Many WhatsApp users have faced the frustrating experience of accidentally deleting their account and losing all of their chat history and media. Thankfully, with proper preparation, it is possible to back up your WhatsApp data even after deleting your account.
In this article, we will explore the options available for backing up and restoring your WhatsApp data if you have deleted your account. We will look at how to backup to Google Drive and local storage as well as using third party apps to extract and save your chat history. Read on to find out how you can rescue your precious WhatsApp data even after losing your account.
Can I backup WhatsApp after deleting my account?
Yes, it is possible to back up your WhatsApp data even after deleting your account, but only if you had previously enabled backups.
WhatsApp gives users two backup options:
Back up to Google Drive
If you had Google Drive backup enabled before deleting your account, your chat history and media will still be stored in Google Drive for a period of time. The length of time depends on your Google account settings, but is usually around 60 days.
As long as you reinstall WhatsApp and restore from Google Drive backup within this period, you can recover your messages and media.
Local Android/iOS backups
WhatsApp also automatically saves backups to your local storage. On Android, backups are saved to internal storage or SD card. On iPhone, they are saved to iCloud.
As with Google Drive, as long as you reinstall WhatsApp and restore from a local backup within a certain time period, you can retrieve deleted chats and media.
If you did not have backups enabled, it becomes much more difficult to rescue your data after deleting your account. However, it may still be possible using third party apps or data recovery software.
How to backup WhatsApp after deleting account
If you wish to backup WhatsApp after deleting your account, follow these steps:
Backup from Google Drive
1. Reinstall WhatsApp on your phone and verify your number.
2. On the ‘Restore chat history’ screen, tap Restore.
3. Select the Google Drive backup you want to restore from.
4. WhatsApp will restore your chats, media and settings from Google Drive.
Backup from local storage
1. Reinstall WhatsApp and verify number.
2. On ‘Restore chat history’, tap Restore.
3. Select the appropriate local backup to restore from.
4. WhatsApp will restore your chats, media and settings.
If you restored successfully from backup, your WhatsApp data is now safely backed up again after deleting your account! Make sure to enable regular backups going forward.
What happens when I delete my WhatsApp account?
When you voluntarily delete your WhatsApp account, here is what happens to your data:
– Your account is scheduled for deletion and deactivated. It will be permanently deleted after 30 days.
– You can reactivate your account within those 30 days by simply reinstalling WhatsApp and verifying your number. This restores your account along with chat history.
– If you do nothing, after 30 days your account and all its data will be permanently deleted from WhatsApp servers.
– Any Google Drive or local backups will also be deleted once the 30 day period expires.
So in summary, for 30 days after voluntary account deletion:
– Your account can be restored by reactivating within 30 days.
– Backups remain available to restore chat history and media.
– After 30 days, your account and all associated data is permanently deleted.
What is the timeframe for restoring backups after deleting account?
The timeframe you have to restore WhatsApp backups after deleting your account depends on:
Google Drive backups
– You have approximately 60 days from the last backup date to restore your Google Drive backup.
– Google Drive backup expiry time depends on your account settings.
– You must reinstall WhatsApp and restore backup within 60 days.
Local iOS backup
– You have approximately 30 days from account deletion date to restore local iOS backup.
– Local iOS backup is saved in iCloud and persists for 30 days after account deletion.
Local Android backup
– No set timeframe, but most recent backup is available for restore.
– Android keeps multiple backups in local storage for restore.
So in summary:
| Backup Type | Timeframe |
| Google Drive | ~60 days from last backup |
| Local iOS | ~30 days from account deletion |
| Local Android | No fixed timeframe |
How to recover WhatsApp messages without backup
If you did not have backups enabled, is it still possible to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages? Here are some options:
Use data recovery software
Data recovery software like EaseUS MobiSaver for Android or iMyFone D-Back for iOS can scan your phone storage and find residual WhatsApp files and chats to recover.
Retrieve from Google Drive linked images
WhatsApp media like photos and videos are often automatically backed up to linked services like Google Photos. You may be able to restore some media from there.
Use third party apps
Some apps like Fonelab, iMobie PhoneRescue, and EaseUS MobiSaver claim to extract WhatsApp chat history from iPhone and Android phone backups and storage.
Retrieve from cloud sync services
If you had services like iCloud or OneDrive camera sync enabled, some WhatsApp media may have been backed up there.
