How to Restore an Old WhatsApp Backup: 2 Working Solutions

Part 1: How to Restore an Old Backup of WhatsApp from the Local Storage?

Before we proceed and learn how to restore your old WhatsApp messages, it is important to know how does WhatsApp backup works. Ideally, WhatsApp can back up your data in two different locations.

Google Drive: Here, your WhatsApp backup would be saved on the connected Google Drive account. You can set up a schedule for this (daily/weekly/monthly) or take a manual backup by visiting WhatsApp Settings. It will only maintain a recent backup as your old content is overwritten automatically.

Local Storage : By default, WhatsApp will take a backup of your data on the local storage of your device at 2 a.m. every day. It will only maintain dedicated copies of backup for the last 7 days.

Therefore, if it has been only seven days, then you can learn how to restore your old WhatsApp messages in the following way:

Step 1: Go to the WhatsApp Local Backup Folder

Just use any reliable File Manager on your Android device and browse to its Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Databases to view the saved backup files.

Step 2: Rename the WhatsApp Backup

In the Database folder, you can view the backup for the last 7 days with their timestamp. Just select the backup you wish to restore and choose to rename it as “msgstore.db” only (removing the timestamp).

Step 3: Restore your Old Chat History to WhatsApp

If you are already using WhatsApp on your Android device, then you can reinstall it. Now, just launch WhatsApp and enter the same phone number while setting up your account.

The application will automatically detect the presence of a local backup on the device and would let you know. Just tap on the “Restore” button and wait as your data would be extracted. In this way, you can learn how to restore an old backup of WhatsApp easily.

Part 2: How to Restore an Old WhatsApp Backup (of Deleted Chats)?

If you can’t find a local backup of WhatsApp data or you have lost your messages before the last 7 days, then consider using a data recovery tool. For instance, Dr.Fone - Data Recovery (Android) has a dedicated feature to recover an old chat history of WhatsApp from Android devices.

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These are some simple steps that you can take to learn how to restore an old backup of WhatsApp on your Android device.

Step 1: Install and Launch Dr.Fone – Data Recovery (Android)

Whenever you want to restore an old WhatsApp backup, just install the application on your system. Launch the Dr.Fone toolkit and simply go to the “Data Recovery” feature from its home.

Step 2: Connect your Device and Start Recovering your Data

Using a working USB cable, you can now connect your Android device to the system from where you lost your WhatsApp chats. On the Dr.fone interface, go to the WhatsApp Data Recovery feature. Here, you can verify your connected device and simply start the recovery process.

Step 3: Wait as Dr.Fone would Recover WhatsApp Data

Once the data recovery process has been started, you are expected to wait for a while. The application will let you know the progress of the recovery process. Just make sure that your device stays connected, and that the application is not closed in between.

Step 4: Install the Specific App

After the recovery process has been completed, you will be asked by the toolkit to install a special app. Just agree to it and wait as the application would be installed, letting you preview and extract your WhatsApp data easily.

Step 5: Preview and Restore WhatsApp Data

That’s it! In the end, you can check all the extracted WhatsApp content on the sidebar, listed in different categories like photos, chats, videos, and more. You can just go to any category of your choice to get a preview of your WhatsApp data.

To get better results, you can go to the top-right corner of the application to view all data or just the deleted WhatsApp data. After selecting the WhatsApp files you want to get back, click on the “Recover” button to save them.

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Conclusion

I hope this guide would have answered your questions like can you restore old WhatsApp messages and how to restore old WhatsApp chats on Android. If your chats were lost in the last 7 days, then you can try to restore WhatsApp from an old backup directly. Though, if your data has been lost or deleted, then consider using a recovery tool. I would recommend Dr.Fone - Data Recovery (Android) to recover deleted WhatsApp files easily. It is a DIY tool that you can use on your own without facing unwanted hassle to restore old WhatsApp backup.