Contents

Part 1. Best Way to Backup All WhatsApp Messages
Part 2. Backup Old WhatsApp Messages to Google Drive
Part 3. Backup Specific Chat in WhatsApp
Part 4. FAQs of How to Backup WhatsApp Messages

A Complete Guide to Backing Up Your WhatsApp Messages

January 19, 2026Iris Walker

It’s essential to back up your WhatsApp messages regularly, especially for important chats, images, videos, and other content. WhatsApp provides a convenient way to connect with family, friends, and colleagues instantly. It allows you to share various messages, pictures, and other content. To prevent any valuable WhatsApp chats from being lost, you should often backup WhatsApp messages. This post will guide you on backing up your WhatsApp chats on both iPhone and Android devices.

Part 1. Secure Way to Backup All WhatsApp Messages to Computer/Drive

Aiseesoft WhatsSync is a trustworthy option for backing up and restoring your WhatsApp data securely on a single, convenient platform. The software is primarily designed for secure backup of messages and media from WhatsApp on your device to a computer or a cloud service, such as Google Drive. You can back up and transfer WhatsApp messages from your Android or iOS device to your Windows or Mac computer with WhatsSync. With WhatsSync, you can restore deleted or lost WhatsApp chats from backups you have saved before if you choose. If you’re looking for a simple answer to how to backup WhatsApp messages, WhatsSync provides one convenient solution to achieve both backup and restore WhatsApp data without the hassle.

Downloads

WhatsSync

Save all your WhatsApp chats, photos, and videos from Android or iPhone to your computer easily.
Restore WhatsApp messages from backups without losing any data.
Move WhatsApp data smoothly between Android and iPhone devices.
Choose specific chats or attachments to back up rather than the entire WhatsApp history.
Store backups on your PC or Mac without relying on cloud services, keeping your data private and secure.

Free DownloadFor Windows

100% Secure. No Ads.

Step 1.

Click the download button and install WhatsSync on your computer. Choose “WhatsApp” and then click “Backup”.

Step 2.

Plug in your iPhone or Android phone to it and help it be detected. WhatsSync enables you to build the connection through a USB cable or Wi-Fi network.

Step 3.

To create a new WhatsApp backup, click “Backup” and select a folder to save it. After that, you can click “OK” and follow the instructions to proceed with the backup process. All your WhatsApp messages, photos, videos, voice messages, and other files will be backed up safely. As mentioned above, WhatsSync also allows you to back up these WhatsApp chats to Google Drive.

Part 2. How to Backup Old WhatsApp Messages to Google Drive and iCloud

Besides backing up your old WhatsApp chats to a computer, you can also copy these valuable files to Google Drive and iCloud. This section explains how to transfer WhatsApp messages using your Google and iCloud accounts, which is also helpful if you want to learn how to back up messages from WhatsApp on a Chromebook.

Backup WhatsApp Messages to Google Drive

Ensure you’re signed in to a Google account on your Android phone and that Google Play services are enabled. Ensure your phone has sufficient free storage for the backup (Google Drive quota + local temporary storage).

Step 1.

Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings”.

Step 2.

Go to Chats and select “Chat backup”.

Step 3.

Under Google Drive settings, tap “Back up to Google Drive” and select the preferred backup frequency.

backup-old-whatsapp-messages-to-google-drive

Step 4.

Tap “Account” and select the Google account you want to use for backups. If none is listed, tap “Add account” and sign in.

Step 5.

Choose whether to back up over Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and cellular. Tap “BACK UP” to start an immediate backup. Wait for the process to finish. The time it takes depends on the size of your chat and your connection speed.

For regular protection, select a backup frequency (daily or weekly) that matches your WhatsApp usage. Also, keep an eye on your Google Drive storage. Large backups, especially those containing videos, can quickly consume storage space.

Backup WhatsApp Chats to iCloud on iPhone

Prerequisites

• Make sure your iPhone is signed in to your Apple ID.
• Check Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Drive to ensure it is enabled.
• Confirm you have enough iCloud storage (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage).
• Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.

