How to Backup and Restore WhatsApp – Ultimate Guide

Getting a new phone is exciting, but making it look and work just like your old phone is a little trick. So before you get a new phone or perform a factory reset on an existing one, you can backup WhatsApp chats from your phone and restore them. While that sounds straightforward, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide about everything you need to know before you backup and restore WhatsApp on your phones.

Scenario 1: Backup and Restore WhatsApp on Android

If you have bought a new Android smartphones or replacing a lost or damaged phone, below are these steps. Ensure, you use the same phone number and same Google account on both devices for the transfer to work. A typical WhatsApp backup ranges from 5-10 GB (I’ve been using WhatsApp for 10 years and mine was around 3 GB.) Therefore I would recommend you to use Wi-Fi to take a backup and restore it. Also, ensure your Google drive has enough storage to accommodate the backup size.

Note: By default, WhatsApp automatically takes daily backup around 2 AM. However, I would suggest, before switching phones, perform a manual backup to ensure the latest chats are included.

On Old Android:

On New Android Phone:

Scenario 2: Backup and Restore WhatsApp on iPhone

On iPhone, WhatsApp chats are linked to iCloud account. So, ensure you’re signed into the same Apple ID on both iPhones for the transfer to work.

On Old iPhone:

On New iPhone:

Scenario 3: Upgrading From Android to iPhone (or Vice Versa)

Moving WhatsApp from Android to iPhone or vice versa has been a challenge in the past, but there’s now an official method available through theMove to iOSandSwitch to Androidapp. You can download the app on your phone, follow instructions, and scan QR code during setup. Connect both the phones with a cable, transfer will start automatically. I tried this a few months ago and it worked. However, the call logs and payment history didn’t transfer.

Scenario 4: Local Backup and Restore WhatsApp (Android)

There are certain situations when you don’t want to use the official WhatsApp back and restore feature, for example, if you have full control over your backup files on your phone or if you have limited Google Drive storage, in such cases, local backups are a good alternative. However, it’s only possible on Android smartphones and since it’s not officially supported, the process changes with newer Android versions and it may stop working anytime. If you understand the risk and still want to do it, follow the steps below (or you canwatch this video).

Navigate to the WhatsApp database folder in your phone’s file manager and find the backup file you want to restore. If you’re using Android 11 or later, WhatsApp database usually present in Internal Storage > Android > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Databases. The file name typically follows a format that includes the date (e.g., “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt14”). Copy this file to a different folder, we’ll need this later.

Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp from the Google Play Store. When you open WhatsApp and verify your phone number, WhatsApp will start to restore chats from the cloud. So, stop your internet by toggling off mobile data. This will make WhatsApp search for the local backup file. Now, head over to the com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Databases and put the .crypt14 file in the Databases folder, open the app and hopefully will restore the local database.

Mrinal Saha

Mrinal is a tech geek who spends half of his day reading and writing about tech. While the nights are spent on shooting or editing YouTube videos. Feel free to geek out with him on-

How to Backup and Restore WhatsApp – Ultimate Guide