WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps used by over 2 billion people worldwide. It offers end-to-end encryption for chats and calls, ensuring privacy and security. One of WhatsApp’s useful features is chat backup, which creates a backup of your chats on Google Drive. This allows you to restore chats if you lose your phone or switch devices. However, sometimes the WhatsApp chat backup doesn’t show up in Google Drive. Here are some potential reasons and fixes for this problem.
Why WhatsApp Chat Backup May Not Show in Google Drive
There are a few common reasons why your WhatsApp chat backup may not be visible in Google Drive:
- You don’t have enough storage space in Google Drive
- Backup folder is hidden in Google Drive
- Google Drive sync issues
- WhatsApp backup is corrupted
- You switched Google accounts linked to WhatsApp
Let’s look at each of these reasons in more detail:
Not Enough Storage Space in Google Drive
WhatsApp backups can take up a considerable amount of storage space in Google Drive, especially if you have long chat histories. By default, WhatsApp backs up to your primary Google Drive account which has 15GB of free storage. If this storage limit is exceeded, WhatsApp will not be able to create new backups. This can result in your chat backup not showing up in Drive.
Backup Folder Hidden in Google Drive
WhatsApp automatically creates a dedicated backup folder in Google Drive. However, it’s possible for this folder to be hidden, preventing you from viewing it. There are a couple reasons the backup folder may become hidden:
- You hid the folder yourself accidentally
- A glitch hid the backup folder
If the folder itself is hidden, you won’t see your WhatsApp chat backup files in Drive even though they may exist.
Google Drive Sync Issues
For your WhatsApp chat backup to show up in Google Drive, the backup data needs to successfully sync from your phone. Sometimes sync failures can occur due to connectivity problems either on your phone or with Google Drive itself. This can temporarily prevent new backups from appearing in Drive.
Corrupted WhatsApp Backup
In rare cases, your WhatsApp backup file may become corrupted. If this happens, WhatsApp will no longer recognize it as a valid backup and it won’t show up in Google Drive. A corrupted backup usually occurs due to unexpected interruptions like a phone crash or loss of connectivity while a backup is in progress.
Switched Google Accounts Linked to WhatsApp
WhatsApp can only back up chats to the specific Google account it is linked to on your phone. If you change the linked Google account in WhatsApp to a different one, your chat history will begin backing up to the new account. Existing backups in the previous account will remain untouched but won’t update further. This can make it seem like your backup has disappeared in Google Drive if you switch accounts.
How to Fix WhatsApp Chat Backup Not Showing in Google Drive
If your WhatsApp chat backup is not visible in Google Drive, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to fix it:
Check Google Drive Storage Usage
First, check if you’re exceeding the storage limit on your Google Drive account. Open the Drive app or visit drive.google.com and look at how much space is used. If it is close to the 15GB limit, you need to free up space for WhatsApp backups to work again.
You can free up space by:
- Deleting or moving files/folders stored in Drive
- Upgrading to a paid Google One membership for more storage
- Enabling the storage saver setting in WhatsApp to reduce backup size
Unhide WhatsApp Backup Folder
If the dedicated WhatsApp backup folder in Google Drive is hidden, you need to unhide it to view backups:
- Open the Google Drive app and tap on “Settings” > “Show hidden files”.
- Browse and locate the folder called “WhatsApp”.
- Tap on the 3-dot menu next to it and choose “Unhide”.
This will unhide the folder so your chat backups become visible again.
Force Stop Google Drive App
As a quick fix for sync issues, you can try force stopping the Google Drive app on your phone. This resets the app and re-establishes the connection with Google Drive servers.
To force stop Google Drive app:
- Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps.
- Locate and tap on Google Drive app.
- Tap “Force Stop”.
After force stopping, launch Google Drive again. This should refresh the app and your latest WhatsApp backup may now appear.
Enable Auto Sync in Google Drive App
Make sure auto sync is enabled for Google Drive app so your backups are uploaded automatically:
- Open Google Drive app > Tap top-left menu.
- Go to Settings > Tap your account.
- Check that “Auto Sync” is turned on.
If auto sync is disabled, turn it on and wait for your WhatsApp backup to upload and appear in Drive.
Restart Your Phone
Restarting your phone can help clear out any app issues and connectivity problems that may be preventing WhatsApp backup sync. Here are the steps:
- Long press the Power button on your phone.
- Tap “Restart” or “Power off”.
- Wait for phone to shut down completely, then power it back on.
After restart, open WhatsApp and check if a new backup appears in Google Drive.
Re-link Google Account in WhatsApp
If you recently changed the linked Google account for WhatsApp backups, you need to link it back to the original account where your chat history was backed up.
- Open WhatsApp > Tap More options (3 dots) > Settings.
- Tap Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap Back Up Account and select your original Google account.
This will sync your backup history from the old account so it becomes visible again in Google Drive.
Delete and Recreate WhatsApp Backup
If your existing WhatsApp backup has become corrupted, you may need to delete it and create a fresh backup:
- Open WhatsApp > Tap More options > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap “Delete Backup” to remove the corrupted backup.
- Manually trigger a new backup by tapping “Back Up Now”.
This will generate a clean WhatsApp chat backup file that can sync properly with Google Drive again.
Prevent WhatsApp Backup Issues
Follow these tips to avoid WhatsApp backup problems in the future:
- Ensure you have enough storage space in Google Drive.
- Do not interrupt a backup in progress.
- Maintain a stable internet connection during backups.
- Periodically trigger manual backups instead of just relying on scheduled backups.
- Avoid switching Google accounts linked to WhatsApp frequently.
Restore WhatsApp Chat Backup from Google Drive
If you need to restore your WhatsApp chat history from Google Drive backup due to phone issues, here are the steps:
- Reinstall WhatsApp on your phone and verify your number.
- On the “Restore chats” prompt, tap Restore.
- Select the Google account with your WhatsApp backup.
- Pick the backup you want to restore from the available options.
This will fetch and restore your chats and data from the chosen Google Drive backup. Do not delete backups from Drive until you have confirmed the restoration worked, to avoid permanent data loss.
Conclusion
WhatsApp chat backups not showing in Google Drive can be frustrating, but the issue can usually be resolved with some troubleshooting. The most common fixes include freeing up Drive storage, unhiding the backup folder, force stopping Drive app, enabling auto sync, restarting your phone, re-linking Google account, or creating a fresh backup. With the proper steps, you can get your valuable WhatsApp chat history to appear correctly in Google Drive again.
