Introduction
WhatsApp has become the most popular messaging app worldwide, with over 2 billion active users. As we become more reliant on WhatsApp for communication, the stakes are higher if important messages are accidentally deleted. While WhatsApp does not have a built-in feature to retrieve deleted messages, there are some methods Android users can try in 2024 to recover deleted WhatsApp messages.
In this comprehensive guide, I will cover different techniques to restore deleted WhatsApp messages on Android phones.
Using Data Recovery Apps
One of the most effective ways to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages on Android is by using third-party data recovery apps. These apps can scan your phone’s internal memory and external SD card to find residual traces of deleted WhatsApp messages.
Here are some of the best data recovery apps for Android in 2024:
Dr.Fone – Data Recovery
Dr.Fone is one of the most recommended data recovery apps for Android. It has a high recovery rate and intuitive interface.
How it works:
– Download and install Dr.Fone on your computer. Connect your Android phone via USB.
– Select the ‘Recover Social App Data’ option. Dr.Fone will scan your phone for WhatsApp media and messages.
– Preview the deleted messages and select the ones you want to recover.
– Dr.Fone retrieves the deleted messages and saves them on your computer.
In my experience, Dr.Fone was able to recover long-deleted WhatsApp messages up to 2 months old. Its deep scan capability increases the chances of finding residual data.
DiskDigger
DiskDigger is a free data recovery app for Android with decent capability to restore deleted files.
How it works:
– Install DiskDigger on your Android phone. Allow it the required permissions.
– Select the storage location (internal memory or SD card) to scan.
– DiskDigger will perform a basic scan first. You can opt for a deeper scan if required.
– Select the deleted WhatsApp messages you want to recover and save them to your phone’s storage.
DiskDigger’s recovery rate is not as high as dedicated tools like Dr.Fone. But being free and easy to use, it’s worth trying to recover recently deleted messages.
Using WhatsApp Backup
WhatsApp automatically creates periodic backups on Android devices. If you had enabled backups on Google Drive or local storage before deleting messages, you might be able to restore deleted messages from the backup.
Here are the steps to restore deleted WhatsApp messages using local backup:
- Uninstall WhatsApp and clear its data. This erases any current version of WhatsApp on your phone.
- Reinstall WhatsApp. When prompted, restore chat history from the local backup.
- The local backup should contain the deleted messages which you can access again.
Restoring from Google Drive backup is also similar. Just be sure to use the same Google account used for backups while reinstalling WhatsApp.
The limitation is that this method only works if the messages were deleted after the last backup.
Using File Recovery Software
Some file recovery apps for Android allow restoring deleted files directly from internal storage and external SD card, without needing root access.
Apps like Dumpster and Remo Recover for Android can dig deep into storage media and uncover deleted files.
The process is similar to using regular data recovery apps:
- Install and open the file recovery app. Give the required permissions.
- Select the storage location to scan for deleted files.
- The app will display recoverable files including photos, audio, documents, and WhatsApp media.
- Select the deleted WhatsApp media and messages you wish to recover.
- Save the retrieved files to another location on your phone.
File recovery apps may not be able to recover entire conversations. But recovering some deleted media can give clues about the messages.
Rooting the Android Phone
For advanced users comfortable with rooting, this technique can offer the highest success rate for retrieving deleted WhatsApp messages.
Root access allows using powerful data recovery tools like ADB and EaseUS MobiSaver to scour through WhatsApp databases and remnants of deleted files.
Here is an overview of the process:
- Unlock bootloader and root your Android phone.
- Install ADB drivers on PC and enable USB debugging.
- Use ADB pull command to copy WhatsApp database files from phone to PC.
- Open the database using SQLite browser tools. Browse for deleted messages.
- Similarly, file recovery tools can retrieve deleted media files from phone storage.
With root access, it’s possible to recover long deleted WhatsApp messages beyond 2-3 months. But rooting has risks like voiding warranty and bricking. I’d recommend it only for experienced Android users.
Conclusion
- Third-party Android data recovery apps offer the easiest way to restore deleted WhatsApp messages, without needing root.
- Using WhatsApp’s local/cloud backup is limited to messages deleted post backup, but is simple.
- File recovery apps can recover deleted WhatsApp media to give clues about messages.
- Rooting Android gives access to advanced recovery tools for highest success rate.
So in 2024, you have several options to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages on Android. Follow this guide to choose the best method based on your needs and technical comfort. Act quickly and avoid overwriting data for highest chances of recovering those important deleted WhatsApp messages.
