How To Do WhatsApp Local Backup And Why You May Need That

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A local backup is a quick and easy way of backing up WhatsApp on your phone’s storage. To do a WhatsApp local backup on your phone, you just need to initiate the process through WhatsApp itself.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services because of its free and wide array of features, from leisurely chatting to important business transactions.

But nobody wants to lose their WhatsApp information. Luckily, there are ways to make sure that it’s kept safe all the time. One of these is through a WhatsApp local backup on Android. This article will teach you how this can be done.

What Is A Local WhatsApp Backup & Why Do It?

Like many chat apps, WhatsApp has a feature that allows you to make backups of your app data, including chat conversations and images.

Even if you accidentally delete WhatsApp or switch phones, a backup means you can still retain all the data you have on your old WhatsApp.

Normally, your data is housed in the internal storage of your mobile device. However, you can also back up your data to the cloud via Google Drive or keep a local backup on your device. 

A local backup is a type of backup that can be found on your device itself, typically in internal storage.

What Are The Benefits Of A Local Backup?

A local backup is extremely beneficial due to how convenient it is. You can easily navigate a local backup and transfer it to a different location, such as an SD card or other device.

It’s also a relatively quick process. Compared to uploading your data on the internet, which could take a bit of time depending on how big it is, a local backup takes only a few short minutes to complete. 

This is ideal if you’re experiencing bugs with your app and you just want a quick reset to set things right before you restore it.

The best thing about this is that, unlike a Google Drive backup, you can access a local backup whenever you need it, even if you don’t have an internet connection.

How To Do A WhatsApp Local Backup On Android – Step By Step

Now that we know that a local backup is not only convenient but also quick, you might want to try it yourself.

It will take you about 4 minutes

Follow the steps below to do a local backup for Whatsapp chats on Android.

  1. Open WhatsApp on your device.

  2. From the main menu, go to the options button. This is the three-dot kebab icon that you can find on the top-right corner of the screen.

    Three dots icon in the top right corner of the Whatsapp to open menu

  3. A drop-down menu will show up. Pick Settings.

    Settings option in the drop down menu

  4. In the Chats section of Settings, scroll down to look for the Chat backup button and tap that.

    Check backup option at the bottom of the chat settings page

  5. Click the green BACK UP button and wait for the loading bar to finish.

    Once the loading bar fills to 100%, you’ll have a local backup. A copy will also be uploaded to Google Drive if you’re signed into a Google account and if you have an internet connection.
    Green backup button on the chat back up screen

Where To Find Your WhatsApp Backup

Now that you’re done making a local WhatsApp backup, a copy of your current WhatsApp data has now been saved to your phone’s storage.

To find your local backup, follow the steps below.

  1. Open your phone’s File Manager.
  2. Navigate to the Phone Storage section. The interface for the built-in file manager will vary depending on the device, but you can usually find it on the bottom part like in this example.

    File Manager app interface with the Phone Storage option highlighted
  3. Navigate to All Files.

    Phone storage folder with the all files tab highlighted
  4. From there, scroll through your files until you see a folder called WhatsApp. Since most directories are arranged alphabetically, it’s usually at the very bottom of the list. Just tap it once you find it.

    All files tab in phone storage folder with the whatsapp folder highlighted
  5. From the list of folders inside the WhatsApp one, tap Databases. This will bring you to the WhatsApp databases folder, where your local backups are stored.

    Whatsapp folder in phone storage with the database tab highlighted

Deleting Your Local WhatsApp Backup

All phones have limited local storage. If you set WhatsApp to backup automatically or if you’re very diligent about it, your local WhatsApp backup might already be consuming a significant chunk of your storage.

In that case, it’s time to delete some backups. You can do so by following the steps below.

  1. Open your phone’s File Manager.
  2. Follow the previous section to navigate to the WhatsApp databases folder. Here, you will see a list of all of the backups you’ve done. Depending on their arrangement, the newest backups are either at the top or at the bottom.
Databases tab in whatsapp folder under phone storage
  1. Tap the Select button at the top right corner of the screen. This option will be located in different places on the screen, depending on the brand of your device.
Whatsapp databases folder with the select option highlighted
  1. Little checkboxes will appear beside the name of the backup files. Select the ones you want to delete. Then, press delete, located on the bottom of the screen.
Whatsapp databases folder showing selected backup files and the delete button highlighted
  1. Tap Delete Files to confirm. This will delete the backup files from your phone and free up space so that you can store some more.
Whatsapp delete file confirmation pop-up

How To Transfer Your Local WhatsApp Backup To A Different Device

The great thing about local backups is that you can easily transfer them to other devices since you can access the file itself. This is very handy should you ever decide to switch phones or if you want to keep a backup on your PC.

