If you want to back up your WhatsApp chats to your PC without using Google Drive, then this guide will help you. This method is completely free and does not require any paid WhatsApp transfer tool. It is useful if you are switching to a new Android phone, reinstalling WhatsApp, or simply want to keep an offline copy of your WhatsApp chats and media on your computer.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to manually back up your WhatsApp data to a Windows PC and restore it later on the same phone or a new Android phone. This method works by copying WhatsApp’s local backup folders from your phone storage to your PC.
What This Method Will Back Up
When you copy the WhatsApp backup folders to your PC, you can save most of your important WhatsApp data offline.
| Folder | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| Databases | Your encrypted WhatsApp chat backup files |
| Media | Photos, videos, audio, voice notes, documents, stickers, and other media files |
| Backups | Some WhatsApp settings and local backup-related files |
To make a complete manual backup, it is better to copy all three folders: Backups, Databases, and Media.
Why Back Up WhatsApp to PC Instead of Google Drive?
Google Drive backup is useful, but not everyone wants to depend on cloud storage. Some users want a local backup because they have limited internet, limited Google storage, privacy concerns, or they simply want to keep a safe copy on their own computer.
Backing up WhatsApp to your PC gives you more control over your data. You can store the backup on your computer, external hard drive, USB drive, or another safe storage device.
Before You Start
Before following the steps, make sure you have these things ready:
- An Android phone with WhatsApp installed
- A Windows PC or laptop
- A USB data cable
- Enough free storage on your PC
- The same phone number for restoring the backup later
- File Transfer mode enabled when connecting the phone to PC
If your WhatsApp media folder is large, the backup size can be several gigabytes. So make sure your PC has enough free space before copying the files.
Step 1: Turn Off Google Drive Automatic Backup
First, open WhatsApp on your Android phone.
Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and go to Settings. Now tap on Chats, then open Chat backup.
Here, make sure automatic Google Drive backup is turned off. Set the Google Drive backup frequency to Never. This is helpful because we want to create and use the local backup stored on the phone, not a Google Drive backup.
Step 2: Create a Fresh Local WhatsApp Backup
After turning off Google Drive backup, stay on the Chat backup screen.
Now tap on the Back Up button. WhatsApp will start creating a fresh local backup of your chats and media on your phone’s internal storage.
Wait until the backup process is complete. After the backup is finished, WhatsApp should show that the last backup was saved locally, along with the date and time.
This fresh backup is important because it ensures your latest chats are included before you copy the files to your PC.
Step 3: Connect Your Phone to PC
Now connect your Android phone to your PC using a USB cable.
When your phone asks for USB permission, select File Transfer or Transfer files. Without this, your PC may not show your phone storage properly.
On your computer, open File Explorer and open your phone’s internal storage.
Step 4: Find the WhatsApp Folder
Now you need to find the WhatsApp folder on your phone storage.
The easiest method is to type WhatsApp in the File Explorer search bar after opening your phone storage. Wait for the search results to appear, then open the WhatsApp folder.
Depending on your Android version and phone brand, the WhatsApp folder may be in one of these locations:
| Android Type | Common WhatsApp Folder Location |
|---|---|
| Older Android phones | Internal Storage > WhatsApp |
| Newer Android phones | Internal Storage > Android > media > com.whatsapp > WhatsApp |
Inside the WhatsApp folder, you should see folders like Backups, Databases, and Media.
Step 5: Copy WhatsApp Backup Folders to Your PC
Now select these three folders:
- Backups
- Databases
- Media
Copy them to a safe location on your PC. For example, you can create a folder on your computer named WhatsApp Backup and paste all three folders inside it.
If you are keeping multiple backups, add the date to the folder name. For example:
This will help you identify the backup later.
Step 6: Keep the Backup Safe
Once the copying process is complete, your WhatsApp backup is saved on your PC. You can also copy this backup to an external hard drive, pen drive, or another secure storage device.
Do not delete the backup from your PC unless you are sure you no longer need it. If you are switching phones, keep the backup until WhatsApp is fully restored and all chats and media are visible on the new phone.
How to Restore WhatsApp Backup from PC
Now let’s see how to restore the WhatsApp backup from your PC to your Android phone. This is useful when you are installing WhatsApp on a new phone or reinstalling it on the same phone.
