WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Many users rely on WhatsApp daily to communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more. With such frequent usage, having a backup of your WhatsApp messages and media can give you peace of mind in case you ever lose access to your phone or need to restore your chat history.
While WhatsApp provides cloud backups to iCloud Drive for iOS users, many don’t have enough iCloud storage space to back up their WhatsApp data. Thankfully, there are other ways to backup WhatsApp without using iCloud Drive storage. In this guide, we’ll go over the best methods for backing up your WhatsApp chats and media without relying on iCloud.
Using Google Drive for WhatsApp Backups
One of the most popular alternatives to iCloud Drive for WhatsApp backups is Google Drive. WhatsApp has built-in integration with Google Drive that allows you to automatically backup your WhatsApp data to your Google account.
Here are the steps to set up Google Drive backups for WhatsApp on iOS:
Step 1: Link Your Google Account
First, you need to link your Google account within WhatsApp. To do this:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings
- Tap Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Backup to Google Drive > Account
- Select your Google account
This will link your Google account to WhatsApp.
Step 2: Enable Google Drive Backups
Next, enable backups to Google Drive:
- Go back to Chats > Chat Backup in WhatsApp Settings
- Tap the switch next to Back Up to Google Drive to enable it
WhatsApp will now start backing up your chats, media, and settings to your linked Google Drive account automatically.
Step 3: Manage Backup Settings
Under Chat Backup in Settings, you can configure:
- Backup frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
- Backup over cellular data or WiFi only
- Auto-download backups to any new phones
Configure these as desired. More frequent backups on WiFi ensure your WhatsApp data is regularly saved to Google Drive.
Step 4: Verify Backups
To confirm your WhatsApp data is being backed up to Google Drive:
- Go to Chats > Chat Backup in WhatsApp Settings
- You will see the date of the Last Backup and amount of backup data
If backup is working properly, you will see regular backup dates and increasing data size.
Restoring from Google Drive Backup
If you ever need to restore your backup from Google Drive, such as when getting a new phone:
- Install WhatsApp on your new device
- Verify your phone number when prompted
- On the Restore Chat History page, tap Restore to retrieve your chat history and media from Google Drive
Your WhatsApp chats and media will be restored to their latest state from your Google Drive backup.
Using iMazing to Backup WhatsApp
iMazing is a desktop app for managing iOS device backups. With iMazing installed on your computer, you can backup WhatsApp chats, history, media, and settings without needing iCloud Drive storage.
Here is how to use iMazing for WhatsApp backups:
Step 1: Download and Install iMazing
First, download iMazing from https://imazing.com/download and install it on your Mac or Windows PC. iMazing offers a free trial so you can test it out.
Step 2: Connect iPhone to Computer
Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable. Launch iMazing on your computer. It will automatically detect and show your connected iPhone.
Step 3: Create WhatsApp Backup
In iMazing, click on your connected iPhone, then go to Apps > WhatsApp. Here you can view your WhatsApp media and chats. To backup:
- Click Back Up WhatsApp on the bottom left
- Select where to save the backup file on your computer
- Click Back Up
iMazing will backup your WhatsApp data including chats, media, and settings in a backups folder on your computer.
Step 4: Schedule Regular Backups
You can schedule regular WhatsApp backups in iMazing:
- Click Preferences in the top menu when your iPhone is connected
- Click Schedules
- Click + to add new backup schedule
- Select your iPhone and choose WhatsApp backup
- Set schedule frequency and destination folder
This will automatically backup WhatsApp for you on the set schedule.
Restoring WhatsApp Backup from iMazing
To restore an iMazing WhatsApp backup to your iPhone:
- Connect your new iPhone to your computer
- Open iMazing and click your new device
- Click Apps > WhatsApp > Restore Backup and select your backup file
This will restore your chats, media, and settings to WhatsApp on your new iPhone.
Using Local WhatsApp Backups
WhatsApp also allows you to create local backups saved directly on your iPhone, without needing iCloud Drive or a computer. Here’s how:
Step 1: Enable Local Backups
Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. Turn off the iCloud backup toggle. This will now create local backups on your device rather than iCloud.
Step 2: Configure Backup Settings
Under Chat Backup you can set:
- Auto daily, weekly, or monthly backups
- Backup using cellular data or WiFi only
Configure as desired. More frequent backups on WiFi work best.
Step 3: Manually Create Local Backup
You can also manually trigger a WhatsApp local backup:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Back Up Now to instantly create a local backup
Use this when you want to manually save a WhatsApp backup on your device storage.
