How can I retrieve deleted WhatsApp audio?

WhatsApp allows users to send audio messages and files like voice notes or shared music. However, sometimes these audio files may get accidentally or intentionally deleted from the app. There are a few reasons why someone may want to retrieve a deleted WhatsApp audio file:

• The audio contained important information that the user still needs.
• It was a voice message from a loved one that holds sentimental value.
• The audio file took time and effort to create, so the user doesn’t want to lose it permanently.
• It got deleted by mistake and the user wants to recover it.

Thankfully, there are several methods users can try to recover deleted WhatsApp audio files, even if they are no longer available in the app’s interface. This guide will outline some steps to help retrieve deleted WhatsApp audio messages and media.

Check Recent Deletions

WhatsApp saves recently deleted audio files in a trash folder for up to 30 days before permanently deleting them. So your first step should be to check there.

On Android, open the WhatsApp app and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Delete. Look for any audio files in the trash folder and tap to restore them.

On iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Delete. Check the trash folder for any recently deleted audio and tap to recover it before it’s permanently erased.

This trash folder stores deleted files for up to 30 days, so it’s your best chance to retrieve recently removed audio. But if the audio you need is not there, you may have to try other methods of recovery.

Use a File Recovery App

One of the most effective ways to retrieve deleted WhatsApp audio files is by using a file recovery app. There are many great file recovery apps available, both free and paid. Some top options to try include:

iMyFone D-Back – This app can scan your device and find deleted audio files and messages even if you’ve deleted WhatsApp. It recovers data directly from the iPhone rather than backups. iMyFone D-Back has a user-friendly interface and allows previewing files before recovery.

FoneLab – FoneLab is able to retrieve lost and deleted WhatsApp audio from iOS devices. It scans storage deeply to find residual files. The app also retrieves data from iCloud and iTunes backups.

File recovery apps like these work by scanning the iPhone’s storage and finding residual data left behind even after deletion. As long as the data hasn’t been overwritten by new files, recovery apps can restore deleted audio recordings and media.

Restore from iCloud Backup

If the deleted WhatsApp audio was sent or received after your last iCloud backup, you may be able to restore it by restoring your WhatsApp chats from iCloud. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups > Select your device.

2. Tap on Restore and confirm. This will wipe your device and restore a previous iCloud backup.

3. Once your device restarts, set it up again and install WhatsApp.

4. When prompted, tap Restore to restore your chats and media from your last iCloud backup of WhatsApp.

This will restore your WhatsApp chats, media, and settings from your most recent iCloud backup. If the deleted audio was sent or received after that backup was made, it will reappear in your chats (Source).

However, keep in mind this will erase all WhatsApp content on your device after the date of your last iCloud backup. So if you’ve had any important chats or media since then, you will lose them.

Try Third Party Tools

Software like FonePaw can recover deleted WhatsApp audio from Android. FonePaw Android Data Recovery is able to scan your phone and extract deleted WhatsApp audio files that are still present on your device. To use it:

1. Download and install FonePaw Android Data Recovery on your computer.
2. Enable USB debugging on your Android device and connect it to your computer.
3. Select the “WhatsApp” file types you want to recover.
4. Click “Next” and FonePaw will scan your phone for recoverable files.
5. Preview and select the deleted WhatsApp audio files you want to restore.
6. Click “Recover” to save the audio files to your computer.

FonePaw is able to dig deep and find deleted files even if you have emptied the Recycle Bin or run the cleaner tool. As long as the data hasn’t been overwritten, FonePaw should be able to recover it.

Retrieve from Google Drive

One option to recover deleted WhatsApp audio files is to check Google Drive. WhatsApp automatically backs up your chat history, media, and other data to Google Drive on a periodic basis [1]. The frequency of backups depends on your settings, but can be daily, weekly, or monthly.

On Android phones, WhatsApp media is backed up to the Google Drive associated with your phone number by default. For iPhone users, you need to manually enable Google Drive backups in WhatsApp’s settings. As long as you have backups enabled, your deleted audio files may still be stored in Google Drive.

