How to view WhatsApp backup

Una whatsapp backup It is a backup of all the messages that we send and receive through the app that is saved either in the cloud or in the local storage of the smartphone. This is one of the most useful features of this messaging service, since it allows you to restore your conversations in case you have lost your phone, you have formatted it or you have bought a new one.

These backup copies (in English, backups) are made automatically every day, week or month in the case of copies in the cloud or instantly in the case of local ones. However, If you have a WhatsApp backup and want to see the messages it contains, this article is for you.. Here we explain everything about it.

Can I read the messages in a WhatsApp backup?

The WhatsApp backup file is end-to-end encrypted, so even if you manage to download it, it is not possible to see its content, Ya que messages are encrypted. At least on the smartphone, the only way to see a copy of your chat history is to open it in the same WhatsApp Messenger app.

However, as we will show you later, there is a way to decrypt this backup on PC using a third-party program and without relying on the original WhatsApp application. Next, we show you the methods for Android, iPhone and PC.

How to view WhatsApp backup on mobile?

On Android

First we will explain how to open the copy of your chats on Android and later also on iPhone. As we pointed out above, this can only be done through the WhatsApp app itself, since only the messaging application has the key that is needed to decrypt the conversations.

Follow the steps below to view whatsapp backup on android:

1. Download the WhatsApp application on the Play Store.
2. Open WhatsApp, and log in to your account with your phone number.
3. Once the app finds your backup, tap «RESTORE»
4. Choose "NEXT.» and continue the login process.

On iPhone

On iPhone, the process to view the contents of a WhatsApp backup is practically the same as on Android, only copies are stored in iCloud (the iOS cloud storage service) instead of Google Drive. Although also, if you come from Android and had a backup of your chats in Drive, WA will let you know and allow you to restore it and upload it to iCloud.

To view WhatsApp backup on iPhone:

1. Download the WhatsApp application on the App Store.
2. Open WhatsApp, and log in to your account with your phone number.
3. Wait for the app to find your iCloud backup.
4. Press «RESTORE» to retrieve the messages.
5. Choose "NEXT.» and continue the login process.

How to view WhatsApp backup on PC?

If you want to see a backup of your conversations, but without using the WhatsApp application, then you will have to use whatsappviewer. It is a program that you can install on your PC and that allows you to decrypt crypt5, crypt7, crypt8, crypt12 and crypt14 databases like the ones used by WA to make its backup copies.

Here we explain how to use this program step by step.

Get 'root' access to the smartphone

If you want to see a backup on your PC with WhatsApp Viewer, first thing you should do is get 'root' access to the smartphone. The easiest way to do it is with Kingo Root, an app that allows you to root your Android phone in one click and in less than a minute.

1. Download the Kingo Root apk from the Official Site and install it.
2. Grant permissions to install apps from unknown sources if prompted.
3. Launch the app and press «One Click Root».
4. You wait a minute and voila! With this you should have access to root on your Android.

As you can see, Kingo Root is the easiest way to root a mobile, however, this app does not work with all versions of Android. Therefore, if you have any problems using it, we recommend our article on the Different ways to root an Android for you to review alternative methods.

Get the database and key files 'key'

The next step is to obtain the database file in which the WhatsApp backup is located, as well as the key to decrypt it. Follow the steps below to get both files:

1. First, create a folder on your computer that you can copy the database file and key to. For this example, we will create a folder called 'WA Backup'.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC using a USB cable and put it in 'Data transfer'.
3. Open the file explorer.
4. In 'Team' the connected devices will be displayed. Select your smartphone.
5. Go to WhatsApp> Databases. Copy and paste the files «msgstore.db" Y "wa.db" in the folder 'WA Backup' that we created earlier.
6. Enter to Android > Data > com.whatsapp > files and copy the filewhatsapp.cryptkey» to folder 'WA Backup'.

Decrypt the database with WhatsApp Viewer

Now that you have the database file and the corresponding key, you can decrypt the backup and view its content with WhatsApp Viewer by following the next steps:

1. Download whatsappviewer in its latest version and install it.
2. Launch the program.
3. Open the menu 'Fillet' was heading to the left.
4. Select the version of the 'crypt' standard your WA backup is encrypted with. If you read this article in 2022 you should choose «Decrypt .crypt14».
5. Select the file «msgstore.db» and the key «whatsapp.cryptkey».
6. Click on «Decrypt…» and choose where you want the decrypted file to be saved.

Open the decrypted file

If you have followed all the steps as indicated in this guide, WhatsApp Viewer will have created for you a copy file of your chats already decrypted. To view their content you only have to go to File> Open and open the file «messages.decrypted.db».

How to view WhatsApp backup on Google Drive?

Another related query that people often ask is how can I view WhatsApp backup on Google Drive? And the truth is that it is quite simple, you can find the backups of your chats in the web version of Drive by following a few steps that we mention below.

1. Go to drive.google.com/drive and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click on the gear icon up and to the right.
3. Choose "Settings».
4. Go to the section «Manage Apps».
5. Scroll down. At the end you can find the backup of your WhatsApp chat history in Google Drive.

As you can see, this method is more designed to ensure whether or not you have a WhatsApp backup in Drive. Nevertheless, can't download or access file content, the only thing we can do is to disconnect the cloud service backup as shown in the image above.

Conclusion

Having a backup of your chats can save the day when you lose your phone, accidentally delete the WhatsApp app, or just buy a new phone. With a backup, either in the cloud or locally, you can recover all your conversations, your profile and contacts. So if you think you've made a WhatsApp backup, in this article we show you how you can find it in Drive and see its content both on your Android smartphone or iPhone and on your PC.