Have you deleted an important chat in WhatsApp and don’t know how to get it back? You are not alone: ​​according to statistics, every third user has lost messages at least once due to an accidental click, reset or change of phone. Fortunately, even after deletion, conversations can be restored - if you act quickly and correctly.

In this article we will examine all working methods returning deleted messages to Android, from standard backups to advanced tools like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver. Important: the chances of success depend on how long ago the messages were deletedwhether a backup was used and whether the phone's memory was overwritten with new data. Some methods will work even if you have already reinstalled the messenger or reset the phone to factory settings.

Let's proceed to a step-by-step analysis. Start with the simplest method - checking the backup in Google Drive, and only if it does not work, move on to more complex options.

1. Restoring via Google Drive backup

The most reliable and official way to recover deleted chats is to use an automatic backup, which WhatsApp creates in Google Drive. This method will work if: Google Drive re-record).

  • 🔹 You have previously enabled backup in the messenger settings.
  • 🔹 Chats have been deleted no later than 7 days since the last backup (otherwise the copy may be overwritten).
  • 🔹 You use the same account Google and phone to which the backup is linked.

To restore messages:

  1. Delete WhatsApp from your phone (via Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Delete).
  2. Reinstall the messenger from Google Play.
  3. When you first start, enter the same phone number as before.
  4. When the system prompts you to restore chats from Google Drive, click Restore.
  5. Wait for the process to complete (can take from a few minutes to an hour depending on the size of the backup).
📊 How often do you make backups WhatsApp?
Daily
Once a week
Once a month
Never
I don’t know

Important! If some messages are missing after restoration, check the date of the last backup in Settings → Chat → Backup. The copy may have been created before you received important messages.

⚠️ Attention: If you have already installed WhatsApp on a new phone and skipped the recovery step, the backup in Google Drive may be deleted. In this case, try other methods from this article.

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If the backup copy in Google Drive is missing or outdated, you can try to restore chats from local backupwhich WhatsApp creates daily on the phone. This file is called msgstore.db.crypt14 and is stored in the folder:

/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/

Recovery instructions:

  1. Connect the phone to the PC via USB i turn on the mode File transfer.
  2. Go to the folder WhatsApp/Databases and find the file with the name msgstore.db.crypt14 (or msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt14, where YYYY-MM-DD is the creation date).
  3. Copy this file to your computer (make a backup copy just in case).
  4. Delete WhatsApp from the phone and install again.
  5. Before starting the messenger, return the file msgstore.db.crypt14 back to the folder Databases, renaming it to msgstore.db.crypt14 (remove the date from the name, if any).
  6. Run WhatsApp and wait for the chats to be restored.

Disable automatic WhatsApp updates in the Play Market|

Make a copy of the WhatsApp folder on your PC|

Make sure there is enough space on your phone (minimum 1 GB)|

Use the original USB cable to connect to the PC-->

If the file has an extension crypt12 or crypt15, this means that it is encrypted using a different algorithm. In this case, specialized software will be needed for recovery (more on this in the next section).

⚠️ Attention: Do not rename other files in the folder Databases - this may lead to the loss of all chats. If the local backup is damaged, WhatsApp will offer to restore data from Google Drive (if available).

3. Using third-party apps (Dr.Fone, EaseUS MobiSaver)

If standard methods do not work, specialized utilities for data recovery will come to the rescue. They scan the phone's memory and can find deleted messages, even if there are no backups. The most popular apps:

  • 🛠️ Dr.Fone — Data Recovery (Android) —supports the recovery of not only chats, but also media files from WhatsApp.
  • 🛠️ EaseUS MobiSaver —simple interface, high scanning speed.
  • 🛠️ Tenorshare UltData —works even on phones with damaged firmware.

Step-by-step guide for example Dr.Fone:

  1. Download and install the app on your PC (official website).
  2. Connect the phone to the computer via USB and enable USB debugging (Settings → About phone → Build number (7 times) → Developer options → USB debugging).
  3. Run Dr.Fone, select mode Android data recovery.
  4. Specify the type of data to scan - Whatsapp messages.
  5. Wait for the analysis to complete (may take up to 30 minutes).
  6. View the messages found, mark the ones you need and click Restore.
app Whatsapp support Cost (RUB) Features
Dr.Fone Yes (chat rooms + media) from 2,500 Works on 6000+ Android models
EaseUS MobiSaver Yes (text only) from 1,800 Free trial version
Tenorshare UltData Yes (including archives) from 3,200 Recovery from damaged devices

Critical! Do not install data recovery apps on the same drive where backups are stored WhatsApp. This can lead to overwriting of deleted files and permanent loss of messages.

4. Recovery via root access (for advanced users)

If your phone has root access, the chances of returning deleted chats increase significantly. Using root, you can access system folders where temporary files and caches are stored. To do this you will need: WhatsApp stores temporary files and cache. For this you will need:

  • 📱 Phone with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk or SuperSU.
  • 🖥️ app DiskDigger or GT Recovery (work with root).
  • 🔧 Knowledge of the basics of working with ADB (optional).

Instructions:

  1. Install DiskDigger from Google Play (root required).
  2. Run the app and select mode Full scan.
  3. Specify the search folder: /data/data/com.whatsapp/.
  4. Wait for the analysis to complete and find the files with the extension .db or .crypt.
  5. Export the found files to your PC and use them for recovery via WhatsApp (as described in section 2).
What to do if there is no root access?

