I was so confident that WhatsApp was backing itself up to Google ever since I got my new pixel but I just wasn’t. Then yesterday I factory reset my phone to fix something else and I lost it all. Years worth of chats from so many times in my past just aren’t there, all my texts with my mom and my family, group chats with old friends… I can’t even look at the app anymore, I’ll never use Whatsapp as much as I used to. I just don’t feel right with this change. There’s no way to get those chats back and now it doesn’t feel like there’s any point backing up WhatsApp now! I really wanna cry like this is so unfair!! And all I had to do was check Whatsapp before I did a factory reset… the TINIEST THING I could have done and prevented this and I didn’t fucking do it!!!
How do I get past this?
Can you not install WhatsApp on BlueStacks, MEmu, or any other Android emulator? Or would the official Android SDK emulator not work for this?
You need to move over your SIM to log in though…
So I spent half a minute googling and found this: https://faq.whatsapp.com/209942271778103/
And this goes over setting up the existing account on your computer by scanning a QR code, no mention of a SIM being required, so I guess you can indeed set it up either this way or using an emulator, for the purpose of testing backups 🤷♀️
ok, but we’re talking about testing backups, which isn’t this.
The process with a new phone (I just had to do this due to water damage) is put SIM in new phone, then it logs in and asks if you want to restore from the backup (you need to enable file access first) and then it restores from a hidden area of your Google account.
Edited my original response but no, the backup is not in a “hidden” area of Google Drive: https://www.androidpolice.com/find-whatsapp-backups-google-drive/
And yes, I am talking about testing your backups without needing a new phone or to wipe all your existing data, by restoring the data to an emulated instance of the WhatsApp app. In what way is restoring your backup not testing your backup?
I saw your edit and replied to it - that backup is still inaccessible other than via WhatsApp, although I guess it’s a comfort to see that they’re there.
You’d linked “How to transfer your chat history”, which isn’t testing the backup. If you deleted the data in the emulator, you’d need to login again to test the backups, which puts you back needing a SIM.
You can’t do anything yourself with those backups apart from delete or disable them:
So you can’t sign in to a new installation with a QR code? And you can’t restore this file to such an installation?
As far as I know, the QR code is only for logging in to the web chat (or desktop version, I guess).
It’s possible there is a way, but I looked into it and couldn’t make it work. Feel free to try yourself, but this conversation’s turning into an unwanted argument and I’m out.
Alright, well you may be out but you seem out to paint me like an instigator here so I will respond the once more.
If WhatsApp doesn’t provide a way to test their backups, that sucks. It doesn’t make the adage “an untested backup is no backup at all” any less true, it just means that WhatsApp doesn’t allow best practices when it comes to backing up your chats. I only push back because I find it hard to believe there’s no way to import a backup to a desktop installation, and your initial points were incorrect, but I don’t use the app myself and I don’t feel like signing up just to test it. I do enough of that nonsense at work. Take care, I guess.
You’re downvoting and calling me wrong based on 30 seconds of research, so I’d say you are the instigator.
The backups in Google Drive are not accessible to you. The source you found doesn’t contradict me, because it doesn’t mention being able to access that backup, only delete or disable them.
You can only transfer your account, which doesn’t test the backup. Getting to the stage where you’ll be able to test the backup leaves you not logged in. The backup process needs a SIM.