How to Backup and Restore WhatsApp Messages on Your Android Device

Ever since its inception, WhatsApp Messenger has been a great tool to have conversations with your friends or relatives regardless of what device you have. With cross-platform support, the app has really gotten tremendous popularity among the various device users, such as Android and iPhone. Once the app’s installed, you are almost ready to share the content with your friends either in the form of text or multimedia content, it supports both. According to Google Play, the app has been downloaded more than 500000k times and it’s taking no name to slow down.

The big concern people have when they use such messengers is what they would do if they change their phone? Would they be able to get their messages backed up and then get restored on the new device? In the case of WhatsApp, it’s possible. You can take backups of your messages and then restore them on your new device, it’s that simple. To help you do this effortlessly, we’ve got a nice guide just below. Follow all the steps and your messages should be backed up.

I. Backing Up WhatsApp Messages on your Android Device:

1. Open the WhatsApp app on your device from the App Drawer.

2. Press the Menu key and then tap Settings option.

3. Navigate to Chat settings section.

4. Once there, tap on Backup conversations option.

5. All your messages will then be backed up.

Great! You now have a safe-copy of all your messages. To restore the backup of messages, follow the following steps:

II. Restoring WhatsApp Messages on your Android Device:

1. Copy the WhatsApp folder located inside your SD card storage on your old device to your PC.

2. Make sure that the WhatsApp app is NOT installed on your new device. If it is, uninstall it.

3. Copy that WhatsApp folder from your PC over to the SD card of your new device.

4. Install the WhatsApp App on your new device and it should ask you if you want to restore your backup, hit Yes.

Restore Messages WhatsApp
Tap on Yes

5. You’re all done!

Brilliant! All your messages have been restored on your new device, allowing you to start your conversation from the point you left off.

If this procedure helped you please thank/donate to the original developers here.

If you need help with this procedure, please ask in the comments below or in the forum.

This is part of our Android How To’s. We have how to’s on rooting, loading ROMs, and tons of other tips and tricks for your specific device or for Android devices in general! For all of our Android How To’s, head here.

9 thoughts on “How to Backup and Restore WhatsApp Messages on Your Android Device”

  1. disqus_VQAT8luoHz

    It didn’t work for me. I get a message saying “if you have previous message history to recover, insert your SD card or turn off USB storage and tap retry. Tap skip to continue”.
    Of course nothing works.

  2. disqus_VQAT8luoHz

    I tried 10 times and followed the procedure, but I am never asked if I want to restore my backup. Why do we need bugs all of the time? I feel like I am in the Windows days…

    1. Maybe you can try a 3rd party tool called Backuptrans Android WhatsApp Transfer. It helps to restore and merge your backup messages back to android device. Restoring chats to a new android is also supported.

  3. my whats app was expired so i uninstalled it and downloaded the new one now how would i get my previous chats and contacts

  4. I have used bluestacks for a while and it is where I began my usage of whatsapp and after recieving an android phone I moved it over but my chats did not come along with it when I chose the restore option. Despite having my contacts transferred I’d love to get my chats back. is there any POSSIBLE way I may somehow retrieve it? I have tried ES file but cannot find what I’m looking for please help. Possible answers may be forwarded to kaiadonis@ymail.com. Please and Thank you.

  5. Hey I just bought my new phone huwai honor 4x it doesn’t ask for restore for back up help meme out here

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.