Check app caches and remnants
On both iOS and Android, there may be remnants of WhatsApp data in app caches that advanced recovery software could excavate.
Without backups, recovering more than fragments of chats and media will be difficult. But with some effort, you may salvage at least some lost WhatsApp data.
Top 5 WhatsApp backup tools
Here are 5 of the best and most popular tools for backing up your WhatsApp chats:
1. Google Drive Backup
– WhatsApp’s integrated backup to Google Drive.
– Automatically backs up daily over WiFi.
– Stores latest chats, media, settings.
– Supports encryption.
2. iCloud Backup
– Native WhatsApp backup solution for iOS.
– Saved to iCloud account.
– Backs up nightly over WiFi when device plugged in.
– Seamless restore to new iPhone.
3. Helium Backup
– Backs up and syncs Android app data.
– No root required.
– Can schedule regular WhatsApp backups.
– Restore to same or new device.
4. Backuptrans Android WhatsApp Transfer
– Specialized WhatsApp backup tool.
– Local export of WhatsApp chats+media.
– Allows phone-to-phone transfer.
– Extensive export options.
5. iMyFone iTransor Pro
– WhatsApp backup & restore for iOS.
– Retrieve WhatsApp data from iCloud.
– Flexible export options.
– User-friendly interface.
Can I export chat history without third party apps?
Many third party apps promise to export your full WhatsApp chat history. But is it possible without any external apps?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp itself does not provide a native chat export option. However, there are a couple of ways to export chats using only built-in tools:
Email chat history
On Android and iOS, you can email entire chat conversations or selected messages to yourself. However, this is time consuming for long chats.
Google Drive Takeout
You can export your Google Drive WhatsApp backup as part of Google Takeout. However, the export format makes it difficult to view chats conveniently.
So while limited chat export is possible using native tools, third party apps are still the best solution for smoothly exporting your full WhatsApp chat history for backup purposes or migrating to a new device.
What gets deleted when you delete WhatsApp account?
Deleting your WhatsApp account will erase the following information:
Chat history
– All one-on-one and group conversations.
– Text messages, photos, videos and files exchanged in chats.
Contacts
– Your WhatsApp contacts list.
Groups
– All groups you created or were a member of.
Account information
– Your account credentials, profile info and settings.
– Your WhatsApp number will be dissociated from your account.
Backups
– After 30 days, local and Google Drive backups are also deleted.
So in summary, your entire WhatsApp presence including profile, contacts, chats, media, groups and settings will be removed. Make sure to backup beforehand if you want to preserve your chat history.
Can I restore WhatsApp backup from old phone to new phone?
Yes, you can transfer your WhatsApp data like chats, photos and settings from an old phone to a new phone by restoring from a backup during WhatsApp setup on the new device.
Here is how to restore WhatsApp backup from old phone to new phone:
For iPhone to iPhone
1. Backup WhatsApp on old iPhone using iCloud Backup.
2. Install WhatsApp on new iPhone and verify number.
3. Tap ‘Restore’ on the Chat History screen.
4. Select appropriate iCloud backup from old iPhone.
For Android to Android
1. Backup WhatsApp on old Android using Google Drive backup.
2. Install WhatsApp on new Android and verify.
3. Tap ‘Restore’ and select Google Drive backup.
From iPhone to Android
1. On iPhone, create iCloud backup and email chat history to self.
2. On Android, install WhatsApp and verify.
3. Restore from emailed chat history.
From Android to iPhone
1. On Android, backup WhatsApp chats to Google Drive.
2. On iPhone, install WhatsApp and verify.
3. Import Google Drive backup during setup.
As long as your backup is intact and recent, restoring it to a new phone will transfer your chats, contacts, groups, media and settings. Make sure to create a timely backup before moving phones.
Conclusion
While accidentally deleting your WhatsApp account can result in losing your precious chat history and media, there are ways to backup and recover your data as long as you acted in time.
By enabling Google Drive or local storage backups that persist for 30-60 days after account deletion, you have a window to reinstall WhatsApp and restore your chats and media. Without backups, recovery becomes much harder but may still be possible using data recovery tools.
To avoid such data loss in the future, be sure to periodically create backups of important WhatsApp data either natively or using backup tools. With proper backup habits, your WhatsApp messages will stay safe even if you lose access to your account.