How to recover a message in a WhatsApp chat?

How to recover a message in a WhatsApp chat - briefly?

To recover a deleted message in a WhatsApp chat, users can back up their chats to Google Drive or iCloud regularly. If a message is accidentally deleted, simply uninstall and reinstall the app, then restore the backup during the setup process.

How to recover a message in a WhatsApp chat - in detail?

Recovering messages from a WhatsApp chat can be crucial for various reasons, whether it's retrieving important information or revisiting a significant conversation. Here’s a detailed guide on how to accomplish this:

Using the Built-in Archiving Feature

WhatsApp offers an archiving feature that allows you to hide chats from your main chat list without deleting them. To recover an archived message:

  1. Open WhatsApp and go to the ‘Chats’ tab.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the chat list and tap on ‘Archived.’
  3. Find the archived chat you want to unarchive, swipe left on it, and tap ‘Unarchive.’
  4. The chat will now be back in your main chat list, and you can access all the messages within that conversation.

Backup and Restore with Google Drive or iCloud

Regularly backing up your WhatsApp data ensures that you can restore messages if needed. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Android (Google Drive):
    • Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Chats’ > ‘Chat Backup.’
    • Tap on ‘Back Up’ and follow the prompts to back up your chats to Google Drive.
  2. iPhone (iCloud):
    • Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Chats’ > ‘Chat Backup.’
    • Tap on ‘Back Up Now’ to save your chats to iCloud.

To restore a backup:

  1. Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
  2. Verify your phone number during the setup process.
  3. When prompted, tap on ‘Restore’ to retrieve your messages from the last backup.

Checking Older Backups on Android (Google Drive)

If you need to recover messages from an older backup:

  1. Uninstall WhatsApp.
  2. Reinstall WhatsApp and verify your phone number.
  3. When prompted to restore a backup, tap ‘Skip.’
  4. Go to the File Manager on your device and navigate to WhatsApp/Databases.
  5. Find the backup files named msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 (replace YYYY-MM-DD with the date of the backup you want).
  6. Rename this file to msgstore.db.crypt12.
  7. Uninstall WhatsApp again and reinstall it.
  8. When prompted, tap ‘Restore’ to recover messages from the renamed backup file.

Contacting Support for Deleted Messages

If you accidentally deleted a chat or message and haven't backed up your data, contacting WhatsApp support may help:

  1. Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Help > Contact Us.
  2. Describe your issue and provide as many details as possible (e.g., the last message you remember, the date of the conversation).
  3. WhatsApp support might be able to assist in recovering your messages if they are still stored on their servers.

Preventive Measures for Future

To avoid losing important messages in the future:

  1. Enable Auto Backup: Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Chats’ > ‘Chat Backup’ and ensure that auto backup is enabled.
  2. Regularly Back Up Manually: Even with auto backup, manually backing up your chats from time to time adds an extra layer of security.
  3. Archive Important Chats: Use the archiving feature to keep important but less frequently used chats easily accessible.