# WhatsApp Chats Gone After a Hack? How to Restore Them > Got WhatsApp back in Malaysia but your chats are gone? WhatsApp cannot restore them. They return only from your own backup, on the same number and account. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-chats-lost-after-hack - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-05 - Topics: WhatsApp, Account recovery, Malaysia - Related service: Recovery hub: https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions ## Short answer WhatsApp stores chats on your phone, not its servers, so it cannot restore them after a hack. They come back only from your own Google Account or iCloud backup, restored on the same number with the same Google account or Apple ID. Messages sent after that backup, or while the attacker held your number, are not in it. ## Summary - WhatsApp does not keep your chat history on its servers, so it cannot send your old messages back after a hack. - Your chats can only come back from your own Google Account or iCloud backup, restored with the same phone number and the same Google account or Apple ID. - Check that a backup exists before you reinstall, and do not let a new backup run first, because each new backup replaces the old one. - An encrypted backup opens only with your own password, 64-digit key or passkey, and WhatsApp cannot reset it for you. - The person who took your number could not read your old chats, but assume they saw anything sent to you while they held the account. - Do not pay for chat recovery apps or hand anyone your phone, Google login or codes, because nobody can rebuild chats that no backup holds. You won the hard part. You logged back in with a fresh SMS code and your number is yours again. But the chat list is empty, or it starts from today, and years of family groups, work threads and photos seem to have gone with the person who took your account. The short answer: WhatsApp cannot give those chats back, because it never had them. Your history lives on your phone and in any backup you made to Google or iCloud. If a backup exists, you can usually restore it yourself, as long as you do it in the right order. This guide assumes you already have the account back. If you are still locked out, start with our guide to [a WhatsApp takeover through a stolen verification code](https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-hacked-verification-code-malaysia), then come back here. Below: why chats disappear, how to restore them on Android and iPhone, what "backup not found" usually means, and what the attacker could and could not see. Last checked: 5 October 2026. ## Can You Restore WhatsApp Chats After Getting Your Account Back? Yes, but only from your own backup. [WhatsApp's restore page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920) says it cannot restore chats for you because your chat history is not stored on its servers. On Android, chats come back from a Google Account backup. On iPhone, they come back from iCloud. Either way, the phone number you restore with must be the one you backed up with, and the restore option appears only when you set WhatsApp up after reinstalling it. Messages sent or received after your last backup cannot be restored. If you never made a backup and no other phone still holds the chats, they cannot be recovered by anyone. ## Why Your Chats Disappeared When someone registers your number on their own phone, WhatsApp logs every other device out. Your phone is pushed off the account, and when you log back in, WhatsApp sets up as if on a fresh install. Whether your history reappears depends on what backup it can find. The attacker did not take your old chats with them. [WhatsApp's compromised account page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/1131652977717250) says messages are end-to-end encrypted and stored on your device, so someone who re-registers your account on a new device cannot read your past conversations. The history did not move to their phone. It simply is not on the screen in front of you. > Warning: **Before you tap anything else.** Do not reset your phone and do not start a new backup yet. If you skip a restore and WhatsApp backs up again, WhatsApp says the previous backup is replaced with only the chats received since then. One careless backup can erase the copy you need. ## Where Can Your Chats Still Come From? There are only a few places your history can exist. Work through them in this order. The table reflects WhatsApp's help pages at the time of writing. *Where WhatsApp chat history can come from after you regain your account.* | Where a copy might be | What you need | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | A Google Account backup (Android) | The same phone number and the same Google account the backup was made with | Check it exists in the Google One app, then reinstall WhatsApp and tap "Restore" during setup | | An iCloud backup (iPhone) | The same phone number and the same Apple ID, plus enough free space on iCloud and the iPhone | Note the backup date first if you can, then reinstall and tap "Restore Chat History" | | An encrypted backup (either phone) | Your backup password, 64-digit key or passkey | Restore as above and enter it when asked. Without it, the backup cannot be opened | | Another phone that still has the chats | That phone, unlocked, and the same number | Use WhatsApp's chat transfer feature during setup on the new phone | | None of the above | Nothing will rebuild the history | Accept the loss, save what contacts can forward you, and set up backups now | ## How to Restore From a Google Account Backup on Android Check first, restore second. [WhatsApp's Android restore steps](https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920/?cms_platform=android) describe both. 1. Open the Google One app and sign in with the Google account you used for WhatsApp backups. 2. Tap "Storage", then "Other". If your chats were backed up, you will see WhatsApp listed there. 3. If it is there, uninstall WhatsApp and install it again from the Play Store. 