Previously, we saw how to backup WhatsApp chat history including messages, photos and videos etc. Now, it’s time to learn how to restore or transfer WhatsApp backup.
In our previous story, we demonstrated how you can backup all your WhatsApp chat history including personal / group conversations, photos and video. Now, it’s time to understand some techniques to restore or transfer our WhatsApp backup including all the data pertaining to our messages, pictures, videos we might have shared and received in the past and stored in our phone’s local storage or different cloud storage services. Here is what you need to know:
Restoring Google Drive backup on a new Android phone
Step 1: make sure you are logged into your Google account associated with your Google Drive Download and install WhatsApp Messenger. Open and set up using your mobile number.
Step 2: Successfully authenticate your mobile number connected to your WhatsApp account. WhatsApp will automatically detect your Google Drive backup. Tap ‘Restore.’
Troubleshooting restore issues
If WhatsApp doesn’t detect your backup, make sure your device is signed into a Google Account that was used to create a Google Drive backup. Also, be doubly sure you are using the same mobile number associated with your account that was used to create a backup. WhatsApp automatically stores your chat history onto a local storage. If your SD card is corrupted, WhatsApp will find it difficult to transfer your previously backed up chat history over to a new device.
If WhatsApp doesn’t detect your backup, make sure your device is signed into a Google Account that was used to create a Google Drive backup.
How to restore locally stored WhatsApp backup
If you want to restore a locally stored backup, you can do so by using a computer, file explorer (phone memory) or SD Card etc. Here is what need to follow:
Step 1: Download a file manager app for your phone and navigate to a directory sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases.
Step 2: If your data is stored in phone’s internal memory, it may read either “internal storage” or “main storage” instead of sd card.
Step 3: Rename the backup folder you want to restore from msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 to msgstore.db.crypt12.
Step 4: Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp. While setting it up all over again, hit “Restore” when prompted.
For Windows Phone users
First things first, Windows Phone users need to verify that a OneDrive backup associated with their WhatsApp Account exists in the first place. Open WhatsApp > More > Settings > Chats and calls > Backup. If you can see the backup, setup WhatsApp on a new phone and restore it when prompted. The procedure is more or less the same as how users restore their WhatsApp data from Google Drive.
Once you set it up on a new phone and authenticate a mobile number connected to your WhatsApp account, it will detect your OneDrive backup and prompt you to restore.