WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world and it’s used by millions of people every day. However, like any other app, it’s possible to accidentally delete your WhatsApp messages. Whether it’s because you got a new iPhone, accidentally deleted your messages, or mistakenly selected the wrong option, there’s no reason to panic. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone.
Video Tutorial:
What’s Needed
Before we dive into the different methods you can use to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone, here’s what you’ll need:
- An internet connection
- Your iPhone
- Access to your iCloud account
What Requires Your Focus?
Recovering deleted messages on WhatsApp can be a straightforward process, but it does require some focus and attention to detail. You’ll need to go through a series of steps, and if you miss any of them, you may not be able to recover your messages. Additionally, some of the methods require access to your iCloud account, so you’ll need to make sure you have your login credentials handy.
Different Methods to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone
Method 1: Recover WhatsApp Messages on iPhone Without Backup Using Third-Party App
If you don’t have a backup of your WhatsApp messages and you’ve deleted them, don’t fret. You can still recover them by using third-party apps such as Dr.Fone. These apps can scan your iPhone’s filesystem and recover deleted data, including WhatsApp messages. In this method, we’ll be using Dr.Fone to recover deleted WhatsApp messages:
Steps:
1. Download and install Dr.Fone from their official website
2. Launch Dr.Fone on your computer and select “Recover from iOS Device” from the main menu.
3. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
4. Wait for Dr.Fone to detect your iPhone. Once it’s detected, click on the “Start Scan” button to begin the scan.
5. The scanning process will take a few minutes, depending on how much data is on your iPhone. Once it’s complete, you’ll be able to view all the data that was found.
6. Find and select the WhatsApp messages you want to recover and click the “Recover” button to save them to your computer.
Pros:
- Can recover deleted WhatsApp messages without backup
- Works on both Windows and Mac PC
- Can recover other types of data, such as photos and contacts
Cons:
- Dr.Fone is a third-party app and may not be trusted by some users
- The free version of Dr.Fone only allows you to scan for deleted messages but requires you to pay to recover them.
- The scanning process can take a long time if you have a lot of data on your iPhone.
Method 2: Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone from iCloud Backup
If you have regularly backed up your iPhone to iCloud, you can use the iCloud backup to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages. However, this method requires that you have backed up your iPhone to iCloud before you deleted your WhatsApp messages. Here’s how you can use iCloud to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages:
Steps:
1. On your iPhone, go to the settings app and select “iCloud”.
2. Make sure that iCloud Backup is turned on and that your iPhone has been backed up recently.
3. Uninstall and re-install WhatsApp from the App Store
4. Open WhatsApp and follow the on-screen setup process
5. During the setup process, you’ll be asked if you’d like to restore your chat history from iCloud. Tap “Restore Chat History”.
6. Wait for the WhatsApp restore process to complete. Once it’s done, your deleted messages should be back in your chat history.
Pros:
- Can recover deleted WhatsApp messages from iCloud backup
- The process is built into WhatsApp and doesn’t require any third-party apps
- You can restore other data, such as your contacts, from the iCloud backup as well
Cons:
- You need to have backed up your iPhone to iCloud before deleting your WhatsApp messages
- You need a good Wi-Fi connection to download and restore the iCloud backup
- May take a while to download the backup depending on your internet speed and how much data is being restored
Method 3: Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone from iTunes Backup
If you have backed up your iPhone to iTunes, you can use the iTunes backup to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages. However, this method also requires that you have backed up your iPhone to iTunes before you deleted your WhatsApp messages. Here’s how you can use your iTunes backup to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages:
Steps:
1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes.
2. Select your iPhone from the list of devices in iTunes.
3. Click on the “Restore Backup” button and select the most recent backup that includes your WhatsApp messages.
4. Wait for the restore process to complete. Once it’s done, your deleted messages should be back in your chat history.
Pros:
- Can recover deleted WhatsApp messages from iTunes backup
- Doesn’t require any third-party apps
- You can restore other data, such as your photos, from the iTunes backup as well
Cons:
- You need to have backed up your iPhone to iTunes before deleting your WhatsApp messages
- You need to be near your computer to restore the backup
- Restoring the backup will overwrite any data that was added to your iPhone after the backup was made
Method 4: Using WhatsApp Chat Backup
WhatsApp automatically creates a backup of your chats every day at 2:00 AM by default. If you’ve lost your WhatsApp messages, you can restore them by using the latest backup available on your device:
Steps:
1. Uninstall and Re-install WhatsApp from App Store
2. During the setup process, you’ll be asked if you’d like to restore your chat history from iCloud. Tap “Restore Chat History”.