Automatic (Scheduled) Backup

Step 1.

Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and hit the “Settings”.

Step 2.

Go to Chats and tap “Chat Backup”.

Step 3.

Tap “Auto Backup” and choose a schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Off. WhatsApp will now back up automatically according to the schedule you set.

Manual Backup (Back Up Now)

Step 4.

Follow steps 1 and 2, then tap "Back Up Now" to start an immediate backup to iCloud.

Step 5.

Wait for the backup to finish. Progress is shown on the screen. Do not turn off your Wi-Fi or exit the app until the process is complete.

• If Back Up Now fails, check that iCloud Drive is enabled and your iPhone has enough free iCloud storage.
• Large backups take longer and use more storage. Consider excluding videos if space is limited.
• To restore later, reinstall WhatsApp and select “Restore Chat History” when prompted during the setup process.

Part 3. Quick Steps to Back up a Specific Chat in WhatsApp

If you want to save or share only one specific conversation while avoiding a general backup of all your chats, you can easily export that chat for email. This is great for both Android and iPhone users to maintain a record of vital messages to share with others.

For Android Users

Step 1.

Open WhatsApp and locate and open the individual or group chat you want to back up.

Step 2.

Hit the three-dot menu (⋮) and select “More”, then choose “Export Chat”.

Step 3.

When prompted, choose whether to include media (with images, videos, etc.) or without media (text only).

Step 4.

From the sharing options, select "Mail" or "Gmail". Type in your email address and send the email to yourself. The conversation will be saved as a .txt file, with optional media attachments.

For iPhone Users

Step 1.

Open WhatsApp on your iPhone. Find the chat you want to export.

Step 2.

Tap the chat name at the top to open the chat info screen. Scroll down and select “Export Chat”.

Step 3.

Choose whether to include media or not and select “Mail” from the share sheet.

Step 4.

Type your email address and tap “Send”.

After completing these steps, you can easily back up a specific WhatsApp chat on your iPhone or Android device and keep it safely stored in your email for future reference.

Part 4. FAQs on How to Backup WhatsApp Messages

Can I back up my WhatsApp chat history?

Yes, WhatsApp gives a straightforward way to back up your chat history. To back up your WhatsApp chat history on your Android phone, you can create a backup to Google Drive. As an iOS user, you can choose to back up WhatsApp on iCloud. You can set up an automatic backup schedule according to your needs. In that case, your WhatsApp conversations will be backed up regularly according to the schedule. Also, you can manually create a WhatsApp backup whenever you want.

Why is there no backup option on my WhatsApp?

Due to the app version of WhatsApp and other reasons, you may not find a backup option in your WhatsApp. This feature may be hidden in the settings. You can open WhatsApp and tap the Settings button to access the Chat backup option. If you are using an outdated app, you should update it first. In some cases, when your Google Drive storage is almost full, you may not be able to see the backup option.

Where are WhatsApp chat backups stored?

By default, your WhatsApp chat backups are stored in Google Drive on your Android phone and iCloud on your iPhone. To verify your created backup files, navigate to the Backups section. However, for security reasons, the detailed files of the backup are not allowed to be opened or viewed.

Why can't I see my WhatsApp backup in Google Drive?

Several reasons may prevent you from seeing your WhatsApp backup in Google Drive. Generally, your WhatsApp backups are hidden in Google Drive and are not displayed in the file list. You need to enter Storage to find them. In some cases, especially when you haven't used your WhatsApp account for a long time, Google Drive may automatically remove your WhatsApp backups to free up space. Additionally, temporary issues with Google Drive or WhatsApp may also cause this problem.

Conclusion

This post provides easy steps on how to back up WhatsApp messages on Android and iOS devices. With the help of Google Drive, iCloud, or Aiseesoft WhatsSync, you can make sure your chat messages and media are well protected. It's wise to perform chat backups regularly to avoid losing important conversations, which helps make your data easily recoverable when needed.