Step 1: Install WhatsApp on the Phone
First, install WhatsApp on your new phone or reinstall WhatsApp on the same phone.
After installing WhatsApp, do not complete the phone number verification yet. Before verifying your number, we need to copy the backup folders from the PC to the phone storage.
Step 2: Avoid Google Drive Backup Conflict
If your phone has the same Google account that was previously used for WhatsApp Google Drive backups, WhatsApp may prioritize the Google Drive backup during setup.
To force WhatsApp to detect the local backup, you can temporarily remove that Google account from the phone before opening WhatsApp. Another option is to skip Google Drive restore if WhatsApp shows a cloud backup prompt and then continue with local restore if available.
Step 3: Connect the Phone to PC
Now connect the phone to your PC using a USB cable.
On the phone, allow File Transfer access. Then open your phone storage from File Explorer on your PC.
Step 4: Copy the Backup Folders Back to the Phone
Now open the WhatsApp backup folder that you saved on your PC. Copy these three folders:
- Backups
- Databases
- Media
Paste them into the WhatsApp directory on your phone’s internal storage.
On newer Android phones, the folder location is usually:
On some older Android phones, the folder location may be:
If the WhatsApp folder does not exist yet, open WhatsApp once and stop before completing the setup screen, or create the folder path manually if needed. Then paste the backup folders in the correct location.
Step 5: Open WhatsApp and Verify Your Number
After copying the backup folders, open WhatsApp on your phone.
Now verify the same phone number that was used with the backup. WhatsApp should detect the local backup and show the restore option.
Tap on Restore and wait for the process to finish. Make sure the phone has enough battery and is connected to the internet during the setup process.
Step 6: Wait for Chats and Media to Restore
After the restore process is complete, tap on Next and finish the WhatsApp setup.
Your chats should appear first. Media files like photos, videos, voice notes, and documents may take some time to appear properly. So do not panic if all media files do not appear instantly.
Keep WhatsApp open for a while and wait for everything to load.
Common Problems and Fixes
WhatsApp Is Not Detecting the Local Backup
If WhatsApp does not detect the local backup, check these things:
- Make sure you are using the same phone number.
- Make sure the Databases folder is copied to the correct WhatsApp folder.
- Make sure the database file is inside the Databases folder.
- Make sure you copied the files before verifying the phone number.
- Temporarily remove the Google account if WhatsApp keeps choosing Google Drive backup.
- Restart the phone and try again.
Media Files Are Missing After Restore
If chats are restored but media is missing, the Media folder may not have been copied correctly. Copy the full Media folder from your PC backup to the WhatsApp directory on your phone.
Also wait for some time after opening WhatsApp, because media preview and indexing can take a while.
Only Old Chats Are Restored
If only old chats are restored, you may have copied an older backup. Before backing up to PC, always tap Back Up inside WhatsApp to create a fresh local backup.
File Copying Is Very Slow
If your WhatsApp Media folder is very large, copying may take a long time. Use a good USB cable and connect the phone directly to the PC. Avoid disconnecting the cable while the files are copying.
WhatsApp Folder Is Not Showing on PC
If the WhatsApp folder is not visible, make sure File Transfer mode is enabled on your phone. You can also use the File Explorer search bar and search for WhatsApp inside your phone storage.
Important Tips Before Switching Phones
- Create a fresh local backup before copying files to PC.
- Copy Backups, Databases, and Media folders together.
- Use the same phone number during restore.
- Do not verify WhatsApp before copying the backup files back to the phone.
- Keep the PC backup until you confirm that chats and media are restored.
- Keep another copy on an external drive for extra safety.
Can You Read WhatsApp Chats Directly on PC?
No, this method is not for reading WhatsApp chats directly on your PC. The chat database files are encrypted, so you cannot normally open them and read conversations like normal documents.
This method is for keeping a safe offline backup and restoring it back into WhatsApp when needed.
Final Words
This is how you can back up and restore WhatsApp chats to your PC for free without using Google Drive or paid software. The process is simple: create a local backup inside WhatsApp, copy the Backups, Databases, and Media folders to your PC, and restore them later by copying the same folders back to the WhatsApp directory on your phone.
This method gives you more control over your WhatsApp data and is especially useful when switching Android phones, reinstalling WhatsApp, or keeping a safe offline backup.
Just make sure you use the same phone number, copy all important folders properly, and keep the backup safe until the restore process is fully complete.
