How do I save my WhatsApp chat history?

Saving your WhatsApp messages is a relatively easy thing to do, and although it is possible to recover your WhatsApp history if it is ever lost, it’s better to just save them from the beginning to avoid problems later. Here’s how:

Your WhatsApp messages are automatically backed up and saved on your phone’s memory on a daily basis. If WhatsApp is uninstalled and you don’t want to lose any of your messages, make sure to manually back up your chats before uninstalling.

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Options > Settings > Chat History > Backup chat history.

2. Press Yes to back up your chat history.

If you are deleting and reinstalling WhatsApp, you will be asked to import your backup after you first open your new copy of WhatsApp. Simply press Restore and your chat history should begin to load.

If you need to transfer your chats from on phone to another, transfer your SD card to your new phone before installing WhatsApp. If you do not have an SD card, you will need to copy the whole “wa” folder from your old phone onto your new phone’s memory. Install WhatsApp and click on Restore when you see it, and your chat history should begin to load.

Here’s some useful technical information you may want to know about your backup:

- Backup files are saved in the “wa” folder and are called MsgStore.bak.

- Backup files are saved to both your phone’s internal memory and SD card, but only given that there’s enough space.

- Backup files are only valid for 7 days after the last save. Make sure you import your chat history before it expires!

- Backup files are phone number sensitive; they’ll only work with the same phone number.

- Backup files are saved in a format to be opened with WhatsApp. If you want to read your conversations on your computer, you can send them as .txt files from WhatsApp to your email.

DLA is based in Cape Town and combines the experience of two seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to achieve the results that you require. We do many services, from data and WhatsApp history recovery to image and CCTV enhancement.