4. Verify your phone number with the SMS or call code. Type it only into WhatsApp on your own phone. 5. When WhatsApp offers a backup, tap "Restore" and leave the phone on Wi-Fi and power until it finishes. A few limits from the same page. Your Google account holds one backup per account, and each new backup replaces the old one, so you cannot pick an older version. Videos come back only if "Include videos" was on before that backup. If your phone runs low on space, the restore can come back partial. ## How to Restore From iCloud on an iPhone [WhatsApp's iPhone restore steps](https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920/?cms_platform=iphone) follow the same idea with iCloud. 1. If WhatsApp is open, go to "Settings", then "Chats", then "Chat Backup". It shows the time and size of your last backup. 2. Make sure you are signed in to iCloud with the Apple ID that made the backup, and that iCloud and the iPhone both have enough free space. 3. Uninstall WhatsApp, reinstall it, and verify your phone number. 4. Tap "Restore Chat History" when it appears. WhatsApp may ask you to confirm your identity before it restores. If you have not turned on two-step verification or encrypted backups, it sends a code by SMS or call. That code is for you to type into WhatsApp, never to read out to anyone. ## If Your Backup Is End-to-End Encrypted An encrypted backup is a locked box only you can open. [WhatsApp's page on encrypted backup](https://faq.whatsapp.com/490592613091019) says it is protected by a passkey, a 64-digit encryption key or a password, and that you cannot open it without one of them. - WhatsApp says that if you lose access to your account and forget the password or key, it cannot send you a copy, reset it or restore the backup for you. - [WhatsApp's forgotten backup password page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/639067727894647) says you get five attempts in total. After five wrong tries you have to wait before trying again, so do not guess casually. - A passkey is stored in a password manager such as Google Password Manager, so check there before you assume it is lost. - If you choose to use WhatsApp without restoring, WhatsApp says that backup stays available if you reinstall on another device later. That holds only until a new backup replaces it. If the attacker also set a two-step verification PIN, that is a separate lock on the account, not on the backup. Our guide to [resetting a WhatsApp two-step PIN](https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-two-step-pin-reset) covers the waiting period and what a reset deletes. ## Why WhatsApp Says No Backup Was Found Most "backup not found" moments come down to a mismatch, not a missing backup. Check each of these before you give up. *Common reasons a WhatsApp restore fails, from WhatsApp's help pages at the time of writing.* | Likely cause | How to check or fix it | | --- | --- | | Signed in to a different Google account or Apple ID | WhatsApp says backups are tied to the phone number and the Google account they were made with. Switch to the right account and try again | | Restoring with a different number | The number used for backup and restore must match. Get your original SIM back from your carrier first | | The backup was overwritten | If a new backup ran after the takeover, it replaced the old one. There is no older version to fall back on | | The backup was old and deleted | WhatsApp's [Google Account backup page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/407643231403807) says backups not updated in 5 months might be deleted automatically by Google | | Not enough storage on the phone or in iCloud | Free up space, uninstall WhatsApp and restore again | | The backup is corrupted | WhatsApp's [backup troubleshooting page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/589979312881396) says it cannot restore a corrupted backup or tell you what caused it | The same troubleshooting page says that if a restore works but some chats are still missing, the backup most likely did not contain them. Nothing more can be pulled from it. ## If Your Old Phone Still Has the Chats If you moved to a new phone during the recovery, the old one may still hold your history. [WhatsApp's chat transfer page](https://faq.whatsapp.com/209942271778103) explains moving chats between two Android phones, which needs the same number, both phones close together with Wi-Fi switched on and connected to power, and the new phone not yet registered when you start. WhatsApp also says not to delete data, reset or uninstall WhatsApp on the old phone until you confirm the transfer worked. If your phone was lost or stolen in the first place, our guide to [recovering WhatsApp when the old phone is gone](https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-recovery-new-phone-old-lost) covers getting the number back before you think about chats. ## What the Hacker Could See While They Had Your Number Your old history stayed out of their reach, but new activity did not. While your number was registered on their phone, the account was theirs to use. Assume the following reached them: - Any message, photo, voice note or document sent to you during that time. These went to their phone, not yours, and are usually missing from your history afterwards. - New messages in the groups you belong to, along with the names and numbers of other members. - Anything they sent while pretending to be you. WhatsApp's compromised account page warns that the person could impersonate you in chats and groups. That last point can do the most harm: requests for an urgent transfer, a top-up or a code, sent to your family and friends in your name. Tell your contacts and groups what happened, from WhatsApp and from another channel, and ask them to send you anything odd they received. Screenshot those messages with the date showing. WhatsApp says it cannot tell you who accessed your account, when or from where, so your contacts' screenshots may be the only record. If a stranger could still be reading your chats after you logged back in, the cause may be a linked device rather than a re-registration. Check "Linked Devices" and read our guide to [a hidden WhatsApp Web session](https://www.awarexone.com/research/whatsapp-linked-device-ghost-pairing). ## If Money Was Lost: Malaysian Steps 1. Anyone who transferred money, including you, should call their bank's 24-hour hotline or the National Scam Response Centre on 997 straight away. The [NSRC's FAQ](https://nfcc.jpm.gov.my/index.php/en/about-nsrc) asks victims to contact the bank or 997 first. 