WhatsApp backups are stored in the cloud (Google Drive for Android, iCloud for iPhone) and locally on your phone (Android), linked to your Google/Apple account and phone number; they aren't visible as normal files in the cloud but found under "Storage > Backups" in Drive or via the Google One app, with local backups residing in a specific phone folder, typically the last 7 days.
Open the Google One app and sign into your Google account. Tap Storage > Other. If you're saving WhatsApp backups to your Google Account, they'll appear in this list.
WhatsApp backup is saved in Google Drive, it is not something that can be viewed/restored via Google Drive's app or website because they are encrypted. Only WhatsApp has the key to decrypt it. WhatsApp backup will use Google Drive storage.
Please note that WhatsApp backups on Google Drive are hidden and do not appear in the main list of files. They are only visible in the "Backups" section under "Storage." Also, it's in an unreadable format, so you can't view the content or select what to retrieve.
If you're using WhatsApp on your phone, you have the ability to back up and restore your chat history in case you lose your phone or switch to a new one. You can back up your chats at any time or set up regular backups for added convenience.
WhatsApp backups that haven't been updated in 5 months might be automatically deleted by Google. To avoid the loss of any backups, we recommend backing up your WhatsApp data often.
Backup & restore data with Google Drive
If you've tried all the recommended troubleshooting steps and are still unable to restore your backup, your backup is most likely corrupted. Backups can become corrupted due to an interruption in the backup creation process, force-closing WhatsApp, sending or receiving corrupted files, or for other reasons.
Deleting your account will:
Delete you from all of your WhatsApp groups. Delete your Google Account backup. Remove you as a channel admin or follower, but not delete any updates you made or channel interactions like reactions or poll votes.
Important: WhatsApp backups on Android count toward your Google Account storage limit. This backup can become one of the largest single items that uses storage space. View and delete your backup in Google Drive: Go to the Backups section of your storage.
They are stored in the WhatsApp>media folder under Android. Previously this data is stored in the root folder of the file manager with its default name. But, Due to Android restrictions from 11+ WhatsApp media is shifted to the Android folder.
How to restore WhatsApp messages without a backup on Android
Make sure you're signed in to the same Google Account on both your old and new devices. On your old device, make sure backup in WhatsApp is enabled and has run. Learn to back up data on your device. On your new device, close WhatsApp and setup again.
Here are a few reasons why: Your backup is stored on a different Google account. Ensure you have the same Google account for WhatsApp and Google Drive. Your phone number is different.
So, if you switch to a new phone but your backup hasn't run for the past 20 hours, you're going to lose all those messages sent/received in the interim when you switch to the new phone. There is a way to avoid this problem and that's to force WhatsApp to perform a backup immediately before you switch to a new device.
You can only transfer your chats before you've activated WhatsApp on your new phone. Before starting the transfer from your old device, make sure you uninstall WhatsApp on your new device. Learn how here. Note: You can't merge new chats from your new phone and old chats from your old phone.
Suitable backup locations for your important notes include a folder on a secondary or external hard disk drive, a removable storage device such as a USB drive, or a private folder on your network.
Step 1: Open the Google Drive backup page in your web browser. All backups will be displayed on the page. Step 2: If you are using an Android phone, open the Google Drive app, then navigate to the "Backups" or "Backup" folder. Step 3: Here, you'll find all your phone backup files organized by date and time.
Open the folder Backup. Open the next listed folder PCname (this is the name of the computer from which the backup was run). Open the C folder. Depending on the operating system, the directory structure is different, but this is the beginning location to find any data the software has backed up.
On WhatsApp, you can delete messages from your device and not from others. If you do this, the police can seize the other person's phone to see what your messages were about. If it is deleted from their phone, they may be able to extract their hidden files and metadata.
When you create an end-to-end encrypted WhatsApp chat backup for Android or iCloud, your messages and media are stored in the cloud. These backups are protected by either a passkey, a 64-digit encryption key, or a password.
The WhatsApp 24-hour rule is a policy for businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform, stating that after a customer sends a message, the business has 24 hours to reply freely (text, images, etc.). After this window closes, businesses must use pre-approved, non-promotional "template messages" to re-engage the customer, preventing spam and ensuring user privacy. Each new customer message resets the 24-hour timer, starting a new free-form conversation window.