If you have ever changed your mobile phone or reinstalled WhatsApp, it is very likely that you have encountered the problem of wanting to recover an old backup of your cats y files. WhatsApp makes backups both in Google Drive (for Android) as in iCloud (for iPhone), but recovering an older backup may not be as easy if the newer one has overwritten the older one.
In this article, we will explain step by step how to recover old WhatsApp backups on Android and iPhone devices, as well as alternative methods that can help you recover your data. deleted messages.
Where does WhatsApp store backups?
Before proceeding with the restoration, it is important to understand where WhatsApp stores its backups:
- Android: The most recent backup is saved in Google Drive, but other files are also stored local copies in the internal memory of the mobile or on the SD card.
- iPhone: WhatsApp stores its backups in iCloud, but these cannot be viewed directly from your mobile device or from the iCloud website.
How to restore an old WhatsApp backup on Android
If the most recent backup doesn't contain the messages you need, you can try restoring an older backup by following these steps:
Option 1: Restore from a local backup
WhatsApp keeps daily local backups for the last seven days in the device memory. To restore a previous version:
- Open the file manager on your mobile and access Internal memory > WhatsApp > Databases.
- Find the files called msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 and locate the date of the backup you want to restore.
- Rename the selected file to msgstore.db.crypt12 (without modifying the extension).
- Uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall it.
- During setup, WhatsApp will detect a local backup and prompt you to restore it.
Option 2: Restore from Google Drive
If you want to restore a backup saved in Google Drive, follow these steps:
- Uninstall WhatsApp from your mobile.
- Please reinstall the app and verify your number.
- When WhatsApp detects the backup on Google Drive, select Restore.
Please note that Google Drive only saves the most recent copy, so you won't be able to access previous versions.
How to restore an old WhatsApp backup on iPhone
On iOS devices, WhatsApp saves backups to iCloud. However, Apple does not allow direct access to the backup files, making the only option to restore the entire backup from iCloud.
- Uninstall WhatsApp from your iPhone.
- Please reinstall the app and verify your number.
- When prompted, select Restore chat history to recover the most recent backup.
If you need to recover an older backup, you'll need to reset your iPhone and restore it from an iCloud backup on the desired date.
Alternative methods to recover old conversations
If the above options do not work, there are third party tools that can help you recover deleted messages:
- MobileTrans: Allows you to make WhatsApp backups on a computer to restore them at any time.
- Tenorshare UltData: You can recover deleted WhatsApp conversations without having to make a previous backup.
- iCloud Drive: If you use an iPhone, you can search for WhatsApp attachments in iCloud Drive.
It is important to note that some tools require the mobile to be rooted (Android) or have jailbreak (iPhone) to access deeper backups.
How to avoid missing important conversations in the future
To prevent problems with WhatsApp backups in the future, follow these tips:
- Schedule automatic backups: From WhatsApp settings, configure the frequency of backups to Google Drive or iCloud.
- Keep local copies elsewhere: Manually transfer the folder databases from WhatsApp to a computer or SD card.
- Use external applications: Tools like MobileTrans can help you make additional backups.
Recovering an old WhatsApp backup can be a tricky process if you don't have the right files, but with the methods outlined in this article, you can increase your chances of success. If you tend to save important information In your chats, making sure you have up-to-date backups and storing them safely will be key to avoiding future problems.
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