If the phone is not rooted, try using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to access system files. However, this method requires technical skills and may void your warranty or lock out your device. An alternative is to contact a service center, where specialists will perform restoration using professional equipment.

⚠️ Attention: Getting root access will void the phone's warranty and may interfere with banking applications (due to SafetyNet). Before the procedure, make a complete backup of your data via TWRP or Orange Backup.

5. Restoring using notifications (if messages were recently deleted)

If you deleted a chat less than 24 hours agothere is a chance that fragments of it were saved in Notification log Android. This method is suitable for returning recent messages, but not entire conversations.

How it works:

  1. Install the application Notification History Log from Google Play.
  2. Open the application and grant access to notifications (Settings → Applications → Notification History Log → Notifications → Allow).
  3. Find notifications from WhatsApp —the texts of the latest messages can be saved there.
  4. Copy the necessary information manually.

Method limitations:

  • 🚫 Works only for text (without media files).
  • 🚫 Shows only notifications, that you saw on the lock screen.
  • 🚫 Does not restore group chat or history older than a day.
💡

If you often lose important messages, enable notification archiving in Android: go to Settings → Notifications → Additional → Notification history and activate the option.

6. Contacting WhatsApp support: when it makes sense

Official support WhatsApp does not recover deleted messages - this is stated in their privacy policy. However, in rare cases, you can try to return chats if:

  • 📌 The deletion occurred due to a malfunction in the messenger (for example, after an update).
  • 📌 You have lost access to your account due to hacking or blocking.
  • 📌 You have evidence that messages were deleted due to the fault of the service (for example, screenshots of errors).

How to write to support correctly:

  1. Open WhatsApp, go to ⋮ → Settings → Help → Contact us.
  2. Describe the problem in as much detail as possible: 
    

    Subject: Recovering deleted data chats after a failure
    

    Message:
    

    Hello! On [date] at [time] I lost access to chats on WhatsApp due to [reason: update/crash/change of phone]. Google Drive backup is missing (or out of date as of [date]). Please help me recover the messages, as they contain important information about [insert reason: work/study/family matters]. I am attaching screenshots of the error: [upload files].
  3. Attach screenshots (if any) and send a request.

Support response time is from 2 days to 2 weeks. The chances of success are minimal (less than 5%), but if the deletion occurred due to the fault of the service, WhatsApp can provide temporary access to the server copy of chats.

⚠️ Attention: Do not trust sites or “specialists” that offer to restore chats for money. Fraudsters often ask for payment for “unique tools” that don’t actually work. Officially WhatsApp does not provide such services.

7. How to prevent message loss in the future

To avoid losing important conversations again, follow these recommendations:

  • 🔄 Enable daily backup copy in Settings → Chat → Backup → Auto backup (select Daily).
  • ☁️ Check that the backup is saved in Google Drive: for this it must be linked account Google and enough space in the cloud.
  • 📤 Export important chats manually: open the dialog → ⋮ → Export chat (can be saved with or without media files).
  • 🔐 Use WhatsApp Businessif you conduct business correspondence - there is a function for archiving chats to email.
  • 📱 Regularly transfer the folder WhatsApp from your phone to your PC (at least once a month).
💡

Even if you have enabled auto-backup, check the date of the last backup in Settings → Chat → Backup. Sometimes copies are not created due to synchronization errors with Google Drive.

If you often clear your phone memory, add the folder WhatsApp to optimization exceptions:

  1. Go in Settings → Battery → Battery optimization.
  2. Find WhatsApp in the list and select Do not optimize.

Frequently asked questions

Can I restore messages if I have already installed WhatsApp again and skipped the restore?

Unfortunately, if you skipped the restore step during the first installation, the backup in Google Drive may be deleted. In this case, try: Google Drive data-i="266">The chances are low, but they are there.

  1. Delete WhatsApp and install again - sometimes the copy is saved for up to 30 days.
  2. Use local backup (section 2) or third-party apps (section 3).

The chances are low, but they are there.

I deleted WhatsApp and installed it on a new phone. How to transfer chats?

If backup was enabled on your old phone, when installing Google Drive, during installation WhatsApp on a new phone, the system will offer to restore chats. If there is no copy:

  1. Copy the folder WhatsApp from the old phone to the new one (via PC or cloud).
  2. Install WhatsApp and wait until it finds a local backup.

If both phones are on Android, you can use Samsung Smart Switch or Xiaomi Migration to transfer data.

Is it possible to restore only one message and not the entire chat?

No, WhatsApp does not support selective recovery. When restoring from a backup, they are returned all chats to the date the copy was created. If you need to save only one message:

  1. Restore the entire chat from backup.
  2. Copy the desired message (screenshot or text).
  3. Delete WhatsApp and install again, skipping the recovery.
What to do if the error “Failed to restore” appears during recovery?

The error can occur for several reasons:

  • 🔌 Unstable Internet connection (check Wi-Fi or mobile data).
  • 📱 Not enough space on your phone (free up at least 1 GB).
  • ☁️ Problems with Google Drive (try logging into your account through a browser and checking file availability).
  • 🔄 Outdated version WhatsApp (update the messenger in Google Play).

If the error persists, try restoring the backup via a local file (section 2).

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

The likelihood is extremely small. WhatsApp stores backups in Google Drive no more than 1 year, if you did not create copies manually. Local backups on the phone are overwritten every 7 days. In this case, all that remains is:

  1. Try apps for deep scanning (section 3), but the chances are minimal.
  2. Check email archives (if you exported chats before).