WhatsApp backup: how to back up, restore and fix a stuck backup

WhatsApp doesn’t store your chats on its servers. If you lose or replace your phone without a backup, your messages, photos and voice messages are gone. The backup lives in your cloud: Google Drive on Android and iCloud on iPhone.

In this article

1. How to back up
2. Protect the backup with encryption
3. How to restore on a new phone
4. Switching from Android to iPhone (and vice versa)
5. The backup is slow, stuck or never finishes
6. FAQ

How to back up

Android:

1. WhatsApp › three dots › Settings › Chats › Chat backup.
2. Check the Google Account and tap Back up.
3. Under Frequency, choose Daily.
4. Decide whether to include videos: they take up the most space.

iPhone:

1. Make sure iCloud is on for WhatsApp: Settings › [your name] › iCloud › WhatsApp turned on.
2. In WhatsApp: Settings › Chats › Chat Backup › Back Up Now.
3. Turn on Auto Backup (daily or weekly).

Protect the backup with encryption

Under Chat backup › End-to-end encrypted backup, you set a password or a 64-digit key. Without it, no one can restore the backup — not even you. Keep it in a password manager.

How to restore on a new phone

1. On the new phone, sign in to the same Google Account (Android) or the same Apple Account with iCloud (iPhone).
2. Install WhatsApp and confirm the same number.
3. When the backup is found, tap Restore.

If the old phone still works, you can transfer directly, without the cloud: on the old phone, go to Settings › Chats › Transfer chats and scan the QR code on the new phone (both on the same Wi-Fi network).

Switching from Android to iPhone (and vice versa)

A Google Drive backup won’t restore on an iPhone, and an iCloud backup won’t restore on Android. To switch platforms:

• Android → iPhone: use the Move to iOS app while setting up the iPhone and select WhatsApp.
• iPhone → Android: use the cable transfer or the manufacturer’s app while setting up the Android phone (on Samsung, Smart Switch).

The backup is slow, stuck or never finishes

1. Use Wi-Fi and keep the phone charging.
2. Free up space on the phone and in the cloud. See phone storage full.
3. Uncheck Include videos to make a smaller first backup.
4. Update WhatsApp and the Google Drive app / iOS.
5. Delete large old videos from groups under Settings › Storage and data › Manage storage.

FAQ

Does the WhatsApp backup save the photos in my gallery?

It saves the photos and videos from your chats, not your phone’s entire gallery. For camera photos, use Google Photos, iCloud or copy them to your PC: see how to transfer photos from your phone to your PC.

What about WhatsApp Web?

WhatsApp Web mirrors your phone and doesn’t make backups. If it won’t connect, see WhatsApp Web not connecting.