WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by over 2 billion people worldwide. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages and make voice and video calls. One of the key features of WhatsApp is its ability to backup chats to Google Drive or iCloud, allowing you to restore your chat history when needed.
However, sometimes WhatsApp chat history cannot be restored on iPhones even after a proper backup. There are a few reasons why your iPhone’s WhatsApp chat history may not restore.
Your iCloud or Google Drive Backup was Interrupted
WhatsApp requires a complete and uninterrupted iCloud or Google Drive backup to be able to restore your chat history. If the backup process was interrupted due to poor internet connection, low storage space or the app crashing, then WhatsApp will not have a complete backup to restore from.
You can check if your last WhatsApp backup was completed properly by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. If the last backup status shows “Failed” or the date of the last backup is very old, then your backup was likely interrupted.
Solutions
- Delete old backups and try backing up your chats again over a stable WiFi connection until the backup completes.
- Check your iCloud or Google Drive storage space and free up space if needed for backup.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version which may fix backup bugs.
- Try backing up over a computer using iTunes or iCloud on Mac/PC if you face backup issues on mobile data.
Your iPhone’s Date and Time are Incorrect
WhatsApp backups are stored with date and timestamp information on iCloud or Google Drive. If your iPhone’s date and time settings are incorrect, WhatsApp will not be able to find the proper backup files to restore from.
This can happen if the date/time on your iPhone is set manually to incorrect values or if the time zone is incorrect.
Solutions
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and set the correct date, time and time zone.
- Turn on “Set Automatically” so your iPhone syncs the accurate date and time from the network.
- If the time is correct but time zone is wrong, update to the right time zone.
You Switched iPhones or Restored your iPhone
WhatsApp ties your chat backup to the iPhone you are using via its internal storage. If you switch to a new iPhone or erase your current iPhone and set it up as new, WhatsApp will no longer find your previous chat backup.
This is because your new iPhone will have a different internal storage location for WhatsApp to save and restore backups.
Solutions
- While switching iPhones, use the Quick Start feature in iOS to transfer WhatsApp chats.
- Take a new iCloud or Google Drive backup from your old iPhone before erasing it and then restore it on your new device.
- Use a third party iOS data transfer tool to transfer WhatsApp chats to your new iPhone.
Your iPhone’s iOS Version is Outdated
WhatsApp regularly discontinues support for older iOS versions. So if your iPhone is running a very outdated iOS version, WhatsApp may stop backups from this iOS version from restoring.
For instance, any iPhone running iOS 10 or earlier cannot restore WhatsApp backups as the app no longer supports those iOS versions.
Solutions
- Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version supported by your device.
- Take a new WhatsApp chat backup after updating iOS and then restore it.
- Use a third party app to transfer WhatsApp chats from the old iOS to the updated iOS version.
Your iPhone Storage is Full
Your iPhone requires sufficient free storage space for WhatsApp to save chat backups locally before they are uploaded to iCloud. If your iPhone storage is completely full, WhatsApp backups may fail.
Full storage can also cause other WhatsApp issues like crashes, slow functioning and problems with media attachments.
Solutions
- Check iPhone storage in Settings and delete apps, photos, videos or files you no longer need.
- Offload unused apps using the Offload App feature in iOS to free up space.
- Upgrade to a higher iPhone storage model if you constantly face full storage.
- Use iTunes or Finder to take full iPhone backups to free up space.
A WhatsApp Update Changed How Backups Work
In rare cases, a WhatsApp update may change the backup format or system leading to older backups becoming incompatible. This can prevent restoration of chat history from those backups.
For example, when WhatsApp introduced end-to-end encryption, very old backups could no longer be restored as they were not in the new encrypted format.
Solutions
- Check WhatsApp release notes for any backup related changes in latest updates.
- Take a fresh WhatsApp backup after the app update.
- Try restoring from Google Drive backup if iCloud backup stops working after an update.
- Use third party tools that may still support older WhatsApp backup formats.
Your iPhone Needs Repairing
In rare cases, a technical fault in the iPhone can prevent WhatsApp backup from working. For example, issues with the logic board, faulty storage or software bugs can block WhatsApp from backing up properly.
If your iPhone has suffered accidental physical damage like water exposure or cracks, the resulting technical issues can also impact WhatsApp backups.
Solutions
- Try restarting your iPhone and take a new backup to see if the issue persists.
- Backup your WhatsApp chats using iTunes or iCloud on a computer if possible.
- Send your iPhone for repair to resolve any hardware or software issues causing backup problems.
- Update to the latest iOS version which may fix software bugs affecting WhatsApp backup.
You Need to Verify your iPhone Number
If you change your iPhone number, WhatsApp will block accessing your chat history until you verify the new number.
This safety measure prevents unauthorized restore of your backups if someone else takes over your old number.
Solutions
- Re-verify your phone number with WhatsApp after a SIM change.
- Tap on “Restore” option after verifying number to restore chats.
- If you cannot access the old number, chat history cannot be restored on your new number.
Your Network Connection is Unstable
To restore WhatsApp chats, your iPhone needs a stable internet connection. Backups are downloaded from iCloud while restoring.
If your WiFi or mobile data connection keeps dropping, the restoration process will fail as the backup cannot download fully.
Solutions
- Move to a location with stronger WiFi or cellular network coverage.
- Use a different WiFi network or switch your network provider if your current one has poor coverage.
- Restart your router if on WiFi and try again when connectivity improves.
- Disable battery saver mode which may disrupt background WhatsApp processes.
Incorrect WhatsApp Backup Settings
To successfully restore chats, WhatsApp backup must be enabled with appropriate settings.
If backup is disabled or settings like backup frequency or backup account are incorrectly configured, your chat history will not restore.
Solutions
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and turn on backup.
- Select the appropriate backup frequency – daily, weekly etc.
- Select the right Google Drive account or iCloud as backup account.
- Ensure you have enough storage space for backups in Google Drive or iCloud.
WhatsApp is Glitching or Crashing
Bugs, performance issues or crashes in WhatsApp can also prevent chat history from being restored properly.
If WhatsApp keeps freezing, lagging or force closing on your iPhone, the backup and restore process may fail.
Solutions
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version which may fix bugs.
- Restart your iPhone and clear app cache/data before restoring chats.
- Reinstall WhatsApp if issues persist after an update.
- Downgrade WhatsApp to a previous stable version if new updates cause problems.
You Need to Transfer WhatsApp from Android
WhatsApp chat backup is platform specific. So you cannot directly restore chat history from an Android phone backup to an iPhone.
Even using third party backup tools does not allow direct WhatsApp transfer cross-platform due to file system differences between Android and iOS.
Solutions
- Before switching phones, take a backup on your Android phone and restore it to another Android phone.
- Transfer only your media like photos and videos from Android to iPhone.
- Use an Android emulator on PC to access old Android WhatsApp chats.
Third Party Tools are Needed
In some cases like corrupted backup files or very old backups, official WhatsApp restore may not work. You may need to take help from third party iOS data recovery or WhatsApp transfer tools.
These tools extract WhatsApp chats from iPhone internal storage or encrypted backups and can transfer them across platforms as well.
Solutions
- Use iPhone data recovery software like iMyFone D-Back to extract WhatsApp chats.
- Try iOS file explorers like iExplorer or iMazing to access chat backups.
- Use a WhatsApp transfer tool to move chats from iPhone to computer or another phone.
Conclusion
To conclude, WhatsApp chat history may not restore on your iPhone due to interrupted backups, outdated iOS versions, phone number changes, storage issues or platform differences. The best way to avoid WhatsApp backup and restore issues is to regularly take complete backups over stable connectivity and update to the latest iOS version. In complex cases, using professional data recovery software can help retrieve irretrievable chat history when all else fails.