Recovering deleted WhatsApp chats on Honor 8: all working methods

Deleting important messages on WhatsApp on a smartphone Honor 8 is a situation familiar to many. It’s especially annoying when photos, documents or correspondence with loved ones disappear along with the chat. Fortunately, you can recover lost data in several ways - it all depends on have you made backupshow long ago the messages were deleted and whether you are ready to use third-party tools.

Honor 8, released in 2016, works on the basis of Android 7.0 Nougat (with the ability to upgrade to Android 9.0 Pie). This means that standard recovery methods via Google Drive or local backups are applicable here, but with nuances. For example, due to limited internal memory (16/32/64 GB), backups may not be created automatically. In this article we will analyze all current methods from official to alternative ones, taking into account the features of this particular model.

Before you begin, remember: the sooner you start acting, the higher the chances of success. Deleted data does not disappear instantly - it is marked as “free” and overwritten by new files. Therefore, immediately turn off the Internet on your phone and do not install new applications so as not to erase traces of correspondence.

1. Checking the availability of backups in WhatsApp

The first and most reliable way is to restore chats from automatic backup. WhatsApp creates backups daily at 2:00 a.m. (if the phone is connected to Wi-Fi and charged). These copies are stored either in Google Driveor in the internal memory of the device.

To check if there is a current copy:

1. Open WhatsApp on Honor 8.
2. Go to ⋮ (Menu) → Settings → Chat → Chat backup.
3. Look at the date of the last backup in the section Google Drive or Local backup.

If the date is recent (for example, yesterday), you can start restoring. If there is no copy or it is out of date, go to the next method.

⚠️ Attention: When restoring from a backup WhatsApp will delete all current chats and replace them with data from the backup. If, after deleting the correspondence, you had new dialogues, they will disappear.

Local backups stored in the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases. The files look like msgstore.db.crypt14 (where crypt14 —encryption version). If you see such files, it means that there are copies and they can be used for recovery.

Turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi on Honor 8

Make sure there is enough free space on the phone (at least 1 GB)

Remember or copy the date of the last backup

Connect the phone to charge (the process may take up to 30 minutes)-->

2. Restoring via Google Drive (official method)

If the backup to WhatsApp The backup function has been enabled Google Drive, you can return chats in a few steps. This method works even if you have already reinstalled the messenger.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Delete WhatsApp with Honor 8 (via Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Uninstall).
2. Download the latest version WhatsApp from Google Play and install it.
3. Open the application and confirm the phone number (must match the one you used previously).
4. When prompted to restore from Google Drive, click Restore.
5. Wait for the process to complete (may take from 5 to 20 minutes depending on the size backup).

If after clicking Restore the process freezes or gives an error, check:

• 🔹 Connect to Wi-Fi (mobile data may not be suitable due to speed limitations).
• 🔹 Free space on Google Drive (the backup will not be restored if the disk is full).
• 🔹 Version Google Play Services (update it via Google Play).

⚠️ Attention: On Honor 8 s Android 7.0 sometimes the error “Could not connect to Google Drive” appears. In this case, try clear the cache applications Google Play Services in the phone settings.

If you changed your phone number or SIM card after creating a backup, restore via Google Drive will be impossible. In this case, use local copies or third-party utilities.

3. Restoring from a local backup

If the copy in Google Drive is missing or cannot be restored, check local backups. They are stored directly on the phone and do not depend on the Internet connection.

How to find and use a local backup:

1. Connect Honor 8 to your computer via USB cable and turn on the mode File transfer (MTP).
2. Open the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases (if there is no folder, check /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases).
3. Find a file called msgstore.db.crypt14 (or crypt12if the version WhatsApp is old).
4. Copy this file to your computer (in case something goes wrong).
5. Rename the file to msgstore.db.crypt14.current (this will cheat WhatsApp, forcing it to consider the copy current).
6. Delete WhatsApp from the phone and install again.
7. When you first start the messenger will detect a local backup and offer to restore it.

If the backup file is missing, check the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases for archive copies with dates in the name (for example, msgstore-2026-05-15.db.crypt14They can also be used, but the data will be current as of the specified date.

Backup type	Where it is stored	How to restore	Limitations
Google Drive	Cloud storage	Reinstall WhatsApp and select “Recover”	Requires the same phone number and Google account
Local backup	/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases	Rename the file to msgstore.db.crypt14.current	May be missing if there was no space on the phone
Manual copy	Any folder on phone/PC	Copy to /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases	Should have been done in advance

4. Using third-party apps (for experienced users)

If official methods do not work, you can try specialized utilities to recover data. They scan the phone's memory and look for traces of deleted files. The most popular apps:

• 🔧 Dr.Fone — WhatsApp Recovery (paid, but there is a trial version).
• 🔧 Tenorshare UltData for Android (supports Honor 8 on Android 7.0/9.0).
• 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver (free scan, paid recovery).

How to restore correspondence using Dr.Fone:

1. Install the app on your computer and connect Honor 8 via USB.
2. Enable on your phone USB debugging (Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times) → Developer options → USB debugging).
3. Run Dr.Fone and select mode Whatsapp data recovery.
4. Follow the app instructions (root access may be required).
5. After scanning, select the desired chats and click Restore.

The advantage of this method is the ability to restore selected messages, and not the entire correspondence. However, there are also risks:

• 🚨 apps require root access, which can disrupt the operation of the phone.
• 🚨 Free versions often limit functionality (for example, they show messages, but do not allow you to save them).
• 🚨 There is no guarantee of 100% recovery, especially if the data was deleted a long time ago.

⚠️ Attention: Before using third-party utilities, check reviews of the app on independent sites (for example, XDA Developers or 4PDA). Some “restorers” may contain malicious code.

What to do if the app requires root access?

root access give full control over the system, but they void the warranty and increase the risk of failures. On Honor 8 you can get root using the utility Magisk or KingRoot, but:

1. Make a complete backup of your phone (for example, via TWRP).

2. Please note that after getting root, some applications (for example, banking) will stop working.

3. On Android 9.0 the process is more complicated than on Android 7.0 —unlocking may be required bootloader.

5. Restoring through notification history (partial)

If the correspondence was recently deleted, you can try to find fragments of messages in history. notificationsThis method will not return the entire correspondence, but will help restore recent messages.

How it works:

1. Open the Honor 8 application Notification log (if it exists) or use a third-party one, for example Notification History Log.
2. Find notifications from WhatsApp —they may contain the text of recent messages.
3. Copy the necessary information manually.

On Android 7.0 and newer, notification history is stored for a limited time (usually 24–48 hours). To increase your chances:

• 📱 Do not clear the application cache.
• 📱 Do not restart the phone.
• 📱 Check the folder /data/system/notification via root explorer (for example, Root Explorer).

This method is only suitable for recently deleted messages. If the correspondence was erased several days ago, the chances are minimal.

6. Contacting WhatsApp support (extreme case)

If none of the methods worked, you can try writing to WhatsApp support. The company does not officially recover deleted messages, but in rare cases it can help if:

• 🔄 The deletion occurred due to a malfunction of the application.
• 🔄 The account was blocked or hacked.
• 🔄 You have evidence of the special importance of correspondence (for example, for court).

How to contact support:

1. Open WhatsApp on Honor 8.
2. Go to ⋮ (Menu) → Settings → Help → Contact us.
3. Describe the situation in as much detail as possible (indicate the date of deletion, importance of correspondence, recovery attempts).
4. Attach screenshots of errors (if any).

Usually the answer comes within 24–48 hours. The chances of success are low, but if the correspondence has legal value, support may redirect the request to the technical department.

⚠️ Attention: WhatsApp does not store copies of your messages on its servers (with the exception of messages not delivered within 30 days). Therefore, it is almost impossible to restore data without backup.

7. How to avoid data loss in the future

To no longer encounter the problem of deleted chats, follow these simple rules:

• 🔒 Enable automatic backup v WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Chat backup. Select frequency (daily, weekly) and account Google Drive.
• 🔒 Check backups periodically - open /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases and make sure that the files are updated.
• 🔒 Export important chats manually: open the dialog → ⋮ → Export chat (saved as .txt or .zip).
• 🔒 Use cloud services to store copies (for example, Dropbox or Yandex Disk).

On Honor 8 with limited memory, it is especially important to monitor the free space. If the phone has less than 10% of memory, WhatsApp can stop creating backupsregularly clear the cache and delete unnecessary ones. files.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about restoring correspondence

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

Theoretically, yes, but only if you have local backup for this period. B Google Drive backups are stored for a limited time (usually up to 1 year), after which they are automatically deleted. Without a backup, the chances are zero.

I changed my phone number. Is it possible to restore old chats?

No. WhatsApp links backups to a phone number. If you change your number, backups in Google Drive will become unavailable. The only way out is to use local copies (if they exist) or third-party utilities.

Will resetting the phone to factory settings help?

No, that's just will make the situation worse. When resetting, all data (including local backups WhatsApp) will be erased. If you plan to reset your settings, first copy the folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases to your computer.

Is it possible to restore only individual messages and not the entire chat?

Yes, but only with the help of third-party apps (for example, Dr.Fone or Tenorshare UltData). Official methods (via Google Drive or local backup) restore the entire correspondence.

What to do if the error “Failed to decode the file” appears during recovery?

This error means that the backup file is damaged or is not compatible with the current version WhatsApp. Try:

1. Install the version WhatsAppthat was on the phone when the backup was created.
2. Use the app WhatsApp Key/DB Extractor to extract data from the damaged file.
3. Download backup again from Google Drive (perhaps the file was not fully downloaded).