Restore WhatsApp Chat Backup from Google Drive – Problem and Solution
Are you unable to restore WhatsApp chat history from backup of old phone in Google Drive to new phone? or maybe you are looking to restore WhatsApp backup from Google Drive manually.
Common Reasons for Chat Restore Problems in WhatsApp
WhatsApp Chat Restore process from Google Drive often fails when you launch WhatsApp in new phone, either without first creating Google Drive Backup in old phone or opting not to restore data in new phone.
When you try afterwards to restore that data, the action creates a confusion and conflict between the backups of old phone and new phone inside Google Drive, which results in failure to restore.
Another common reason is that you are not using same phone number and email address (Google Account) in new phone as you had used in old phone.
WhatsApp support page has described the method for restoring chat history on their website but that will not solve the backup conflict problem.
Method to Restore WhatsApp Chat History Automatically from Google Drive
Please do NOT skip any step in this article. Follow all steps in sequence. This method is effective for WhatsApp personal as well as WhatsApp Business. You will be able restore WhatsApp chat data easily whether you have chnaged phones from Android to Android or iPhone to Android - just backup chat data in appropriate cloud platform.
Steps in Old Android Phone
Sign in again to WhatsApp in old phone, and follow this navigation in WhatsApp settings.
Click ‘three dots’ on top right corner in WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Google Account.
Click on ‘Google Account’ option in WhatsApp settings and select Add account option. On next screen, sign into a new additional Google account, which will be a temporary Gmail account. You do not need to sign out of your primary or original Gmail account. You can create a new temporary Google (Gmail) account or use Gmail of a family member.
Now come back to ‘Chat backup’ page in WhatsApp settings. Again, click on Google Account and then select the newly signed-in temporary Google account.
Now open Google Drive, click profile picture on top right and select the new Google account. Click Menu or three lines on top left and select ‘Backups’ and delete any previous WhatsApp backup in Google Drive.
Now open WhatsApp settings at this sequence.
Click ‘three dots’ on top right corner in WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup → BACK UP.
Click ‘BACK UP’ button to backup WhatsApp chat history data (messages, photos, videos, documents) to Google Drive.
Please note that you will perform all above steps in your old phone.
Steps in New Android Phone
Now open your new phone. Uninstall WhatsApp completely. Please do not select ‘Keep app data’ in the uninstall wizard.
Open Play Store. Click on profile picture. Click arrow button, next to email and select ‘Add another account’. Sign in to same temporary Google account, you had used in old phone for WhatsApp backup.
Now again click on profile picture in Play Store, click arrow button and select temporary Google account - now Play Store will use the temporary Google account instead of your primary account.
Install and open WhatsApp and verify your phone number. Enter same Phone number as used for WhatsApp in old phone.
Click RESTORE when WhatsApp prompts you, to restore your chats and media from Google Drive.
Congrats. You have successfully restored the WhatsApp chat history from Google Drive.
Next Optional Steps
For next steps, click on Google Account in WhatsApp settings, select your original or primary Gmail account, not the temporary one. Then Click Backup.
Now you can safely sign out of the temporary Google account from your new phone.
To remove temporary Google account from your new phone, follow this navigation in your Android smartphone.
