Want to restore your iPhone WhatsApp backup? This guide will show you how to restore your WhatsApp data from iCloud to your phone, even an Android phone!
But there are some limitations. While you can backup and restore WhatsApp from iCloud, you only have 5 GB free storage spacesplit among all your apps, including WhatsApp data. You can’t restore iCloud backup if you decide to shift to an Android phone.
In this article we will discuss how you can overcome these limitations and the things to keep in mind when backing up and restoring.
Restore WhatsApp from iCloud to iPhone
First, here is the standard iPhone-to-iPhone restore path. iCloud is the default WhatsApp backup method on iPhone, so it works best when you are staying inside the Apple ecosystem.
1.1 Restore from iCloud backup
- First check whether your WhatsApp data is backed up to the cloud. Open WhatsApp > Tap thecog icon for‘Settings’ in the bottom right corner.
- See when the last backup was done. If its too old, tap the‘Back up Now’ button.
- Now Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
- Open WhatsApp and follow the prompts > Enter and verify your phone number.
restore whatsapp from icloud
After these steps, the chats will start to restore from iCloud.
Note: You can skip step 3 if you are restoring the backup on a separate iPhone.
1.2 Disadvantages of using iCloud to restore backups
Even though the iCloud method is the official one, it still has a few practical drawbacks that matter before you rely on it as your only backup plan.
For instance, you only get 5 GB of storage for the backup. That free space is also shared with the rest of the apps and backups that use iCloud, so the room left for WhatsApp can drop much faster than people expect.
Now this varies from user to user, but it’s almost guaranteed to be less than 5 GB. People share all kinds of media files including videos that end up filling your storage space way too quickly. As a result, you could risk losing the space to store more important WhatsApp data like personal chats and documents.
To get more storage you’d have to purchase additional iCloud storage which carries a monthly or yearly cost. Or you could use Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer for backup which comes with free backup and is not limited by the iCloud storage space.
Mobitrix lets you use your PC’s storage for backing up and restoring your WhatsApp data. This gives you access to virtually unlimited space as you can always expand the storage. Although, most PC’s already have more than enough space built-in that you’d most likely not need to add storage. I am leaving its download link below:
Some tips about iCloud restore
You could be running into issues when restoring from the iCloud. We have got you covered! These are the troubleshooting steps you can take to fix any issues in both creating and restoring a backup.
2.1 Can't create a backup – Troubleshooting Steps
Here are the action steps you can try if there are any issues with creating a backup on iCloud:
- Check if you are signed in with the Same Apple Account that you use for iCloud.
- Check if iCloud Drive is switched on. Go to Settings > Tap on your name > Tap iCloud > Here you can spot if the iCloud Drive is turned on or not >Turn it on if its off. 新增图
- Same as above if you see it turned on, try turned it off and on again.
- Check which iOS version you’re on. It is recommended to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
- Check how much storage you have available on your iCloud. WhatsApp requires availability of2.05 times the size of the actual backup.
- If you are using mobile data, it won’t backup unless you enable cellular data usage for iCloud.
- You can perform a manual backup by opening WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > TapBack Up Now button. 新增图
- Finally, you could try backing up using a different internet connection. There might be issues in connectivity on your current network.
Check if iCloud Drive Is Switched on
Back up Whatsapp Chats to iCloud
2.2 Can't restore a backup – Troubleshooting Steps
Here are the steps you can take if there are any issues when restoring an iCloud backup:
- When restoring, confirm that you are using the same phone number and the same iCloud account context that the backup was created with. A mismatch there is one of the most common reasons the restore prompt does not appear.
- Check how much storage you have available on your iPhone. WhatsApp requires availability of2.05 times the size of the actual backup on your phone internal storage.
- Verify if you have the latest iOS version installed.
- Try the restoration with adifferent network.
- Reset the iCloud backup. Go to iPhone Settings > Tap on your name > Tap iCloud > turn iCloud Drive off and on. 新增图
- Log out of iCloud and restart your iPhone > Log into your iCloud account and try restoring again.
iCloud Check for an Backup
Restore WhatsApp from iCloud to Android
If you want the data on Android instead of another iPhone, the workflow changes completely. There is still no official one-step iCloud-to-Android restore path, so this part is about workaround territory rather than the normal iPhone restore flow.
3.1 Can we restore WhatsApp from iCloud to Android Directly?
Short answer, no.
You may be surprised if you’re switching platforms the first time. Because the process is pretty straightforward when restoring on a new iPhone. As we discussed above.
After all, its still the same WhatsApp application on both platforms.
The reason is not the chats themselves but the backup format. iPhone and Android store WhatsApp backups differently, so one platform's cloud backup is not directly readable by the other platform.
So it’s not possible to restore WhatsApp from iCloud to Android. Because WhatsApp uses different cloud storage for these platforms as well. For iOS there is iCloud and for Android there is Google Drive.
That said, there is still a quick solution to restore your WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android.
3.2 How to use third-party tools to transfer iCloud data to Android phones?
You can use Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer as a third-party tool to transfer iCloud data to Android phones. Mobitrix is a specially developed software for not only maintaining backups of your phone but also to make transfers a breeze.
With this method, the computer acts as the bridge between the two phones. The important part is confirming the source and destination devices correctly before you start the transfer.
- Download Mobitrix from Mobitrix official page. It’s available forboth Mac and Windows.
- Install and run Mobitrix > Connect both the iPhone and Android phone to your computer with the USB cables. Make sure the iPhone is selected as the‘Source’ and Android phone is selected as the‘Destination’.
- Click on the‘Transfer’ button and Mobitrix will begin transferring all your WhatsApp data to the Android phone.
restore backup from Android to iPhone via mobitrix whatsapp transfer
While the transfer runs, keep both phones connected until the progress finishes. Disconnecting early can interrupt the migration and force you to start again.
Here are some of the features in Mobitrix that make it possible:
- Specially designed for all your WhatsApp data needs.
- Simple easy to use interface.
- The backup feature is completelyfree.
- Transfers and keeps a backup of all file types on WhatsApp.
If you are a regular WhatsApp user, iCloud backup can only be enough for a limited duration. Its only a matter of time before you will run out of thelimited 5 GB storage on iCloud. Coupled with all the other apps on your iPhone that use iCloud, you are left with even lower space for WhatsApp.
Mobitrix WhatsApp Transfer solves that issue with almostunlimited storage space for free. Keep on the lookout for special offers on their website. You can get the plans at a discounted rate especially if you buy the yearly package for all features.
