0

I am trying to recover chats from WhatsApp on Mac, due to a problem with my iCloud backup. I have Time Machine backups and I am trying to find where WhatsApp stores my chats in my Library. I have looked at a previous question (Deleting WhatsApp chat history from work Mac), but this was before WhatsApp no longer required a continuous internet connection.

  • Is it possible to extract my chat history from my Time Machine backup, i.e. does WhatsApp exclude chat history from Time Machine backups?
  • For future reference, where can I find the WhatsApp chat history, if possible, in my Library on my Mac?
Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
0

Is it possible to extract my chat history from my Time Machine backup, i.e. does WhatsApp exclude chat history from Time Machine backups?

Yes, it's possible to extract your WhatsApp chat history from a Time Machine backup.

By default, your WhatsApp data inside the Time Machine backup is located in ~/Library/Containers/com.whatsapp/Data/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp. In this folder, you should see a file called ChatStorage.sqlite, that's the file containing your chat history. You can restore it (copy it), and from there, you could open it using a SQLite database viewer or import it to WhatsApp.

For future reference, where can I find the WhatsApp chat history, if possible, in my Library on my Mac?

Same as above, but in your library (not in the Time Machine backup), it's in ~/Library/Containers/com.whatsapp/Data/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp/ChatStorage.sqlite

Improve this answer
4
  • The first path isn't a TimeMachine path.
    – nohillside ♦
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 6:44
  • @nohillside It's the path inside the Time Machine backup drive. You should be able to find the wanted file there.
    – Thinkr
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 7:18
  • 1
    If you navigate to the local location then Enter Time Machine, it should automatically take you to the backup path. There's rarely any point to trying to navigate Time Machine manually.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 7:30
  • 2
    @Tetsujin I know how it works :-) But does the OP, do future visitors?
    – nohillside ♦
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 8:20
0

Following @Thinkr's answer, I couldn't find the ChatStorage.sqlite file in ~/Library/Containers/desktop.WhatsApp/Data/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp (note the different directory name: I'm using High Sierra).

It turns out that the although the phone does not be connected to the internet, the desktop app must always have an internet connection. It appears that the chats are not saved locally on the computer, as answered to in the original question Deleting WhatsApp chat history from work Mac.

Source: Group-IB

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .