WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows us to easily connect with friends and family through text, voice messages, video calls, and more. However, as we continue to send important conversations, media, and documents, having a proper backup of our WhatsApp chats has become crucial.
Backing up your WhatsApp chats allows you to restore your messages if you ever switch phones, need to reset your device, or accidentally delete the app. Thankfully, WhatsApp provides multiple ways to backup chats so you never lose your precious conversations and media.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the different methods to backup WhatsApp and how you can do so without using mobile data or WiFi. Specifically, we will cover:
Backing Up Chats to Google Drive
The easiest way to backup your WhatsApp chats is to use Google Drive backup. This feature is built directly into WhatsApp and allows you to automatically save your chat history to your Google account. Here are the key things to know about Google Drive backup for WhatsApp:
- Backups occur daily at 2am if your phone is charging, connected to WiFi, and you have background data enabled for WhatsApp.
- Your media (photos, videos, voice messages, documents) will also be included in the Google Drive backup.
- Backup files are limited to 2GB in size total.
- Only the latest version of your backup is stored. Older backups are deleted.
- You can use Google Drive backup to transfer chat history when moving to a new Android phone.
To enable Google Drive backup on Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot menu icon.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap “Backup to Google Drive” and select a backup frequency (daily, weekly, etc).
- Tap “Account” and select the Google account you want to backup your chats to.
That’s it! WhatsApp will now automatically backup your chats to Google Drive as long as your device meets the conditions (charging, WiFi connected).
The main limitation with Google Drive backup is that it requires an internet connection to work. So what if you want to backup chats without using mobile data or WiFi?
Backing Up Chats to Local Storage
If you don’t want to use mobile data or WiFi, you can backup WhatsApp chats directly to your device’s local storage. This allows you to save chat backups offline without an internet connection. Here’s how local storage backup works:
- Backups are saved to your phone’s internal storage or SD card.
- You need to manually trigger backups – they don’t happen automatically.
- Media is included in local backups.
- There is no size limit for local backups.
- You can only restore local backups when reinstalling WhatsApp on the same phone.
To use local storage backups on Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot menu.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap “Backup to local storage.”
- Tap “Backup” to manually trigger a local backup.
The backup will be saved as an encrypted file on your device storage. You can repeat this process whenever you want to update the backup.
Using External Storage to Store Backups
Another option is to backup your WhatsApp chats to external storage or a computer. This prevents filling up your phone’s internal storage and allows you to store multiple backups as needed. Here are some ways to use external storage:
- Copy local WhatsApp backups from your phone to a computer manually.
- Use file management apps to transfer backups to external SD card or USB drive.
- Enable WhatsApp’s external SD card backup option in Settings.
- Connect phone to computer and use file explorer to copy WhatsApp/Databases folder.
No matter which external storage method you use, remember to regularly copy new backups from your phone to maintain an up-to-date backup. External storage gives you limitless backup possibilities without mobile data!
Using Third-Party Backup Tools
There are also various third-party apps and tools that can backup WhatsApp chats without internet:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| SMS Backup & Restore | Backs up chats & media to local storage |
| WhatsApp Chat History Export | Exports chats to PDF documents |
| ShareChat | Transfers chats between phones offline |
| Printer For WhatsApp | Prints chats and media as physical copy |
These tools provide alternative backup solutions without using your mobile data plan. They allow features like printing chat histories, exporting media files, and transferring WhatsApp contents between devices while offline.
Backing Up Without Google Account
Google Drive backup requires you to have a Google account linked to WhatsApp. If you don’t have a Google account or don’t want to link it, there are a couple options to backup chats:
- Use local storage backups – no Google account needed.
- Manually copy chat backup files from phone using file manager apps.
- Use third-party apps like SHAREit to transfer backup files to computer.
- Export chats to document files (PDF, DOC, TXT) which can be saved offline.
While slightly more tedious, you can maintain WhatsApp backups and chat history without relying on a cloud service like Google Drive.
Backing Up Media/Attachments
WhatsApp media and attachments like photos, videos, and documents can consume a lot of storage space. To save mobile data, you have a few options to backup just your media:
- Use a file manager app to copy WhatsApp media folders to local storage.
- Connect phone to computer and transfer WhatsApp/Media folder.
- Use an external SD card to store a copy of WhatsApp media files.
- Export chat media to a ZIP file using backup tools.
- Email yourself media attachments instead of downloading on phone.
Backing up just your media instead of full chats allows you to save mobile data while ensuring important photos, videos, and files are not lost if you lose your phone.
