If you have been using WhatsApp for a while, you have probably seen Google Drive backup mentioned in the settings. The question most people really want answered is whether that backup can be opened and read directly, and this guide explains what is actually possible.
Is it Possible to Read WhatsApp Backup on Google Drive Directly?
The WhatsApp backup in Google Drive is end-to-end encrypted, so you cannot simply open it on a PC or browse the messages like a normal folder. In practice, the readable route is to restore the backup back into WhatsApp with the same account details used to create it.
How to Read WhatsApp Backup in Google Drive on Android
To read WhatsApp backup on your Android device, you need to restore the backup first. Here’s how to do it:
- Install WhatsApp on your device. If you had already installed and setup WhatsApp, you may need to uninstall the app before installing it again.
- Login to WhatsApp using the same phone number and Google account you used when creating the backup.
- WhatsApp will detect the backup and ask you to restore the chats and media. Simply tap “Restore” then wait for the process to be completed.
Once the backup has been restored to the device, you can simply open WhatsApp and read the restored chats there.
Read WhatsApp Backup on Google Drive on iPhone
To read WhatsApp Google Drive backup on your iPhone, you must first restore the backup to the Android device then transfer the chats to the iPhone. To transfer the chats from the Android device to the iPhone, we recommend using Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer. This tool gives users a more direct way to transfer WhatsApp chats from one device to another.
To use Mobitrix for WhatsApp to read WhatsApp Google Drive backup on your iPhone, follow these simple steps;
- First begin by restoring the WhatsApp backup to the Android device using the steps outlined in Part 2 above.
- Now install Mobitrix to your computer and then launch it.
- Click on “Transfer WhatsApp between Devices” then connect both the Android device then iPhone to the computer using USB cables. Wait for the program to detect the devices, but keep in mind that you may have to allow USB debugging on the Android device for the program to detect the device.
- Once the devices are connected, click on “Transfer” and Mobitrix will begin transferring the WhatsApp data from the Android device to the iPhone.
- Keep both devices connected until the program notifies you that the process is complete.
Copy WhatsApp data to the computer
WhatsApp Transferred from Android to iPhone
The following are just some of the features that make Mobitrix for WhatsApp the best solution:
- With Mobitrix for WhatsApp, you can easily transfer WhatsApp between iOS and Android devices easily and quickly.
- You can also use it to create a complete backup of all the data on your device to your computer.
- It is also useful when you want to restore the same backup back to your iOS or Android devices.
- It supports a wide range of iOS devices and Android devices across many system versions.
- It is also designed for a local transfer workflow to use and will not affect the data on the device or cause data loss on the device or cloud services.
Bonus Tip: Find WhatsApp Chat Backup on Google Drive
If you only want to confirm that a WhatsApp backup exists in Google Drive, the steps below show where to look. This lets you verify the backup is there even though you still cannot read the chat contents directly from Drive.
- Go to http://drive.google.com and sign in using your Google account email and password. If you are accessing your Google Drive account from your mobile device, tap on the “Menu” button at the top and select “Desktop Version”.
- Now click on the gear icon at the top corner and then select “Settings” from the options.
- Click on “Managing apps” from the side panel and find “WhatsApp.” This confirms that Google Drive is linked to WhatsApp backup, but it does not expose the chat contents in a readable message view.
There is still no direct way to open and read a WhatsApp Google Drive backup like a normal file, but you can get back to the chat contents by restoring the backup on Android or by using the Android-to-iPhone transfer route described above.