To begin your backup transfer, follow the directions below.

Please note that the path we mentioned below may not exist on some Android models. In this case, try another path: Internal storage > Android > media > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Backups. The rest of the steps stay the same.

  1. Open your phone’s File Manager.
  2. Just as before, navigate to the database folder and look for the backup file that you want to transfer.
    Databases tab in whatsapp folder under phone storage
  3. Tap the Select button, usually located on the top-right corner of the screen.
    Whatsapp databases folder with the select option highlighted
  4. Select the backup you want to transfer to a different device.
    Whatsapp databases folder showing a selected backup file
  5. Tap the send button, usually located at the bottom of your screen.
    From here, there are multiple ways you can transfer the file to a new backup location. You can send it through Bluetooth, send it to Google Drive, or you can even send it through WhatsApp.
    Whatsapp transfer file options with the messenger option highlighted

    For this example, we’re going to send it via Facebook Messenger. Tap the button for the app.

  6. You will then be redirected to the Messenger forwards tab, where you can choose the contact who will receive the file. You can choose to send the file to yourself to download it to your new phone.
    Messenger send to screen with the send button highlighted
  7. On the new device, you should be able to see the sent file.
    Sent file as shown in messenger app
  8. Tap to download.
    Messenger download prompt with the download button highlighted
  9. You will then choose where you should download the backup file. Make sure it’s downloaded in your phone’s internal storage, as that is where WhatsApp will scan when it is installed.
    Device download destination prompt with the download button highlighted

Again, note that the path mentioned above may not exist on some Android models.

If it’s your case, you can try another path: Internal storage > Android > media > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp > Backups.

FAQs

How Do I Transfer Whatsapp Local Backup To New Phone?

You can transfer WhatsApp local backup to your new phone by accessing it through your old phone’s built-in File Manager then sending the file via different methods, like Facebook Messenger, Google Drive, Bluetooth, or even WhatsApp itself. You can also use third-party apps, which makes the process faster.

Doing A WhatsApp Local Backup On Android

Knowing how to do a WhatsApp local backup on Android is a quick and easy way of securing your information. With these methods I’ve provided, you won’t have to worry about your device’s WhatsApp crashing or switching to a different phone.

Did you like this article? How did it work for you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

About The Author

  • Michael Duong

    Tech editor and senior writer Michael Duong is passionate about technology and innovation. He codes open-source projects and plays quiz games in his free time. An expert in his field and an avid learner, always seeking to expand his knowledge and skills in the ever-evolving world of technology. His specialization is mobile security and mobile data safety. Follow Michael on Twitter and Github.

Photo of author

Michael Duong

Tech editor and senior writer Michael Duong is passionate about technology and innovation. He codes open-source projects and plays quiz games in his free time. An expert in his field and an avid learner, always seeking to expand his knowledge and skills in the ever-evolving world of technology. His specialization is mobile security and mobile data safety. Follow Michael on Twitter and Github.

4 thoughts on “How To Do WhatsApp Local Backup And Why You May Need That”

  1. No longer works. There is ZERO ability now in WhatsApp to create OR restore “local backups” … Android 11, new phone and using same methods worked PERFECTLY on old phone… now no longer works. There is no WhatsApp folder anymore…and when you push backup (and tell it to NEVER backup to the cloud), it goes through 100%… then promptly shows you the LAST (old) backup date/time. Your article needs to be updated.

    Reply
    • Hey Mike,
      Thanks for your comment. We have done research and found the new path where the local WhatsApp backup can be stored. Check the post again to see the path!
      Thanks.

      Reply
  2. I want to restore my messages.. I do have local files but they are unable to restore maybe because it is a month old or maybe because of its size which is 3.5 gb

    Reply
  3. This guide did not include moving the media like photos, videos and documents, hence it’s incomplete to be used by a novice. Perhaps adding steps to ensure that all related media are copied together will ensure that the backup is actually complete.

    Reply

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