3. Wait for the restoring process to complete. Once it’s done, your deleted messages should be back in your chat history.
Pros:
- Doesn’t need backup from a third-party app or iCloud/iTunes
- The process is built into WhatsApp and doesn’t require any third-party apps
- Easy and straightforward process
Cons:
- The restoration will not work if you don’t have a backup of your chats on the same day you lost them
- You need a good Wi-Fi connection to download and restore the iCloud backup
- The restoring process may take a while depending on how much data is being restored
Method 5: Via iCloud Drive
If you have enabled chat backups to iCloud Drive, then you can restore your chats history from there. This is another way to recover deleted WhatsApp messages:
Steps:
1. Uninstall and re-install WhatsApp from App Store.
2. During the setup process, choose to restore chats from iCloud Drive.
3. Wait for the restoration process to get finished.
Pros:
- Fewer steps to follow.
- Not third-party reliant.
- Relatively easy to restore.
Cons:
- Your all Whatsapp messages must have been backed up to iCloud Drive.
- You need iCloud access.
Why Can’t I Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone?
There are several reasons why you might not be able to recover your deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone:
1. The messages were deleted too long ago.
iOS can only restore deleted messages from the most recent backup. If you’ve deleted your messages a long time ago and haven’t backed up your iPhone since, you’re out of luck.
Fix:
Regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes so that you always have recent backups available. This will help ensure that even if you accidentally delete your messages, you’ll be able to recover them.
2. You didn’t back up your iPhone.
If you haven’t backed up your iPhone and you’ve deleted your WhatsApp messages, it’s not possible to recover them without using third-party software.
Fix:
Regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes. This will help ensure that even if you accidentally delete your messages, you’ll be able to recover them.
3. The messages were overwritten.
If you’ve created new WhatsApp messages since you deleted your old messages, they may have been overwritten and cannot be recovered.
Fix:
Don’t update or add new messages to WhatsApp immediately after deleting your messages. This will help ensure that your old messages are not overwritten and can be recovered.
Implications and Recommendations
Recovering deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone can be a daunting task for some users. To avoid losing your important messages, it is recommended that you back up your iPhone regularly. Also, if you accidentally delete a WhatsApp message, it is always best to try and recover it as soon as possible before your device gets filled with new data that could overwrite the deleted message. Additionally, using third-party software to recover deleted messages is not guaranteed, nor is it always safe. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the built-in options for a more secure and reliable recovery process.
Here are three recommendations:
1. Regularly Backup Your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes
This ensures that you always have recent backups available, which makes it easier to recover any deleted WhatsApp messages. Also, note that when you delete messages on WhatsApp, they’re not gone completely. Make sure to check the WhatsApp trash folder if available for any deleted messages before attempting to recover your messages.
2. Check WhatsApp Setting Regularly
There is a way to back up messages to iCloud or iCloud Drive. Go to ‘Setting’ > ‘Chat’ > ‘Chat Backup’ to back up your messages.
3. Be Careful While Deleting Messages
Double-check before deleting a message or chat. You can star or mark messages as important that you want to save. WhatsApp provides the ability to filter messages by starred messages; hence you won’t lose your saved messages.
5 FAQs about How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone
Q1: How do I know if I have backed up my chat on iPhone?
A: Go to ‘Setting’ > ‘Chat’ > ‘Chat Backup’ and check the date and time of the latest backup. You can also check if the ‘Auto Backup’ option is on.
Q2: Can only deleted WhatsApp messages be recovered?
A: No, the entire WhatsApp chat history can be recovered along with attachments. However, the restoration will not work if you have deleted all previous backups.
Q3: Can I recover deleted WhatsApp messages if I don’t have an iPhone backup?
A: Yes, you can use third-party recovery software such as Dr.Fone for this purpose. You need to scan the iPhone with this software and then recover the deleted WhatsApp messages.
Q4: Will restoring my backup overwrite other data on my iPhone?
A: Yes, restoring a backup will overwrite any data that was added to your iPhone after the backup was made.
Q5: How do I recover deleted WhatsApp messages without losing my current chat history?
A: You can use a third-party recovery app like Dr.Fone or use iCloud or iTunes to restore WhatsApp chat history. However, when you restore from a previous backup, this will also include the chat history that you already have.
Final Words
Recovering deleted WhatsApp messages on an iPhone is a critical task. However, with the right information and tools, it can be accomplished with ease. It is recommended that WhatsApp users back up their devices regularly and be careful when deleting messages. If you are not able to recover your messages using the built-in methods, third-party apps such as Dr.Fone can come in handy. We hope our guide has been helpful in recovering your deleted WhatsApp messages on iPhone.