How to Restore WhatsApp from Local Backup: Full Guide

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion active users worldwide. It's a convenient and reliable way to stay connected with friends and family. However, there are times when you may accidentally delete your WhatsApp messages, or your phone may get damaged, or you may need to switch to a new Android phone and iPhone.

In such cases, restoring your WhatsApp messages from a local backup can be a lifesaver. In this article, we will focus on restoring WhatsApp from local backup on iPhone and Android.

Part 1. Restore WhatsApp chat from local backup to Android

Instead of backing up WhatsApp chats to the cloud service - Google Drive, your Android phone allows you to save WhatsApp backup files locally. And if you wonder how to restore WhatsApp messages from local backup, follow the steps below to make it.

Way 1. From internal storage

If you are still using WhatsApp on your Android phone, it is suggested to prepare the most recent local backup of WhatsApp on your Android phone first so that you won’t lose anything. If not, you can skip to Way 2 to restore WhatsApp from a less recent local backup.

How to backup WhatsApp to internal storage locally
Step 1. Open the WhatsApp app on your Android phone > Tap on three-dot icon and select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. From the Settings screen, choose Chats > Chat Backup > Back up to Google Drive.

Step 3. On the pop-up, choose Never option to disable WhatsApp backup to Google Drive > Finally, back to Chat Backup screen, and tap on the green Back Up button.

How to perform WhatsApp restore from local backup
Now, you can follow the steps below to restore the latest WhatsApp local backup on your Android phone.

Step 1. On your Android phone, uninstall the WhatsApp app and re-download WhatsApp from Google Play Store.

Step 2. Open WhatsApp, and follow the onscreen instruction to set up the app > If prompted, verify your phone number by entering the 6-diget code.

Step 3. Tap RESTORE button to restore all your WhatsApp chats.

Way 2. From a less recent local backup

If you have deleted WhatsApp without making a recent local backup, you can still restore WhatsApp from a less recent local backup on your Android phone.

Step 1. On your Android phone, open the My Files app > Choose Internal Storage or SD card.

Step 2. Navigate to WhatsApp > Databases > From the Databases folder, see if you can find a WhatsApp backup file without date. If not, select the most recent WhatsApp backup file and remove its Date.

e.g. If the file is in msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt 12 format > Tap More > Rename > Rename the file to msgstore.db.crypt 12.

Step 3. Finally, uninstall and install WhatsApp > Set up WhatsApp, verify your phone number and tap RESTORE to get back the chats and media from local backup.

Part 2. Restore WhatsApp from local backup to iPhone

There are not so many ways to create WhatsAll local backup on iPhone. Without iCloud, you can rely on iTunes to backup and restore WhatsApp locally. Optionally, you can get all WhatsApp messages to new iPhone without backup using a third-party tool.

Way 1. Via iTunes

iTunes helps backup the whole iPhone, including applications and their files. So you may backup iPhone WhatsApp to iTunes and restore the WhatsApp chats on new iPhone. Here are the steps.

How to backup WhatsApp locally via iTunes
Step 1. Download and install the latest version of iTunes to your computer

Step 2. Launch iTunes and plug in your iPhone > Click the Device icon > Go to Summary > Select This Computer > Click Back Up Now.

How to restore WhatsApp chat from local backup via iTunes
Step 1. Set up your new iPhone until you see the data transfer screen > Select Restore from Mac or PC.

Step 2. Plug in your new iPhone to computer > Go to Summary in iTunes > Choose Restore Backup > Select the backup file and click Restore to confirm.

Way 2. Via FoneTool

If you do not have the latest WhatsApp local backup for your new iPhone, and want to get only WhatsApp files on new iPhone, you may need FoneTool, the professional WhatsApp data transfer tool, to know how to restore WhatsApp messages without backup to new iPhone.

The simple UI and operation of FoneTool enables you to finish the WhatsApp transfer in one-click. Free download FoneTool on your computer by clicking the icon below, and follow the steps below to make it.

Backup WhatsApp to computer

Step 1. Launch FoneTool on your computer > Connect your old and new iPhone to computer with USB.

Step 2. On the main interface, choose WhatsApp Manager > Backup WhatsApp > Get Started. 

Step 3. Check the WhatsApp data types you need to back up, Enable backup encryption, and then click Start Backup. 

Restore WhatsApp from the local backup

Step 1. Select the Backup History option from the taskbar.

Step 2. Select your WhatsApp backup, and click the Restore option.

Step 3. Select your backup version, and click the Start Restore button to make it.

How to restore WhatsApp messages without backup

If you haven’t backed up WhatsApp locally in time, when you restore WhatsApp from local backup, you may encounter data loss more or less. In that case, you can try data recovery software to recover WhatsApp messages without backup.

There are many data recovery software available for you on the market, here we use AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS to make an illustration. It enables you to check and choose the WhatsApp files to restore without overwriting the previous files on your phone.

Step 1. Download, install and launch AOMEI Data Recovery for iOS > Connect your iPhone to computer.

Step 2. Choose the data you want to get back > click the Scan Now button.

 Step 3. When the scanning is complete, preview and choose the files you’d like to restore, and click Recover.

Summary

In conclusion, restoring WhatsApp from local backup is an easy and convenient way to retrieve your messages and media files. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can check if a local backup exists, create a new backup, restore your WhatsApp messages, or preform WhatsApp call history recovery. If this guide helps you, please share it with others.