How to restore a WhatsApp backup on a new phone

Restore WhatsApp with the same number and Google or Apple account by tapping Restore during setup. Plus Android-iPhone transfers and common restore errors.

Written by: By WavesFlo team
Last updated: Updated 8 October 2026
Reading time: 8 min read

To restore a WhatsApp backup, install WhatsApp on the phone, verify the number that made the backup, and stay signed in to the same Google Account (Android) or Apple Account (iPhone). Tap Restore when WhatsApp offers it during setup; there is no restore button in Settings. Moving between Android and iPhone needs a direct transfer instead.

Below: the checks to do first, the restore on each phone, what to do without a backup, switching platform, and the errors that stop a restore. It all happens on the phone; WhatsApp Web and the desktop apps can't restore backups.

Before you restore: a quick checklist

Same number. Backups are tied to the number that created them. If you're changing numbers too, change the number on the old phone first, then back up.
Same account. Sign the new phone in to the Google Account or Apple Account that holds the backup.
A fresh backup. On the old phone, run Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up (Back up now on iPhone), with Include videos on if you want videos back. The steps are in how to back up WhatsApp.
Space. Android needs more free space than the backup's size; on iPhone, both iCloud and the phone need free space of at least 2.05 times the backup.
Codes and keys. Have the SIM for the verification code, your two-step verification password or PIN, and an encrypted backup's password or key.
Power and Wi-Fi. Keep the phone charging on one stable Wi-Fi network.

How do you restore WhatsApp on Android from your Google Account?

To check a backup exists, open the Google One app signed in to the right account and go to Storage → Other; your WhatsApp backup is listed there if there is one. Then:

Install WhatsApp from the Play Store, or uninstall and reinstall it if it's already set up.
Open it, tap Agree and continue, and verify your phone number.
When WhatsApp finds the backup, tap Restore.
Let the restore finish, then carry on with setup. Older photos can keep arriving for a while after your chats appear.

Don't skip the restore unless you mean to start fresh: the next backup would replace the old one with only the chats received since. On a new phone you may also see Transfer from old phone, which moves chats over Wi-Fi; Google recommends Restore from backup when the cloud copy is up to date.

How do you restore WhatsApp on iPhone from iCloud?

On the old iPhone, WhatsApp's Settings → Chats → Chat Backup shows the time and size of the last iCloud backup. On the new one:

Install WhatsApp from the App Store, or delete and reinstall it.
Verify your phone number while signed in to the Apple Account that holds the backup.
Tap Restore Chat History, and keep the phone on Wi-Fi and charging until it finishes.

iCloud Drive must be on, with WhatsApp allowed to use it, under Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Drive.

No backup? Transfer chats from the old phone

WhatsApp's chat transfer copies your account, messages, photos, videos and documents straight from the old phone over local Wi-Fi. It leaves out peer-to-peer payment messages and media from Channels, and between iPhones your call history too. It isn't available in the WhatsApp Business app. Between two Android phones:

On the old phone, tap the three-dot menu, then Settings → Chats → Transfer chats → Start, and accept the permissions.
On the new phone, install WhatsApp, verify the same number, and under Restore or transfer chats choose Transfer from old phone, then Continue → Start.
Scan the QR code on the new phone with the old phone's camera and tap Accept on the new phone.
Keep both phones unlocked, close together and charging, and stay in WhatsApp until the transfer completes, then tap Next.

Between iPhones, start on the old one with your profile picture → Chats → Transfer Chats to iPhone → Start, then on the new iPhone verify your number, tap Continue on Transfer chat history to iPhone and scan its QR code. Messaging pauses while chats move, and if a transfer fails your data is still on the old phone.

How do you transfer WhatsApp chats between Android and iPhone?

A Google Account backup only restores on Android and an iCloud backup only on iPhone, so changing platform means a transfer. On 26 March 2026 Meta announced that WhatsApp's chat transfer now moves chats from iPhone to Android as well as between phones of the same kind.

Ways to move WhatsApp to a new phone, as of October 2026
Move	How	What you need	What doesn't move
Android to Android	Google Account backup, or chat transfer by QR code	Android 6 or later on both phones; the same number	Payment messages and Channels media
iPhone to iPhone	iCloud backup, or chat transfer by QR code	Latest iOS and WhatsApp on both; Wi-Fi with internet	Payment messages, call history and Channels media
Android to iPhone	Apple's Move to iOS app, during iPhone setup	A new or factory-reset iPhone on iOS 15.5 or later; Android 5 or later; both on the same Wi-Fi or the iPhone's hotspot	Payment messages, call history, display name and Channels media
iPhone to Android	Chat transfer, started from WhatsApp on the iPhone	A new or factory-reset Android phone (Android 10 or later is safest); the same number; stable Wi-Fi	Payment messages, display name, status updates and Channels media

Android to iPhone runs inside the iPhone's first-time setup, so if the iPhone is already set up, the only fix is to back up its other data and factory reset it. On the Android phone, open Move to iOS, enter the code the iPhone shows, select WhatsApp on the Transfer Data screen and tap Start. Afterwards, install WhatsApp on the iPhone, log in with the same number and tap Start.

