WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows us to stay connected with friends and family through text, audio, video calls and media sharing. However, at times we may accidentally or intentionally clear chat history on WhatsApp which could result in loss of important conversations and media.
In this article, we will discuss if and how you can restore your WhatsApp chats after clearing your chat history.
Does Clearing Chat Delete WhatsApp Chats Permanently?
When you click on “Clear Chat” in WhatsApp iOS or Android app, it clears your local chat database stored on your device. However, your chat backup stored on Google Drive or iCloud is not deleted. So clearing chat does not permanently delete your WhatsApp conversations as long as you have chat backup enabled.
WhatsApp Local Database
WhatsApp stores your chats locally in an encrypted database on your device. This allows you to access your chats instantly when you open WhatsApp. When you clear chats, this local database is deleted freeing up space on your phone.
WhatsApp Cloud Backup
WhatsApp gives you option to backup your chats to Google Drive for Android users or iCloud for iOS users. The backup happens automatically daily over WiFi by default, which can also be customized. Your media and messages are backed up in encrypted form. This cloud backup is not deleted when you clear chats on your device.
Can I Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chats?
If you have WhatsApp chat backup enabled, which is the default setting, you can restore and recover deleted WhatsApp messages after clearing chat history. When chats are cleared, your local database is erased but the cloud backup still exists. So you can restore chats by retrieving a backup from Google Drive or iCloud.
Requirements for Restoring Chats
- Chat backup must have been enabled
- Backup must have occurred recently before clearing chats
- Device must be same on which backup was created
- Account used for taking backup must be same
As long as above requirements are met, you can recover deleted WhatsApp conversations easily using backup.
How to Recover Deleted Chats on Android
Follow below steps to restore deleted WhatsApp chats on Android:
- Install WhatsApp again if you have uninstalled it
- Verify your number when prompted
- On the Restore chat history screen, tap on “Restore” to retrieve chats
- Wait for chats to be restored from Google Drive backup
This will restore your deleted chats along with media from Google Drive backup.
How to Recover Deleted Chats on iPhone
Follow below steps to restore deleted WhatsApp chats on iPhone:
- Reinstall WhatsApp if you have deleted it
- Verify your phone number when asked
- On the Restore Chat History screen, tap on “Restore” to retrieve chats
- Allow some time for backup restore to complete
This will reinstate your erased chats and media files from iCloud backup.
What If I Don’t Have Chat Backup?
If you have never enabled WhatsApp chat backup or taken a manual backup, then clearing chat history will permanently delete all your conversations. Without a backup, there is unfortunately no way to recover deleted WhatsApp messages.
Enabling Chat Backup
To avoid permanently losing your chats, you should enable WhatsApp chat backup:
- On Android, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- On iPhone, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Select backup frequency and Google Drive or iCloud respectively
This will automatically backup new chats daily over WiFi so you have a copy.
Taking Manual Backups
Apart from automatic backups, you can also take manual backups of WhatsApp chats:
- On Android, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup > Back up now
- On iPhone, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up Now
Manual backups allow you to backup chats on demand before making any changes to chats or account.
Limitations of Chat Backup
While WhatsApp backup allows you to restore deleted chats in most cases, there are some limitations:
- Backups have size limit – most recent chats backed up
- Media files may not always backup fully
- Backup does not transfer across platforms or numbers
- Chats restored only if backup was recent
- Encryption keys change on reinstall, backup restore may fail
Due to above limitations, chat backup may not always guarantee full recovery in all scenarios. Critical chats should be exported or backed up manually.
How to Export WhatsApp Chats
To overcome size limits of WhatsApp backup, you can manually export your chats as a ZIP file and store them externally. Here is how to export WhatsApp chats:
On Android
- Go to WhatsApp chat you want to export
- Tap on More options > More > Export chat
- Select whether to include media
- Exported chat will be saved as ZIP on device storage
On iPhone
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat History > Export Chat
- Select the chat and media to export
- The chat will be exported as ZIP to Files app
You can copy this exported ZIP file to other locations like computer or cloud storage for safekeeping.
Third-party Apps for WhatsApp Backup
Some third-party apps also allow backing up and restoring WhatsApp chats:
Dr.Fone – WhatsApp Transfer
Dr.Fone toolkit by Wondershare offers WhatsApp Transfer feature to backup and restore WhatsApp data on Android and iPhone. It provides full backup without file size limits.
iMyFone iTransor
iMyFone iTransor can backup WhatsApp chats, photos, videos, audio files and documents from iPhone to computer. It also allows restoring WhatsApp data to iPhone.
Syncios WhatsApp Transfer
Syncios provides a WhatsApp Transfer tool to backup, restore and transfer WhatsApp chats between different devices. You can preview backups as well.
Such tools give more flexibility and control over WhatsApp data backup and restoration compared to native app options.
Tips to Prevent Accidental Chat Deletion
Here are some tips to avoid accidentally clearing WhatsApp chats:
- Enable chat backup to keep a copy of your conversations
- Be careful when selecting chats to delete
- Lock WhatsApp with PIN or fingerprint to prevent unauthorized access
- Export important chats to external storage periodically
- Close WhatsApp from recents when giving your phone to others
- Enable WhatsApp two-step verification for added security
Conclusion
Clearing WhatsApp chat history deletes conversations from your device storage but cloud backup allows you to restore chats in most cases. However, there are limitations to backup size and consistency. The best practice is to frequently export important chats externally or use third-party apps for more reliable backup.
Remember to enable WhatsApp chat backup and be cautious when deleting chats to avoid losing important information. With proper backups, you can securely restore your deleted WhatsApp conversations.