Say I have backed up WhatsApp to Google Drive on some date X, then I uninstall it or format the device. On a later date Y, I reinstall WhatsApp and restore the Google Drive backup. Would the messages sent between dates X and Y be included in said backup?
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I think the answer is No. Because, it is the WhatsApp app itself, which is responsible for doing the backup to Google Drive. So, if the WhatsApp app isn't installed, no backups can be done.– PuspamCommented Apr 16, 2019 at 16:56
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@PuspamAdak I am asking about restoring a backup. WhatsApp would have already been used to create said backup. My question is whether that restores any files from after the backup date or not.– Flog EdocCommented Apr 16, 2019 at 16:58
2 Answers
How could somebody restore something that he doesn't even have? your Gdrive backup will restore the messages till date X.
If your WhatsApp was active between date X and Y then you would have already received the messages in your WhatsApp(whom you didn't back up on the Gdrive).
So on date Y if you reset your phone and restore the backup from date X then you will have messages up to date X only. and if you didn't use the WhatsApp by date X & Y and you just installed it again now then all the undelivered message between X & Y will be delivered right now.
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My WhatsApp would in theory be active during those two dates. The question is if I, say, format the device after that. Would I still get those messages? Commented Apr 16, 2019 at 17:11
Yes, the messages between date X and date Y are indeed preserved.
I have attempted this now, and it has successfully worked.
Do note that I was using the same phone and number, hence I do not know the success rate of this under a different situation.
Also, the old backup as it was does not contain the new data until and unless you update it from the settings.
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1Do note that messages between X and Y cannot be included with Drive backup (no backup was made after X, so the messages don't exist in the backup). You must have gotten those messages directly from WhatsApp's servers and got confused that they were restored from backup.– Firelord ♦Commented Apr 16, 2019 at 19:12
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@Firelord The old backup as it was would not contain the new messages from WhatsApp's servers until you update it. Commented Apr 16, 2019 at 19:16
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@Firelord is correct. What is/was not backup, cannot be restored. The only logical explanation is that the messages were on WhatsApp servers waiting for you to connect, then they delivered them to you. Commented Apr 23, 2019 at 18:37