Apart from sharing text messages WhatsApp is also mostly used for sharing multimedia files like photos and videos. However, just like WhatsApp messages, the WhatsApp photos and videos are gone for good once they are deleted by the sender.
Now, most people have this question like “how to recover WhatsApp media deleted by the sender”. In this article, I will try to answer the question of whether you can recover WhatsApp images and videos deleted by the sender. So let’s begin.
Quick links
- Can You Recover Deleted WhatsApp Photos & Videos Deleted By Sender?
- How To Recover WhatsApp Images & Videos Deleted By Sender?
- Verdict
- FAQs
Can You Recover Deleted WhatsApp Photos & Videos Deleted By Sender?
Unfortunately, there is no official way to see deleted WhatsApp videos and photos that are deleted by the sender. You can ask the sender to resend the media files if they are really important to you. In case that doesn’t work then you can try the following methods. If you’re in luck then you may be able to recover deleted WhatsApp images and videos deleted by the sender.
How To Recover WhatsApp Images & Videos Deleted By Sender?
1. From Local Backup
If you are using an Android device then you will be glad to know that WhatsApp stores all its data i.e. chats and photos in the local storage of your device. Although this method has some limitations, you can still try it to recover the deleted photos on WhatsApp using it. Just follow the below steps;
Go to File Manager on your Phone. Navigate to WhatsApp backup file location.
If you are using an SD card then you can follow the path SD Card > WhatsApp > Database
If your files are stored in the local storage of the phone then go to Device Storage >WhatsApp > Databases
Under the databases folder, you will find many files with the file format of msgstoreYYYYMMDD.1.db.crypt12. Out of all the files select the image files and rename them to msgstore.db.crypt12.
After doing this you need to uninstall and reinstall the WhatsApp application on your device. Once the app is reinstalled create your account using the same details that you have used the last time.
You will receive a prompt to restore your messages, tap on Restore and all your deleted chats including the photos will be restored.
You may also be interested in: How To Recover Deleted Call History On iPhone, Android & WhatsApp
2. See WhatsApp Photo Deleted By Sender Through Notification History (Android 11)
If you are still using an Android 11 phone then you can see the WhatsApp photos that were deleted by the sender. However, for this feature to work the Notification History settings must be enabled on your device. If it is not enabled then you can follow these steps:
Go to Settings >Apps > Notifications > Notification History.
On the next screen, enable the Notification History feature.
The next time you receive a photo that is deleted by the sender before you could see it using this method. For that, you can go to the notification history section and see the photo there itself. The sad thing is that this feature only works for deleted photos and chats but is not viable for viewing the deleted video.
3. Recover From Cloud Backup
The previous method has lots of limitations and might not work for all so you can try the other method which is trying to recover the photos and videos deleted by the sender using cloud backup. Here also you can’t select or preview the media files you want to recover. Also, this method only works if you have already enabled Google Drive backup (in case of Android) and iCloud backup(in case of iPhone)on your WhatsApp account.
Recover Photos Deleted By Sender In WhatsApp (On Android)
Make sure you have enabled Google Drive backup. If the backup is enabled then uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on your Android device.
Again set up your account using the same details which you have used while creating your account previously.
While installing the app it will ask you whether you want to Restore your chats, tap on Restore.
With this, your chat and media files will be restored and you can see them in your account.
Recover WhatsApp Images & Videos Deleted By Sender On iPhone
Here also the steps to recover WhatsApp images and videos remain the same as the previous method. The only difference is in place of Google Drive you have to recover the files from iCloud backup. This method also allows you to recover chats, images, and videos that were either deleted by you or the sender.
However, just like the previous two methods, you can’t preview the files you are recovering and cannot perform selective recovery.
For this method to work, the backup must be already enabled on your device. If it is so then follow these steps to recover deleted WhatsApp media deleted by the sender.
- You need to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp from the App Store on your iPhone.
- Next, fill in the details which you have used previously. At the time of installation, it will ask you for restoration. Choose the option Restore chat history and your deleted images and videos will be recovered.
3. How To Recover WhatsApp Media Deleted By Sender Without backup
In case you have no backup in local as well as cloud storage then only a data recovery software like EaseUS MobiSaver and Stellar data recovery for iPhone might help you recover your lost WhatsApp media deleted by the sender. However, unlike previous methods, this one is not free as these apps charge some money. But don’t worry you do get a free trial of both the apps so you can check them before actually buying them.
In the process to recover WhatsApp videos or photos deleted by the sender using these apps all you need to do is install these apps on your PC and then launch the program. Next, you need to connect your phone to the PC and let the software recognize it. Once the phone is synced with your computer all you need to do is run the scan. Wait for some time and you will be able to recover the deleted WhatsApp data. There is a dedicated WhatsApp section on both the apps so you can go there and select the data that you wish to recover.
Verdict
It’s quite hard to recover WhatsApp photos and videos that are deleted by the sender. It is because once the sender deletes a media from their end it is also deleted from the receiver’s end. However, you should not lose hope and try out different methods that I have shared above in order to recover those deleted WhatsApp files.
If you don’t want to lose your WhatsApp media then I will recommend you always enable the WhatsApp backup. This way even if you lose the files, you can easily recover them from the backup. Also, you can try out a data recovery software if nothing else works for you.
FAQs
How Can I Recover WhatsApp Images Without Backup?
If you don't have a backup then you can recover the deleted photos using a data recovery software.
Does WhatsApp Backup Photos?
Yes, apart from the chats you can also backup photos, videos and voice chats on WhatsApp.
Why My WhatsApp Images Deleted Automatically?
It may be because the sender has deleted the photo from their end. Or they might have sent the photo using the view once option.
