WhatsApp Business backup: How to back up & restore data

Imagine your sales team closing deals, support resolving issues, and customers sending confirmations, all through WhatsApp Business. Now imagine that phone being lost, stolen, or suddenly crashing. In a few seconds, months of conversations, orders, and media can disappear. 

Though WhatsApp Business provides greater security and compliance overall (read up on that in our Key benefits of using WhatsApp Business accounts blog), it doesn’t keep your message history on its servers. If your device is gone and you don’t have a backup, your data is gone too, permanently. 

This guide walks you through exactly how to back up and restore WhatsApp Business data on Android and iPhone, how to enable encrypted backups, and how to avoid the kind of data loss that can stop your business in its tracks. 

Why WhatsApp Business backup matters 

Losing business data is more than just an inconvenience; it directly impacts your bottom line and customer trust. 

The cost of data loss 

• Irreversible loss: Accidental deletion, app crashes, or a lost phone can wipe out months of work instantly. 
• No recovery option: Without a valid backup file, there is no “undo” button to recover these conversations. 

Protecting business continuity 

• Retain history: Backups ensure you retain vital proof of purchase records, customer preferences, and media files. 
• Resume quickly: Recovering this history allows you to resume operations immediately after a device failure without missing a beat. 

To protect your business from this kind of disruption, it helps to first understand where WhatsApp Business actually stores your data and how backups work behind the scenes. 

Backup fundamentals: How WhatsApp Business stores data 

Before you hit the save button, it helps to understand where your data actually lives and how it’s protected. 

Local vs. cloud storage 

• Local-first: WhatsApp Business stores chat data locally on your device rather than in a central cloud database managed by Meta. 
• Device-dependent: Backups are strictly tied to the device owner and phone number, which limits how easily teams can share history across different phones. 

Encryption and quotas 

• User-controlled security: You can enable end-to-end encrypted backups to ensure only you can access your saved data. 
• Storage limits: Remember that Google Drive backups count against your storage quota, and iCloud requires available space on both the cloud and the device to function.

Once you know how WhatsApp Business handles your information, you can prepare your device and account properly so every backup you create is reliable and complete. 

Preparing for a backup step-by-step 

A successful backup requires a stable environment and the right settings to prevent corruption or failure. 

Pre-backup checklist

• Update the app: Update your WhatsApp Business app to the latest version to avoid compatibility bugs. 
• Check connection: Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network to prevent mobile data overages or corrupted files. 
• Verify storage: Confirm you have enough storage space on your Google Drive or iCloud account before starting. 

Security measures 

• Two-step verification: Enable two-step verification to add an extra layer of protection to your account. 
• Physical security: Set a secure screen lock on your device to prevent unauthorized physical access during the process.

With the basics in place, you’re ready to start creating regular backups, beginning with how to do it on Android using Google Drive. 

Backing up WhatsApp Business on Android (Google Drive) 

Android users rely primarily on Google Drive for safe, cloud-based storage of chat history. 

The Google Drive process 

• Navigate to settings: Open WhatsApp Business and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. 
• Configure drive: Select “Back up to Google Drive” and choose your frequency (Daily, Weekly, or Monthly). 
• Start backup: Tap “Back Up Now” to initiate an immediate save. 
• Media settings: Note that video files are excluded by default to save space, but you can toggle this in the settings.

Local vs. cloud backup on Android 

• Automatic local saves: WhatsApp creates a local backup file every day at 2:00 AM, which is stored in your phone’s internal memory. 
• Cloud is safer: While local backups help with minor glitches, only a cloud backup via Google Drive protects you if the phone is lost, stolen, or damaged. 

If your team uses iPhones instead of Android devices, the process is similar, but your backups will be stored in iCloud rather than Google Drive. 

Backing up WhatsApp Business on iPhone (iCloud) 

iOS users must use iCloud to secure their message history and media. 

The iCloud process 

• Prerequisites: Ensure you are signed in with your Apple ID and that iCloud Drive is turned on. 
• Navigate to settings: Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup within the WhatsApp Business app. 
• Initiate backup: Tap “Back Up Now” for an immediate save or “Auto Backup” to schedule it automatically. 

Storage requirements 

• Space rule: You must have at least 2.05 times the space available in your iCloud account and on your iPhone than the actual size of your backup. 
• Failure risk: If you lack this space, the backup process will fail to start. 

When cloud backups aren’t enough or aren’t available, there are also alternative methods you can use to safeguard your WhatsApp Business data.  

