WhatsApp backs up to your phone's cloud storage, not WhatsApp's servers
When you back up WhatsApp, you are sending your messages and photos to either Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone), depending on your phone type. WhatsApp itself does not store these backups on its own servers. This matters because it means your backup lives in the same place as your other phone data, and you control which account it goes to.
The backup includes your message history, group chats, photos, videos, and voice messages — everything except calls, which are not backed up. If you switch phones or reinstall WhatsApp, you can restore from this backup and pick up where you left off. Without a backup, you lose all your messages the moment you uninstall the app or switch devices.
Backups happen automatically on a schedule you set, but you can also start one manually whenever you want. The first backup takes longer because it has to upload everything; later backups only upload what changed since the last one.
Key Takeaways
- Android backups go to Google Drive and iPhone backups go to iCloud — you cannot change where they go, but you can choose which account they use.
- Automatic backups run on a schedule you set (daily, weekly, or monthly), but you can start a backup right now from the settings menu.
- Your backup includes messages, photos, videos, and voice messages, but not call logs or media you deleted before backing up.
- Restoring from a backup happens automatically when you reinstall WhatsApp and sign in with the same phone number on the same type of phone.
- If you switch from Android to iPhone or vice versa, you cannot restore your old backup — you will need to use a third-party tool or manually transfer chats.
How to set up automatic backups on Android
Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Tap Settings, then Chats, then Chat backup. You will see a button that says Back up to Google Drive.
Tap that button. WhatsApp will ask you to choose a Google account — pick the one you want the backup stored in. Then choose how often you want automatic backups to happen: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Never. If you choose Never, backups will not happen unless you start them manually. Most people choose Daily so they do not lose more than a day of messages if something goes wrong.
WhatsApp will also ask whether to back up videos. Videos take up a lot of space, so if your Google Drive is nearly full, you can uncheck this box and only back up text and photos. Once you have made these choices, tap Back up to start the first backup right now. Depending on how many messages you have, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.
How to set up automatic backups on iPhone
Open WhatsApp and tap Settings in the bottom right corner. Tap Chats, then Chat Backup. You will see a button that says Back Up to iCloud.
Tap that button. WhatsApp will confirm which iCloud account it will use — this is the account signed into your iPhone. You cannot change it from within WhatsApp; if you want to use a different iCloud account, you have to change it in your iPhone's Settings first. Then choose your backup frequency: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Never.
You can also toggle whether to include videos in the backup. After you have set your preferences, tap Back Up Now to start when ready. Your iPhone must be plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi for the backup to complete — iCloud backups do not work over cellular data. If you unplug your phone before the backup finishes, it will resume the next time you plug in and connect to Wi-Fi.
Starting a manual backup right now
You do not have to wait for the automatic schedule. On Android, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup and tap Back up to Google Drive. On iPhone, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tap Back Up Now.
Manual backups follow the same rules as automatic ones: they include everything except call logs, they only upload what changed since the last backup, and they take longer the first time. You might start a manual backup before you travel, before you switch phones, or before you uninstall and reinstall the app.
What happens when you restore from a backup
When you reinstall WhatsApp on the same phone or get a new phone of the same type (Android to Android, or iPhone to iPhone), the restoration happens automatically. You open WhatsApp, verify your phone number, and the app asks if you want to restore your chat history. Tap Restore and WhatsApp downloads your backup from Google Drive or iCloud and rebuilds your message list.
This process can take several minutes depending on how much data you are restoring. Keep your phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi while it happens. Once restoration is complete, you will see all your old messages, groups, and media exactly as they were when you backed up.
If you switch phone types — from Android to iPhone, or from iPhone to Android — WhatsApp cannot restore your backup automatically. The backup formats are different and incompatible. You would need to use a third-party migration tool, or you would lose your message history and start fresh.
Understanding backup storage and space limits
Your WhatsApp backup counts toward your Google Drive or iCloud storage limit, not toward a separate WhatsApp limit. If you have a free Google account, you get 15 GB of total storage for Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos combined. If you have a free iCloud account, you get 5 GB total. Videos in your backup take up the most space, so unchecking the video option during setup can save you room.
If your cloud storage is full, the backup will fail. You will see an error message in the Chat backup settings. To fix it, you can delete old files from Google Drive or iCloud, buy more storage, or uncheck the video option and try again. Some people buy extra storage specifically to keep their WhatsApp backups running smoothly.
WhatsApp does not delete old backups automatically, so if you have been backing up for years, you might have multiple backups taking up space. You can delete old backups manually from your Google Drive or iCloud settings, but keep the most recent one in case you need to restore.
What does not get backed up
WhatsApp backups include text messages, photos, videos, voice messages, and group chat information. They do not include call logs or call history. If you want to keep a record of who you called and when, you will need to take screenshots or use a separate call-recording app.
Messages you delete before backing up do not get backed up — once you delete a message, it is gone from the backup too. Media files you delete from your phone's storage also do not appear in the backup, even if the message text remains. If you need to keep something, do not delete it before backing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I back up WhatsApp to my computer instead of the cloud?
WhatsApp does not offer a built-in way to back up to your computer. You can only back up to Google Drive or iCloud. If you want a local copy on your computer, you would need to use a third-party tool designed for WhatsApp backup, though these are not made by WhatsApp and may not work with the latest app version.
What happens to my backup if I delete WhatsApp?
Your backup stays in Google Drive or iCloud even after you delete WhatsApp from your phone. It will not be deleted unless you manually delete it from your cloud storage settings. When you reinstall WhatsApp later, you can restore from that backup.
Can two phones back up to the same Google Drive or iCloud account?
Yes, but this creates a problem: the second phone will overwrite the first phone's backup. If you have two phones and want to keep both backups separate, you need to use different cloud accounts for each phone, or turn off automatic backups on one of them.
How often should I back up WhatsApp?
Daily backups are the safest option because they limit how much you can lose if something goes wrong. Weekly or monthly backups use less storage but mean you could lose up to a week or month of messages. Choose based on how important your message history is to you.
Does backing up WhatsApp back up my profile picture and status?
No. Backups include only messages and media within chats. Your profile picture, status, and account settings are stored separately on WhatsApp's servers and are not part of the backup file.