I ran into a problem trying to restore my WhatsApp chats from a Google Drive backup. It kept failing even though the backup was fine. After some trial and error I found a solution that worked for me.
The main issue seems to be that WhatsApp doesn’t play nice with Google’s two-step verification. Here’s what I did to fix it:
- Turn off two-step verification in your Google account settings
- Clear WhatsApp data and cache in phone settings
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp
- Before opening the app grant all permissions
- Skip the “restore from other device” option
- Let it find your backup file
After doing this, my chats restored properly. Before, I kept getting a vague error about not being able to restore.
It’s pretty frustrating that such a big company can’t figure out how to make their app work with basic security features. I’m going to start making my own backups monthly just to be safe.
Has anyone else run into this issue? What other backup methods do you use for WhatsApp?
I’ve been there too, mate. What a headache! After countless failed attempts, I stumbled upon a workaround that did the trick for me. First, I logged out of my Google account on the phone completely. Then, I rebooted the device in safe mode. From there, I cleared WhatsApp data and cache, uninstalled the app, and then reinstalled it. Only after all that did I log back into my Google account and attempt the restore.
It’s ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to access our own data. I’ve started exporting important chats as text files every few weeks as a backup to the backup, if you know what I mean. Can’t be too careful with these finicky apps. Have you considered using alternative messaging platforms that might be more reliable with backups?
I’ve encountered this issue as well, and it’s incredibly frustrating. One solution that worked for me was to temporarily disable any antivirus or security apps on my phone before attempting the restore. These apps can sometimes interfere with the backup process.
Another tip is to ensure your Google Drive has enough free space. WhatsApp backups can be quite large, and if your Drive is nearly full, it might cause problems during restoration.
As for alternative backup methods, I’ve started using SMS Backup & Restore for my text messages. It’s not perfect for WhatsApp, but it gives me peace of mind for my regular SMS conversations.
It’s disappointing that WhatsApp, being owned by Meta, still struggles with such basic functionality. Perhaps it’s time for them to overhaul their backup system entirely.
yo, i ran into this too! super annoying. what worked for me was using a vpn and clearing cache. also, make sure ur wifi is stable. sometimes the app just bugs out for no reason. maybe whatsapp needs to get their act together lol. anyone else have other tricks?