For iPhone to Android, go to Chats → Transfer chat history → Transfer to Android in WhatsApp's settings on the iPhone, verify the same number on the Android phone, and scan the QR code it shows with the iPhone. Call history does come across this way. WhatsApp's how-to lists Android 6 or later, but its troubleshooting page asks for Android 10 or later on a new or freshly reset phone, so that is the safe setup. Neither cross-platform route works for the WhatsApp Business app.

Why won't my WhatsApp backup restore?

WhatsApp restore and transfer problems, as of October 2026
Problem	Usual cause	What to do
No backup found, or Restore isn't offered	A different number or account from the one that made the backup	Use the same number and account; check Google One → Storage → Other, or Chat Backup on the old iPhone
Restore stuck or very slow	Unstable or changing Wi-Fi, low battery or low storage	Stay on one network or try mobile data, plug in, free space and restart; on Android, update Google Play services
Couldn't restore your chat history (iPhone)	iCloud Drive off, too little space, the wrong Apple Account or encryption key	Turn iCloud Drive and WhatsApp's access off and on, make room, and check the account and key
This account already exists on your device (Android)	A Google Account sync problem	Allow WhatsApp's Photos and videos permission, sync the Google Account, remove it and add it back in WhatsApp
Videos missing after the restore	Include videos was off at the last backup	They can't come back; turn it on before the next backup
Question marks or blank boxes instead of photos (iPhone)	That media wasn't properly backed up to iCloud	It can't be recovered from this backup
Something went wrong, or Could not import, when switching platform	The chat history may be corrupted	Retry, or skip the import; restart both phones and try again
WhatsApp already set up on the new phone	Old and new chat histories can't be merged	Uninstall WhatsApp on the new phone first. For iPhone to Android, if the transfer still won't start, factory reset the Android phone as WhatsApp's troubleshooting page advises; for Android to iPhone, reset the iPhone
Wrong password or key for an encrypted backup	A forgotten password or 64-digit key; after five wrong tries you have to wait	If the old phone still has your chats, set a new password there (Settings → Chats → Chat backup → End-to-end encrypted backup → Change password → I forgot my password) and back up again; otherwise WhatsApp can't reset it or restore without it

If nothing works, WhatsApp says the backup is most likely corrupted, often by an interrupted backup or a force-closed app, and that it can't repair it.

What a restore can't bring back

Messages sent or received after the last backup.
Older backups: each one overwrites the last.
Opened view once media, and disappearing messages, which are deleted on restore.
Media from Channels you follow, unless you're the channel's admin.
Anything from WhatsApp itself: chat history isn't stored on its servers, so support can't restore it.

After the restore: linked devices and the old phone

Check Linked devices on the new phone and link WhatsApp Web, the desktop app or a tablet again if they're missing; the WhatsApp Web QR code guide helps if the code won't scan. If photos are missing from the gallery afterwards, see WhatsApp images not showing. Then run a fresh backup so the cloud copy is current. In India, keep your WhatsApp number's SIM in the new phone: the SIM binding rules due by 31 December 2026 would require it.

Keep WhatsApp on the old phone until the new one checks out, then erase the old phone completely, including any SD card, before you sell or exchange it.

Questions

Can I restore WhatsApp without a backup?

Only from the old phone. If it still works, WhatsApp's chat transfer copies your chats to the new phone over local Wi-Fi using a QR code. Without a backup or the old phone, the chats can't be recovered, because WhatsApp doesn't keep chat history on its servers.

Can I restore a WhatsApp backup with a new phone number?

Not directly, because backups are tied to the number that created them. Change to the new number on the old phone first, back up again, then restore on the new phone using the new number.

Why can't WhatsApp find my backup?

Usually the new phone is using a different number, or a different Google Account or Apple Account, from the one that made the backup. As of October 2026, Google may also delete an Android WhatsApp backup that hasn't been updated for 5 months.

Can I restore a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive on an iPhone?

No. A Google Account backup restores only on Android. As of October 2026, moving from Android to iPhone uses Apple's Move to iOS app while setting up a new or factory-reset iPhone running iOS 15.5 or later.

Is there a restore option in WhatsApp settings?

No. The Chat backup screen only creates backups. Restoring happens during setup, so you uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp, verify your number and tap Restore when it's offered.