To recover deleted audio from Google Drive, first install Google Drive on your phone if you don’t already have it. Open the app and check your WhatsApp media folder for any audio files deleted in the past backup period. If you find your missing audio file(s) in Google Drive, you can download and save them back to your device.

One limitation is that any audio deleted before the last Google Drive backup was created will not be retrievable through this method. But for recently deleted files, the Google Drive backup can be a handy way to find lost WhatsApp audio.

Check with Sender

One simple way to try and retrieve a deleted WhatsApp audio file is to check with the sender to see if they still have it on their device. Since the audio was originally sent by them, it’s likely they may still have access to it in their WhatsApp chats.

You can send the sender a message asking them politely if they can resend or forward you the audio file again. Explain that you accidentally deleted it from your chats. Most people are happy to quickly resend media, especially if it’s important.

Just say something like “Hey, I accidentally deleted that voice message you sent me about _______. Could you please resend it when you have a moment? Thanks!”

As long as the sender still has the audio file on their device and didn’t delete it themselves, they should be able to easily find it in their WhatsApp and forward it to you again. This saves you from having to attempt to recover it through backups or other complex methods.

Reaching out to the sender directly can often be the quickest and simplest way to retrieve deleted WhatsApp audio files. It takes just a few taps for them to resend it right back to you.

Avoid Future Deletion

There are a few steps you can take to avoid accidentally deleting important WhatsApp audio in the future:

Enable auto-backup of your chats – WhatsApp has a built-in feature to regularly back up your chat history to Google Drive or iCloud. This can save you if you accidentally delete an audio message. You can enable auto-backup in WhatsApp’s Settings.

Be careful about deleting – Don’t delete audio messages or chats unless you’re absolutely certain. WhatsApp gives you an “undo” option for recently deleted messages, but beyond that they could be gone forever.

Favorite or star meaningful chats – WhatsApp lets you favorite or star conversations so they’re easily accessible. Do this for any important chats you want to safeguard.

Transcribe voice notes – Consider transcribing meaningful voice notes to text so you’ll have a permanent record of them.

Back up your WhatsApp data locally – In addition to cloud backups, you can use tools like iMazing to back up your full WhatsApp data locally onto your computer.

Use a secondary messaging app for important audio – For extremely important audio messages, consider using a secondary app like Telegram or Signal where they can’t be deleted after the fact.

Prioritize Important Media

It is always wise to identify any highly important or irreplaceable audio messages on WhatsApp and take steps to protect them from accidental deletion.

The best way to do this is to star or favorite very important messages within WhatsApp. This allows you to easily find them later in the Starred Messages section.

You can star a message by tapping and holding on it, then choosing the star icon. On Android, tap the 3 dots at the top and select Star. On iOS, tap and hold the message, then tap Star.

Starring crucial audio prevents you from losing it if you accidentally clear your messages or delete the wrong chat. You’ll still be able to access these starred files.

You can also make backups of valued audio files to services like Google Drive or iCloud. This gives you an additional layer of protection if they are deleted from WhatsApp.

Prioritizing the media that matters most helps minimize regrets if any audios are accidentally removed from WhatsApp chats and conversations.

Conclusion

There are several methods that can help you recover deleted WhatsApp audio files, with varying levels of effectiveness. The most reliable approach is to restore the audio files from a recent iCloud or local backup. This allows you to retrieve the deleted audio exactly as it was before deletion.

Other methods like using file recovery apps may allow you to recover deleted audio but with varying success depending on your device and the conditions of deletion. The key is to act quickly before overwritten by new data. As a preventative measure, you can also consider backing up important WhatsApp audio files to cloud storage or an external device.

Hopefully by using one or more of the methods here you’ll be able to get that deleted WhatsApp audio back. Regular backups and preventative organizational habits will help avoid running into issues with accidentally deleted files in the future.