Accidental deletion of important correspondence on WhatsApp on a smartphone Honor is a stressful situation that many users face. Fortunately, the messenger architecture provides several levels of backup, which significantly increases the chances of data recovery. The recovery process directly depends on whether synchronization with the cloud was enabled or whether local files were saved on the device.
Before taking active steps, you need to clearly understand what backup method was used on your Androidgadget. Owners Honor often rely on the system's built-in tools, but WhatsApp has its own backup mechanism, which can be either in Google Drive or in internal memory. The further algorithm of actions will depend on this key factor.
Do not panic and immediately try to write messages in the chat, as this can overwrite the memory sector where, theoretically, traces of the deleted message are still stored. A competent approach implies a consistent check of all possible sources of data storage. Below we will analyze in detail all the current methods of returning information for owners of brand smartphones.
Checking Google Drive cloud backup
The most common and reliable way to restore correspondence is to use cloud storage Google Drive. If automatic synchronization was activated on your device, then the messenger regularly saved copies of chats to an account linked to the application store. To check, you need to enter the settings of the WhatsApp application itself. Honor If automatic synchronization was activated, the messenger regularly saved copies of chats to an account linked to the application store. To check, you need to go into the settings of the WhatsApp application itself.
Go to the section Settings → Chats → Chat backup. Here you will see the date and time of the last successful save. If the specified date precedes the time of deletion of important correspondence, then the restoration will be successful. Otherwise, if the last copy was made after deletion, this method, alas, will not help to return old messages.
⚠️ Attention: The recovery process is only possible if you use the same phone number and the same Google account that were used to create the backup. Changing any of these parameters will make the backup unavailable.
To start the process, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the application. When you first start after entering the number SIM cards the system will offer to find a backup copy. You must agree to restore, and all dialogues will be downloaded from the cloud. It is important to have a stable connection to Wi-Fias the amount of data can be significant.
Using local backup files
If cloud synchronization has not been configured, do not despair. Messenger WhatsApp by default creates local copies of the database every night at 02:00. These files are stored in the internal memory of the smartphone Honor or on the memory card microSDif it was selected as the main storage.
To access this data you will need a file manager. Find the folder along the path Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases or simply WhatsApp/Databases at the root of memory. Inside you will see files with names like msgstore-2023.10.25.1.db.crypt14, where the numbers indicate the creation date. A file without a date in the name (msgstore.db.crypt14) is current and most likely already empty or updated.
To restore chat from a local file, follow these steps:
- 📂 Rename the current file
msgstore.db.crypt14tomsgstore.db.currentto save it as a backup. - 📅 Select the file with the desired date from the list and rename it, removing the date, so that it is called simply
msgstore.db.crypt14. - 🗑️ Delete the WhatsApp application and install it again.
- 💾 When installing, select restore from a local copy, when the corresponding offer appears.
⚠️ Attention: The version of the cryptographic key (the number after the word crypt) must match. You cannot rename the crypt12 file to crypt14 - the recovery will not work. Use a file with the same encryption version as in the current installation.
What to do if the file manager does not see the Android folder?
In new versions of Android, access to the Android folder is limited. Use Google's built-in Files app or a third-party manager like Total Commander, requesting all necessary permissions to access your media files. You can also connect your phone to a PC and work with files via a computer.
Recovery through built-in Honor tools
Smartphones Honorworking on the shell MagicOS or older versions EMUIhave their own backup system copying. If you previously used the "Backup and Restore" function in your phone settings, then WhatsApp data could be saved there.
Check for backup via path Settings → System and updates → Backup and recovery. If you find a saved restore point there dated to the desired period, start the process. The system will prompt you to select data to restore - make sure that "Application data" or specifically WhatsApp.
This method is good because it restores not only texts, but also application settings, as well as media files, if they were included in the selection. However, the volume of such a backup can be large, so restoration will take longer than the standard procedure through Google.
| Recovery method | Necessary conditions | Probability of success | Saving media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Account Google, Internet | High | Yes (if enabled) |
| Local file | File system access | Medium | Only in gallery |
| Honor Backup | Created system backup | High | Yes |
| Chat export | Presence of a previously sent file | Low | Only as an attachment |
Before any manipulations with database files, copy the entire Databases folder to your computer or to the cloud. This will create a fallback point in case you make a mistake with renaming the files.
Export chat: an alternative rollback option
There is a lesser-known method that can help if you have previously sent someone your chat history or saved it in files. The "Esport Chat" function creates a text file with message history, which can be sent by mail or saved in the cloud.
Of course, import such a file back into the application so that it becomes part of the live conversation. impossible. However, if your goal is simply to read the text of the lost dialogue, then searching the file system or mail for the file Chat_with_Name.txt will be a salvation. This is not a full recovery, but access to information.
To create such copies in the future, go to the settings of a specific chat, select Export chat and send the file to yourself by email or to “Favorites”. Regularly performing this procedure for important conversations will provide you with an archive copy independent of WhatsApp servers.
Third-party data recovery apps
When built-in methods do not work, users turn to specialized PC software such as Dr.Fone, Tenorshare UltData or DiskDigger. These apps scan the internal memory of the device in search of deleted sectors that are marked as free, but have not yet been overwritten by new data.
The effectiveness of such snails on modern smartphones Honor with Android 10 and higher is extremely low. This is due to improved algorithms for working with the file system and data encryption by default. However, the attempt is not torture, especially if the data is critical.
To work with such apps you need:
- 🔌 Connect your smartphone to the computer via an original USB cable.
- 🔓 Enable USB debugging mode in the "For Developers" menu (
Settings → About phone → click on the build number 7 times). - 💻 Run a scan through the app on your PC and wait for the results.
⚠️ Attention: Be careful with free versions of such apps. Often they show the files found, but require payment to actually extract them. In addition, by providing access to memory, you risk privacy. data.
☑️ Checklist before recovery
Frequent errors when trying to recover
Many users make typical mistakes that reduce the chances of success to zero. The most common of them is installing the application and actively using it until the backup is restored. New messages can form a new database, which will block the path for importing the old one.
Another mistake is ignoring application versions. If the backup was created in the beta version of WhatsApp, and you install the stable version from the Play Market, the recovery process may be blocked by the system due to incompatibility of database formats.
It is also worth mentioning the problem of lack of space. To unpack an archive from Google Drive or work with a local file, there must be free space on the disk equal to at least twice the size of the backup copy. If the memory Honor is full, the process will be interrupted or will not proceed correctly.
The main rule of recovery is to act quickly and not create new garbage in the phone's memory. The less new data is recorded after deletion, the higher the chances of success.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions
Can I restore a chat if I changed my phone number?
Yes, this is possible, but only if you first use the "Change number" function inside the WhatsApp settings on your old device before creating a backup. If you simply reinstalled the application on a new number, the old backups are tied to the old SIM card and will not work.
What to do if Google Drive says “No backups found”?
Make sure you are signed in to the same Google account that was used for the backup. Also check if your cloud storage is full. Sometimes deleting the Google Play Services application and reinstalling it helps, after which you need to add your account again.
Are deleted photos and videos restored?
The text part is always restored if there is a backup. Media files are restored only if the "Include video" and "Include photo" options were enabled in the backup settings. If the "Text only" checkbox was checked, the media will have to be searched in the folder WhatsApp/Media separately, if they have not been deleted from there.
How long is the local copy stored on Honor?
By default, WhatsApp stores local copies for the last 7 days. Every day at 02:00 a new copy is created and the oldest of the seven is deleted. Therefore, it makes no sense to delay restoring from a local file for more than a week.