Ensuring Successful Backups
To make sure your WhatsApp backups complete successfully without mobile data, follow these best practices:
- Check for enough free storage space on device before backup.
- Use WiFi for initial full chat backup, then data saving options.
- Disable auto-downloading of media in WhatsApp settings.
- Test restore backups to ensure chats/media can be recovered.
- Encrypt backups for extra security with password protection.
- Schedule regular reminder to create new backups manually.
Troubleshooting tips if facing backup issues:
- Force close and restart WhatsApp before trying backup.
- Check internet connection is disabled before local backup.
- Delete old backups to free up storage space.
- Disable battery optimizations for WhatsApp through system settings.
Choosing the Best Backup Frequency
Determining how often to backup your WhatsApp chats depends on several factors:
| Backup Frequency | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Ensures minimal data loss | Can be time consuming |
| Weekly | Good middle ground | Risk losing days of chats |
| Monthly | Saves time & storage space | Potentially lose lots of messages |
Tips for determining optimal WhatsApp backup frequency:
- If you send important or time-sensitive chats, daily/weekly is best.
- If your chats are casual, monthly backups may be sufficient.
- Choose weekly or biweekly backups to balance data loss risks.
- Backup more frequently if you exchange critical information.
- Reduce backup frequency if you have storage limitations.
There is no one-size-fits-all rule. Evaluate your usage, storage space, and risk tolerance to decide what backup cadence works for your needs.
Managing Chat History Space
Since WhatsApp does not allow backups larger than 2GB on Google Drive, chat history length is limited. Here are tips to manage your backup size:
- Enable auto-deletion of older chats in WhatsApp settings.
- Frequently clear chats that you no longer need.
- Use local storage for backups so size restrictions don’t apply.
- Delete large unwanted media & files taking up space.
- Take more phone calls instead of sending text messages.
- Export older chats to PDF to remove them from backup.
Selectively removing older chats you don’t need anymore can help minimize your backup size for efficiency.
Maintaining Privacy
Privacy is a key concern with backing up your WhatsApp chats. Here are tips to keep your data secure:
- Enable chat encryption for Google Drive and local backups.
- Use passwords to restrict access to backup files.
- Store backups only on your personal devices.
- Turn off Google Drive sync to limit cloud backups.
- Regularly delete old backups you no longer need.
You also have the option to exclude specific chats from being backed up in WhatsApp settings. This allows you to customize and control exactly what data is saved.
Restoring Chats from Backup
The most common reason for restoring a WhatsApp backup is when you get a new phone and need to transfer your chats. Here is how to restore chats from different backup sources:
- Google Drive – When setting up WhatsApp, select “Restore from Google Drive backup” and choose account.
- Local Storage – Uninstall, reinstall WhatsApp, then select “Restore from local backup.”
- External Storage – Copy backup file back to phone internal storage, then restore.
- Computer – Transfer backup files from computer to phone before restoring.
Make sure to restore chats before re-verifying your WhatsApp account on the new device. This allows restoring without internet connectivity.
Troubleshooting Backup Issues
Some common WhatsApp backup troubleshooting steps if you encounter problems:
- Check backup settings – Make sure backups are enabled and configured properly.
- Free up storage space – Remove unused files/apps to ensure enough free space.
- Update WhatsApp – Install latest version which may fix bugs.
- Turn device off and on – Reboot device in case of software glitches.
- Clear cache & data – Wipe WhatsApp app data which can solve issues.
- Use different WiFi network – Try another WiFi hotspot in case current one is restricting.
- Contact WhatsApp support – Seek further help from WhatsApp troubleshooting team if needed.
With consistent troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve most common backup failures. Be patient and persistent!
Migrating WhatsApp to New Phone
When moving to a new phone, your options to transfer WhatsApp data without internet are:
| Migration Method | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Local backup restore | Restore previously created local backup on new phone |
| File transfer apps | Transfer backup file via ShareIt, Xender etc. |
| Manual file copy | Copy backup file from old phone storage to new phone |
| External storage | Copy backup to SD card or USB and restore on new phone |
Be sure to move or delete old backups from your old phone after transferring to the new device.
Conclusion
Backing up your WhatsApp chats provides peace of mind that your data is safe if anything happens to your phone. While Google Drive backup is the easiest method, you have many options to backup chats without mobile data or WiFi.
Using local storage, external SD cards, computers, and third-party tools gives you the flexibility to create regular WhatsApp backups that fit your specific needs and preferences.
Just remember to restore backups after getting a new phone or reinstalling WhatsApp to pick up right where you left off. With the right backup procedures in place, you can keep chatting with the confidence that your conversations are protected.