2. Make a police report at the nearest station. Bring the transaction details and screenshots of the WhatsApp conversations. 3. Report the incident to CyberSecurity Malaysia through [Cyber999](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview). The NSRC page also says NSRC, PDRM, MCMC, BNM and banks will never ask for your password, PIN, TAC or OTP. Someone who calls offering to help and asks for one is part of the scam. ## Chat Recovery Apps and Services to Avoid Search "cara restore chat whatsapp" or "WhatsApp 恢复聊天记录" and you will find paid apps and people promising to bring deleted chats back. If no backup holds your history, they cannot. The real risk is what they ask for in return. - Anyone who wants your phone, remote access to it, or your Google or Apple login. That is full access to your email, photos and backups. - Anyone who asks for your WhatsApp SMS code, two-step PIN or backup password. Those are the keys to the account you just won back. - Software that asks you to root or jailbreak your phone, or to switch off its security settings. That weakens the phone's own security. - Promises to "recover" a backup WhatsApp says is overwritten or corrupted. WhatsApp itself says it cannot. - Upfront payment by bank transfer or e-wallet to a personal account, with pressure to decide now. > Note: **WhatsApp makes the final decision, and some chats are gone.** Account access depends on WhatsApp and your SIM. Chat history depends only on your backups. If no backup or old phone holds the messages, nobody inside or outside WhatsApp can bring them back. ## How to Avoid Losing Your Chats Again - Turn on automatic backups to your Google account or iCloud, and back up by hand before you change phones or reinstall. - Turn on end-to-end encrypted backup, and store the passkey, password or 64-digit key somewhere you will still reach if your phone is lost. - Turn on two-step verification with an email address only you can open, so a stolen SMS code alone is not enough next time. - Check "Linked Devices" every few weeks and log out anything you do not recognise. ## When a Case Review Makes Sense If you have the account back and a backup exists, you can do everything above yourself. A review is worth it when the takeover spread to Facebook, Instagram or a business number, when you lost the SIM and cannot get the number back, or when you need a clear record for the police. SocialSafe by AwareXone, our recovery service, looks at the case first and tells you honestly what the official routes can still do. It is best effort only and works through WhatsApp's and your carrier's own processes, so it cannot recreate chats that no backup holds. Our [recovery hub](https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions) explains how a review works, and the [Trust Center](https://www.awarexone.com/trust) lists what we never ask for, including your codes, PIN and backup password. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can WhatsApp support restore my deleted chats? No. WhatsApp says chat history is not stored on its servers, so it cannot restore, transfer or delete chats for you. Only your own backup or old phone can. ### Will the hacker have a copy of my old WhatsApp messages? WhatsApp says someone who re-registers your number on a new device cannot read your past conversations. They could see new messages sent to you while they held the account. ### Why are my last few days of messages missing after a restore? A restore brings back only what was in your latest backup. Messages from after that backup, including those sent to you during the takeover, are not in it. ### Can I restore a WhatsApp backup with a new phone number? No. WhatsApp says the number used for backing up and the one used for restoring must be the same. Ask your carrier for a replacement SIM on your original number first. ### I forgot my encrypted backup password. Is there any way in? If WhatsApp still works on your phone, you can set a new backup password from the encrypted backup settings by tapping "I forgot my password". If you have lost the account as well, WhatsApp says it cannot reset the password or restore the backup for you. ### Can AwareXone recover my WhatsApp chats? Not if no backup holds them. Our recovery service can review the account side of a takeover through official routes, but nobody can rebuild chat history that was never backed up. ## Official sources - [WhatsApp Help Center: How to restore your chat history (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/618575946635920) - [WhatsApp Help Center: Can't back up or restore your chat history (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/589979312881396) - [WhatsApp Help Center: About end-to-end encrypted backup (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/490592613091019) - [WhatsApp Help Center: Can't remember password for encrypted backup (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/639067727894647) - [WhatsApp Help Center: About Google Account backups (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/407643231403807) - [WhatsApp Help Center: How to transfer your chat history (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/209942271778103) - [WhatsApp Help Center: How to recover a compromised account (read 5 October 2026)](https://faq.whatsapp.com/1131652977717250) - [NFCC: About the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) (read 5 October 2026)](https://nfcc.jpm.gov.my/index.php/en/about-nsrc) - [CyberSecurity Malaysia: Cyber999 overview (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.