How to restore WhatsApp chat history: A step-by-step guide

Losing WhatsApp chats after switching phones or reinstalling the app can be stressful, especially when the messages contain important photos, conversations or other information. Fortunately, WhatsApp allows users to restore their chat history using a Google Account backup on Android or an iCloud backup on iPhone. Before restoring chats, users should check that a backup is available and that they are using the required account. Here is a step-by-step guide to restore WhatsApp chat history on Android smartphones and iPhones.

How to restore WhatsApp chat history on Android smartphone

You can restore your chat history as long as you have an existing Google Account backup. To check if you have an existing Google Account backup:

• Open the Google One app and sign into your Google account.
• Tap Storage > Other.
• If your chats are backed up, you’ll see them listed here.
• Once you’ve confirmed you have a Google Account backup, you can start the restoring process.

If you don't have a Google Account backup, you can still restore chats on a new device by transferring chats from your old device.
To restore your chat history from your Google Account backup:

• Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
• Tap Restore when prompted.
• Tap Skip to reinstall without restoring your backup.

Note:
If another backup occurs, the previous backup will be replaced with only the chats you've received since skipping.

How to restore WhatsApp chat history on iPhone

You can restore your chat history as long as you have an existing iCloud backup. To check if you have an existing iCloud backup:

• Open Settings.
• Tap Chats > Chat Backup.
• If your chats are backed up, you’ll see the time and size of your last backup.

To restore your chat history from your iCloud backup:

• Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
• Verify your phone number and Apple ID.
• Tap Restore Chat History.

For additional security, you may be prompted to verify your identity to restore your chats. You can do this by receiving a code by text or a call if you haven’t enabled two-step verification or end-to-end encrypted backups.