Restore Local WhatsApp Backup
To restore a local WhatsApp backup from your device:
- Install WhatsApp on your new iPhone
- On Restore Chat History page, tap Restore from existing backup
- Select the local backup to restore from your phone’s storage
Your WhatsApp chats and media will be restored to your device.
Using a Mac or PC to Backup WhatsApp
You can also use a Mac or PC to backup WhatsApp data from your iPhone. This saves WhatsApp backups directly to your computer without needing iCloud. Options include:
iTunes on PC and Mac
- Connect iPhone to computer and open iTunes
- Select your iPhone icon in iTunes
- Click Summary > Back Up Now to backup your iPhone data including WhatsApp to your computer
This creates an iPhone backup on your computer with your WhatsApp data.
Finder on Mac
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac and open Finder
- Select your iPhone under Locations in Finder sidebar
- Click General > Back Up Now to create a backup of your iPhone containing WhatsApp data
The backup will save to your Mac locally.
Using Third-Party Apps to Backup WhatsApp
There are also third-party apps you can use to easily backup WhatsApp without iCloud:
Dr.Fone – WhatsApp Transfer
Dr.Fone is a popular iOS data transfer and management tool. Using Dr.Fone on your computer, you can:
- Backup WhatsApp chats, history, media, and settings to your computer
- Restore WhatsApp backups from computer to iPhone
- Transfer WhatsApp data directly between different phones
Dr.Fone provides an easy all-in-one WhatsApp backup and restore solution.
AnyTrans
AnyTrans also lets you manage and backup iPhone data like WhatsApp. Features include:
- One-click WhatsApp backup to computer
- Encrypted local backups to retain privacy
- Scheduled WhatsApp backups
- Seamless WhatsApp backup restore to iPhone
AnyTrans is free to try and provides device-to-device WhatsApp transfer as well.
CopyTrans Manager
CopyTrans Manager is another iPhone manager for PC and Mac that can backup WhatsApp:
- Backup WhatsApp chats, history, videos, photos
- Save WhatsApp backups locally to computer
- Restore WhatsApp backup to iPhone from computer
The free version allows 1 WhatsApp backup with up to 10,000 messages.
Using External Storage to Store WhatsApp Backups
You can also backup WhatsApp chats and media to external storage devices:
Flash Drive
- Plug flash drive into iPhone using USB adapter
- Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Change and select your flash drive to store backups
This will save WhatsApp backups directly to the flash drive.
Wireless Hard Disk
- Connect your wireless hard disk drive to WiFi
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Change and select your networked drive as the backup location
Your WhatsApp backups will automatically be stored wirelessly on the hard drive.
NAS Drive
- Ensure your NAS drive is connected to the same WiFi as your iPhone
- Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Change and pick your NAS as the backup destination
This allows your WhatsApp backups to be saved to your networked NAS drive for easy access and restoration.
Choosing the Best WhatsApp Backup Method
When deciding how to backup WhatsApp without iCloud Drive, here are some factors to consider:
Convenience
If you want automated backups that run seamlessly in the background, Google Drive or iMazing scheduled backups are most convenient.
Control
For greater control over backups, manual local backups or using a Mac/PC allow on-demand backups whenever you want.
Security
Local device backups or external drives like NAS allow encrypted WhatsApp backups for greater privacy.
Reliability
Google Drive and iMazing leverage the cloud for rock-solid backup storage and redundancy if a local backup is ever lost.
Accessibility
Backups to a computer, external drive, or cloud service make restoring WhatsApp on a new phone easier than local file backups.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key tips for backing up WhatsApp without iCloud Drive:
- Use built-in tools like Google Drive or local backups
- Leverage desktop apps like iMazing, iTunes, or Finder
- Consider third-party iOS apps like Dr.Fone, AnyTrans, CopyTrans
- Back up to external storage like flash drives or NAS drives
- Balance convenience, control, security, reliability when choosing a backup method
- Verify backups occasionally and set regular automated backup schedules
Following these tips will ensure you have regular WhatsApp backups in place without needing iCloud Drive storage. Prioritize regular automated backups for maximum protection of your important WhatsApp data and chat history.
Conclusion
Safeguarding your WhatsApp messages, media, and data is simple even without iCloud Drive storage. Using alternate backup options like Google Drive, local iPhone backups, computer backups, external storage, and third-party iOS tools empowers you to regularly save and restore WhatsApp on iPhone. Pick the WhatsApp backup method that best fits your specific needs for convenience, control, privacy, and reliability. With a sound backup approach in place, you can keep chatting on WhatsApp knowing your data is protected if anything ever happens to your phone.