Alternative backup methods and tools 

If cloud backups fail or aren’t an option, you can use physical or third-party methods. 

Desktop and third-party options 

• Full device backup: Use iTunes (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac) to create a full offline backup of your iPhone. 
• Software tools: Third-party tools like Dr.Fone or Backuptrans offer features for selective restoration or cross-platform transfers. 
• Manual export: Export individual chats via email as .txt files if you only need to save specific conversations. 

Of course, a backup is only useful if you can restore it, so the next step is understanding how to bring your chats and media back onto a new or reset device. 

Restoring WhatsApp Business backups 

Getting your data back onto a new device is straightforward if you have a valid backup file. 

Restoring on Android 

• Install and verify: Install the WhatsApp Business app on your new device and verify your phone number. 
• Cloud restore: Wait for the prompt to “Restore” chats and media from Google Drive and tap it. 
• Local restore: You can also manually move local backup files from your old phone’s internal storage to the new one if needed. 

Restoring on iPhone 

• Reinstall app: Reinstall WhatsApp Business and verify the same phone number used for the backup. 
• iCloud restore: Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your chat history directly from iCloud. 

Cross-platform restoration 

• Official tools: Moving between operating systems requires official tools like Samsung Smart Switch or Google’s Data Restore Tool. 
• No direct cloud transfer: Direct restoration from Google Drive to iCloud (or vice versa) is not natively supported by the app. 

After you have restored your data successfully, it’s important to keep backups efficient and privacy-friendly so they remain fast, secure, and easy to manage over time. 

Managing backup size and privacy 

Large backups take longer to upload and cost more in storage fees. 

Reducing storage usage 

• Exclude videos: Turn off video backup in your settings to significantly reduce file size. 
• Clean up: Use the “Manage Storage” tool inside WhatsApp to identify and delete large files or forwarded media. 
• Archive old chats: Archive or export-then-delete old chats that are no longer active to keep the file size manageable. 

Post-restoration setup 

• Check settings: Remember that backups restore chats and media but often do not save “Linked Devices” connections. 
• Reconfigure automation: You’ll likely need to reconfigure automated replies and product catalogs after restoring your data.

Beyond storage and organization, you also need to think about how securely your backups are stored and how they fit into your wider security and compliance policies. 

Security, compliance, and best practices 

Protecting your data from theft is just as important as saving it from deletion. 

Securing the backup file 

• Enable encryption: Enable end-to-end encrypted backups in settings to ensure nobody (including Google or Apple) can read your messages. 
• Protect the key: Save your encryption password or 64-digit key in a password manager; if you lose it, the backup is permanently locked. 

Operational security 

• Update OS: Keep your phone’s operating system updated to patch security vulnerabilities. 
• Avoid mods: Avoid “modded” or unofficial versions of WhatsApp, as they often bypass encryption protocols and risk account bans. 

Even with strong security and well-planned backups, technical issues can still appear, so it helps to know how to troubleshoot the most common backup and restoration problems.  

Troubleshooting common issues 

Technology isn’t perfect, and backup errors can happen when you least expect them. 

Diagnosing failures 

• Stuck backup: If a backup is stuck, check your Wi-Fi connection and ensure you have sufficient cloud storage space. 
• Restore failure: If the restore function fails, verify that you are using the exact same phone number and iCloud/Google account as the original backup. 
• Slow speeds: For slow speeds or timeouts, disable video backup and try connecting to a different network. 

WhatsApp Business is often where real business happens: quotes, invoices, confirmations, customer support, and long-running conversations that build relationships. Losing that history is not just inconvenient; it can mean lost revenue, compliance gaps, and frustrated customers. 

By setting up regular cloud backups, enabling end-to-end encryption, and keeping your backup size under control, you turn WhatsApp Business into a much safer channel for your team and your customers. A few minutes of configuration today can save you hours of damage control later. 

At the same time, relying on a single phone and personal cloud accounts quickly becomes a bottleneck as your business grows. Managing backups per device, per employee, is risky and hard to scale. If you need shared inboxes, multi-user access, centralised data retention, and compliance-ready records, it’s time to look beyond the app. 

With the WhatsApp Business API powered by Infobip, you move from fragile, phone-based backups to a secure, scalable messaging platform that is built for teams, automation, and long-term business continuity. Your chats stay protected, your data is centralised, and your customer conversations are finally as resilient as the rest of your tech stack.  

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