Easy to Open WhatsApp Backup File on PC [iPhone & Android]

Learn how to open WhatsApp backup file on PC for both iPhone and Android. We provide easy methods and tools to help you view WhatsApp backup files on computer.

Clara by Clara Updated November 29, 2024
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How to Open WhatsApp Backup File on PC without Losing Formats

Is there a way to view and read WhatsApp backup files as more than just plaintext documents on a PC? Are there any viewing tools that can properly display a formatted view of a WhatsApp backup on a computer? Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

- Question from Reddit

Many users wonder, “Is there a way to open WhatsApp backup files on PC and not just read them in plain text”. In this guide, we will explore easy ways to open WhatsApp backup files on PC for iPhone and Android devices.

Can You View WhatsApp Backup Files on PC Directly?

Can I open WhatsApp backup file on PC? Unfortunately, WhatsApp backups (iCloud for iPhone or Google Drive for Android) are encrypted and cannot be opened locally on a PC.

Open WhatsApp Backup File on PC

While there is no built-in method to open WhatsApp backup files directly on a computer, various third-party solutions make it easy to read WhatsApp backup file on PC, extract data, and even restore chats on your phone if needed.

Let's take a closer look at how to access and check WhatsApp backups on PC from an iPhone or Android device.

How to Open iPhone WhatsApp Backup File on Computer

For iPhone users, one of the most effective and easy-to-use ways to open WhatsApp backup files on PC is to use FoneTool, a powerful tool designed for managing iPhone data.

FoneTool allows you to easily backup and restore WhatsApp data and view WhatsApp backups in the correct format directly on PC without restoring the data to iPhone.

Best iPhone WhatsApp Manager on PC
  • Open and view WhatsApp chats, media, links, documents, etc. on PC directly.
  • Quick backup speed and offline process without data leaks.
  • Transfer WhatsApp from one Apple ID to another with 1-click.
  • All WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business accounts are supported.

Now, you can free download FoneTool and follow the steps to backup and open WhatsApp backup file on computer.

Step 1. Run FoneTool > Connect your iPhone to the computer with USB cable > Tap Trust on your iPhone to allow computer access to your iPhone.

Step 2. Go to WhatsApp Manager from the left pane > Tap Backup WhatsApp > Click Get Started.

backup whatsapp

Step 3. Enable backup encryption and decide a storage path > Click Start Backup to initiate the backup process.

start backup whatsapp

★Tip:
All your WhatsApp chat history can be backup, such as messages, documents, photos, videos, audios, links, stickers.

Step 4. After the backup process is completed, go to My Backups > Choose the targeted WhatsApp backup > Click the View dot > Select the data to open WhatsApp backup file without WhatsApp. It will provide the chat history with clear formats.

https://www.fonetool.com/screenshot/en/data-explorer/export-whatsapp.png

>> If you want to download WhatsApp data from iPhone to PC, just click Export to Computer to save it easily. Then you can choose to export WhatsApp chat to HTML.

export chats to html

>> When you need to restore your WhatsApp data, you can tap the Restore icon from My Backups page directly. It supports you restore backup to current device, or new device with different Apple ID.

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restore backup

>> To transfer WhatsApp from old iPhone to new iPhone, move to WhatsApp Manager > WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business > Transfer WhatsApp > Click Get Started.

transfer whatsapp from iphone to iphone

How to Open Android WhatsApp Backup on PC

For Android users, Google Drive is the default service for backing up WhatsApp data. Unfortunately, you cannot directly open WhatsApp backup files stored on Google Drive using a PC.

However, you can restore the backup to an Android device and then transfer the data to a computer. Or use a third-party tool like AnyTrans to view Android WhatsApp backup on a computer.

Now, you can view the steps to backup WhatsApp to PC for Android.

Step 1. On your Android phone, open WhatsApp and tap the Menu button.

Step 2. Tap Settings > Choose Chats > And select Chat backup.

Step 3. Under Google Drive settings > Click Back Up to Google Drive option > Set your desired backup frequency.

backup whatsapp to google drive

Step 4. Add the Google account as you like > Then tap the Back up over option to choose desired network for the backup.

Step 5. To find your Android backup files on PC, you can go to Google Drive app > Click three-line button > Choose Backups. Here, you can find the WhatsApp backup.

google drive whatsapp backup

Related Questions of Viewing WhatsApp Backup on PC

Now that we’ve covered how to open and view WhatsApp backup file on Windows PC, let’s answer some other common questions related to WhatsApp backups:

enlightenedWhere Is My WhatsApp Backup Stored?

enlightenedCan You Read WhatsApp Backup on Computer without WhatsApp?

  • Generally, WhatsApp backup files backed up using iCloud, Google Drive are encrypted and cannot be opened and viewed directly on your PC unless you use a third-party tool such as FoneTool to check WhatsApp backup files on computer without WhatsApp.

enlightenedHow Can I extract WhatsApp Chats from Google Drive?

  • To extract WhatsApp chats from Google Drive, you need to restore the backup to your Android device first, as Google Drive does not offer direct extraction functionality.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to open WhatsApp backup file on PC. Although the backup files are encrypted, reliable tools like FoneTool allow you to easily and securely access and manage WhatsApp data on your computer.

For iPhone users, FoneTool provides a straightforward and easy way to view WhatsApp backup files on PC without restoring them to iPhone. Android users can restore their backups from Google Drive to their devices and transfer the data to PC for viewing.

FoneTool - All-in-one iPhone Data Manager

Transfer, backup and manage data on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in an easy way.

  • iOS 18 Compatible
  • iPhone 16 Supported

Free iPhone Manager - FoneTool

  • Full/Selective Backup iPhone
  • Transfer between iPhone and PC
  • 1-Click Transfer iPhone to iPhone
  • WhatsApp Backup & Transfer
  • Fully compatible with iOS 18
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