative methods: backups via Titanum Backup and ADB

For users who regularly create system backups, there are two more options:

  • 🔄 Titanium Backup (requires root): allows you to restore data WhatsApp from a full application backup. It is important that a backup is created before deleting messages.
  • 🖥️ ADB commands (without root, but with USB debugging): you can manually copy backup files from your phone to your PC using the command: 
    adb pull /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt14 C:\Backup\

For working with ADB you will need:

  1. Install Platform Tools on PC (download from website Android Developers).
  2. Enable USB debugging on Redmi.
  3. Connect your phone to the PC and run the command adb devicesto make sure the connection is correct.

How to check if USB debugging is enabled?

Go to Settings → About phone → MIUI version and click on it 7 times to activate Developer mode. Then return to Settings → Additionally → For developers and enable USB debugging.

Common errors and how to avoid them

When users try to recover deleted messages Xiaomi Redmi often encounter typical problems:

1. "The WhatsApp/Databases folder cannot be found."

🔹 Reason: The file manager does not have rights to access system folders.

🔹 Solution: Use Mi File Explorer with the show hidden files mode enabled or install Root Explorer (if there is root).

2. "Recovery from Google Drive freezes at 0%"

🔹 Cause: Unstable Internet connection or not enough space on the phone.

🔹 Solution: Connect to Wi-Fi, free up 1-2 GB of memory and restart the process.

3. "There are no new messages after restoration"

🔹 Reason: An old copy of the backup was restored.

🔹 Solution: Check the file date msgstore.db.crypt14 —you may have restored a copy from a month ago.

💡

If messages were deleted more than 7 days ago, the chances of recovery without root are minimal. In this case, only professional software or contacting specialists will help.

Is it possible to recover messages deleted “for everyone”?

Technically, yes, but only if they are saved in a backup copy (Google Drive or local). The "Delete for Everyone" function itself erases the message from the servers WhatsApp, but does not affect backups created before deletion.

Why does the "Restore" button not appear when restoring from Google Drive?

This happens in three cases:

  1. You are logged in a different account Googlethan the one used for the backup.
  2. The phone does not have enough memory to load the backup.
  3. Version WhatsApp The phone is newer than the one in which the backup was created (update the messenger).

Is it possible to restore messages without reinstalling WhatsApp?

Without reinstallation, only methods via root (extracting from msgstore.db) or viewing notifications are available. Standard restoration from a backup always requires re-installing the application.

How to check if there is a backup copy in Google Drive?

Open Google Drive in the browser, enter whatsappin the search bar. If there is a backup, you will see a folder with the name of your phone number. The size of the last file must be at least several megabytes.

Do recovery apps work on MIUI Global Stable?

Yes, but with reservations:

  • 🔹 MIUI Global may need to be disabled MIUI data protection in the security settings.
  • 🔹 Some utilities (for example, Dr.Fone) require disabling MIUI optimizations to work correctly.