WhatsApp backups live in different places depending on your phone and settings
WhatsApp stores your backup in one of two places: either on your phone's built-in cloud storage (Google Drive on Android, iCloud on iPhone) or on your phone itself if you turned cloud backup off. The location matters because it affects who can access your messages, how much space they take up, and what happens to them if you lose your phone.
Most people have cloud backup turned on without realizing it. That means your messages, photos, and videos are sitting on Google or Apple's servers, encrypted but still stored there. If you want to know where your specific backup is right now, you need to check your phone's WhatsApp settings — the app does not show you a backup file you can see or move yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Android backups go to Google Drive by default, and iPhone backups go to iCloud, unless you manually turned cloud backup off.
- Your backup is encrypted during transfer and storage, but the encryption key lives on your phone, not on Google or Apple's servers.
- You can see exactly when your last backup happened and how large it is by opening WhatsApp Settings and looking at the Chats section.
- If you delete WhatsApp from your phone, your cloud backup stays on Google Drive or iCloud until you delete it manually or until the storage expires.
- Switching phones requires your backup to exist in the cloud — local-only backups cannot move to a new device.
Android backups on Google Drive
On Android, WhatsApp automatically backs up to Google Drive using the Google account linked to your phone. The backup includes your chat history, media files, and settings. Google Drive stores it in a folder called "WhatsApp" that only WhatsApp can access — you cannot browse it like a regular folder.
To see your Android backup status, open WhatsApp, tap Settings (the three dots or gear icon), then Chats, then Chat backup. You will see the date of your last backup, the size of the backup, and which Google account it is going to. If it says "Never" under the last backup date, your backup is not working — usually because you have not connected a Google account or because backup is paused.
The backup happens automatically on a schedule you can set. By default, WhatsApp backs up daily if you are connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in. You can change this to back up over mobile data instead, or turn it off entirely. If you turn off cloud backup, WhatsApp still creates a local backup file on your phone's internal storage, but that file stays on your phone and does not move if you get a new device.
iPhone backups on iCloud
On iPhone, WhatsApp backs up to iCloud using the Apple ID linked to your phone. Like Google Drive, the backup is encrypted and stored in a way that only WhatsApp can read. You cannot see it in your iCloud Drive folder or move it manually.
To check your iPhone backup, open WhatsApp, tap Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup. You will see when your last backup happened and which iCloud account it is using. If the backup is stuck or failing, it usually means your iCloud storage is full, your Wi-Fi connection dropped, or your Apple ID is not properly connected to your phone.
iPhone backups happen automatically when you are connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in. You can also tap Back Up Now to force a backup when ready. Unlike Android, you cannot schedule iPhone backups or choose to back up over mobile data — it is Wi-Fi only. If you turn off iCloud backup, WhatsApp creates a local backup on your phone instead, but you will lose that backup if you reinstall the app or get a new phone.
Local backups stored on your phone
If you turned off cloud backup, WhatsApp creates a local backup file on your phone's internal storage instead. On Android, this file is stored in /Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Databases/ — a folder you can only see if you enable "Show hidden files" in your file manager. On iPhone, local backups are stored in WhatsApp's app folder, which you cannot access directly without a computer and iTunes or Finder.
Local backups are useful if you do not want your messages on Google or Apple's servers, but they have a major drawback: they do not move to a new phone. If you get a new Android phone, you can transfer the local backup file using a computer and a file manager, but it is complicated. If you get a new iPhone, you cannot transfer a local backup at all — you have to restore from iCloud or start fresh.
Local backups also take up space on your phone. A backup of several years of messages and photos can be 500 MB to several GB. If your phone is running low on storage, a large local backup makes the problem worse.
How encryption protects your backup
WhatsApp encrypts your backup during the upload to Google Drive or iCloud, and it stays encrypted while stored there. The encryption key is generated on your phone and never sent to Google or Apple. This means Google and Apple cannot read your messages even if they wanted to — the backup is just encrypted data to them.
However, the encryption key itself lives on your phone. If someone gains access to your phone, they can access the encryption key and read your backup. This is why securing your phone with a strong PIN or biometric lock is important — it protects not just your current messages, but also your backup data.
If you restore WhatsApp on a new phone, the app downloads the encrypted backup from the cloud and decrypts it using the encryption key from your new phone. This is why you need to use the same phone number and the same Google or Apple account — WhatsApp uses those to find and decrypt your backup.
What happens to your backup if you delete WhatsApp
If you uninstall WhatsApp from your phone, your cloud backup stays on Google Drive or iCloud. It does not delete automatically. You have to manually delete it through Google Drive or iCloud settings, or it will sit there taking up storage space indefinitely.
To delete your Android backup, open Google Drive on your phone or computer, tap the menu, go to Settings, then Manage all, find WhatsApp, and delete it. To delete your iPhone backup, open Settings, tap your name, go to iCloud, then Manage Storage, find WhatsApp, and delete it.
Local backups delete when you uninstall WhatsApp on Android, but on iPhone they may persist in the app's folder. If you want to be sure a local backup is gone, you can use a file manager app on Android or connect your iPhone to a computer and delete the backup folder manually.
Moving your backup to a new phone
To move your WhatsApp backup to a new phone, you need a cloud backup — local backups cannot transfer. On your new phone, install WhatsApp, verify your phone number, and the app will automatically read and restore your backup from Google Drive or iCloud. Make sure you use the same phone number and the same Google or Apple account that the backup was created with.
The restore process takes a few minutes to several hours depending on the size of your backup and your internet speed. During the restore, you cannot use WhatsApp. Once it finishes, all your old chats, contacts, and media will be on your new phone.
If you are switching from Android to iPhone or vice versa, WhatsApp does not transfer backups between platforms. You will have to start fresh on the new phone. Some third-party tools claim to transfer WhatsApp between Android and iPhone, but they are not reliable and may violate WhatsApp's terms of service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone access my WhatsApp backup if they have my Google or Apple password?
Not without also having your phone. The encryption key is stored on your phone, not on Google or Apple's servers. Even if someone logs into your Google or Apple account, they can see that a WhatsApp backup exists, but they cannot read the messages inside it. They would need both your account password and access to your phone to decrypt the backup.
How much storage does a WhatsApp backup take up?
It depends on how many messages, photos, and videos you have. A backup of a few months of chats might be 50 to 100 MB. A backup of several years can be 500 MB to 2 GB or more. You can see the exact size in WhatsApp Settings under Chat Backup. If your cloud storage is full, the backup will fail until you delete other files or buy more storage.
What if my backup is stuck and will not complete?
First, check that you are connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in. On Android, make sure your Google account is linked in phone Settings. On iPhone, make sure your iCloud account is active. If your cloud storage is full, delete old files or photos to free up space. If the backup still does not work, try signing out and back into your Google or Apple account, or restart your phone.
Does WhatsApp backup include my profile picture and status?
Your backup includes your chat history, media files, and settings, but not your profile picture or status updates. Those are stored separately on WhatsApp's servers. If you delete your profile picture or status, it is gone even if you restore from a backup.
Can I read my WhatsApp backup and keep it on my computer?
Not directly. WhatsApp does not give you a way to read your backup as a file. You can back up individual chats by exporting them through WhatsApp's export feature, but that is different from a full backup. If you want a copy of your messages on your computer, you would need to use a third-party tool, which may not be find or reliable.