Reinstall WhatsApp without Losing Data [Android & iOS]

by Anna Sherry   Updated on 2023-05-09 / Update for  WhatsApp Tips

Has anyone ever reinstalled WhatsApp on your phone? There are some issues with my WhatsApp so I want to uninstall and reinstall it on my device. But my question is will I lose data if I uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp? If yes, can anyone guide me on how to reinstall WhatsApp without losing data? Thank You!”

How do I uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall without losing data? This is the most asked question on online forums when users need to fix different WhatsApp issues by uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp. In case you share the concerns of many WhatsApp new users that a fresh installation of WhatsApp may cause data loss, we have some good ways to help you reinstall WhatsApp without losing data. Continue reading the article for more information.

Part 1: What Will Happen If I Uninstall WhatsApp and Install Again

What happens if I uninstall my WhatsApp? Can I delete and reinstall WhatsApp without losing data? Depending on your device, there may be different cases when you remove or uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall it.

  • If you're using WhatsApp on an Android phone, uninstalling WhatsApp doesn't mean you will delete all the content. Since your WhatsApp chats are automatically backed up and saved to your phone's internal storage on a daily basis, no matter whether you've created a Google Drive WhatsApp backup or not before the uninstallation, you can always restore your chat history and media files to your Android phone when you install the app again, either from your local backup or Google Drive backup.
  • However, things are different when you are a WhatsApp user on iPhone. If you do not back up your chats to iCloud before removing WhatsApp from your phone, you will lose all your messages and media. But as long as you enabled chat backup beforehand, you can easily restore the backup of WhatsApp chats from iCloud during the reinstallation process.

Part 2: For Android, How to Reinstall WhatsApp without Losing Data

Now that you know it is possible to reinstall WhatsApp without losing data, let's go ahead and take a look at how to backup WhatsApp to Google Drive before uninstalling it. Furthermore, you will also learn how to reinstall WhatsApp on Android without data loss. Let's discuss the steps in detail.

Backup WhatsApp to Google Drive Before Uninstalling

Here's how to back up WhatsApp to Google Drive on Android.

  • Open the WhatsApp application on your Android device.
  • Tap the three dots you can find at the top right of the screen, then choose the "Settings" option.
  • Go to the "Chats" option; hit the "Chat Backup" button.
  • Now, tap the "Back up to Google Drive" option.

    backup whatsapp to google drive on android
  • From there, adjust the backup frequency other than Never according to your preference, click the "Google Account" option and select the "Allow" button.
  • Once the WhatsApp account is linked with Google Drive, tap on the "BACK UP" option. Automatically your WhatsApp data will be backed up to Google Drive.

    reinstall whatsapp without losing data on android

Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp Without Losing Data On Android

Once the backup is created, follow the steps below to learn how to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp without losing data on Android.

  • From the home screen or the app drawer, locate and long-tap the WhatsApp icon.
  • When a menu pops out, choose "Uninstall", then tick the option of keeping app data and tap "OK" to remove WhatsApp.

    uninstall whatsapp from android
  • Now, go to the Google Play Store, search WhatsApp and tap Install to get it back on your phone.
  • Once reinstalled, open it and verify your phone number.
  • You'll be prompted to restore your chats and media from Google Drive, so hit the "Restore" option. Don't skip this part as it is important to restore the data; otherwise, you won't be able to do it later.

    reinstall whatsapp without losing data on android
  • Wait for the restoration process to complete, then tap "NEXT" and you should find your old WhatsApp data and chats reappear on the home page.
  • Note: If you do not back up WhatsApp chat history to Google Drive beforehand, when you uninstall and reinstall your WhatsApp, you will be prompted to RESTORE backup from your phone's internal storage. Tap RESTORE and you will regain your WhatsApp messages.

Also Read: How to Restore WhatsApp Chat Without Google Drive on Android and iPhone

Part 3: For iOS, How to Reinstall WhatsApp without Losing Data

Above were all the steps about how to reinstall WhatsApp without losing data on Android. If you want to know how to reinstall WhatsApp on iPhone without losing data, we've got you covered in this section. Here we will guide you on how to backup your WhatsApp data on iCloud and how you can reinstall WhatsApp without losing data iPhone.

Backup WhatsApp to iCloud Before Uninstalling

Below are the steps to create a WhatsApp backup on iCloud.

  • To create a WhatsApp backup on iCloud, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
  • Tap on the BACKUP NOW option on this page to start backing up your WhatsApp chat history and media to iCloud.

    check whatsapp call history after deleting-backup whatsapp chats to icloud
  • Once the backup process is done, you can now go back to the home screen of your iPhone.

Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp without losing data iPhone

To uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp on iPhone, follow the steps below.

  • Long-press the WhatsApp icon until a pop-up window appears, and select Remove App > Delete App > Delete to uninstall WhatsApp.

    uninstall whatsapp from iphone
  • Download the WhatsApp application from the Apple Store and open the app on your iPhone.
  • Once the app is installed, verify your phone number.
  • When WhatsApp asks you to Restore chat history from iCould, tap on the "Restore Chat History" option to restore your messages.

    reinstall whatsapp without losing data on iphone
  • Finally, you have reinstalled WhatsApp without losing data on your iPhone.

Bonus Tip: How to Recover WhatsApp Messages after Uninstall without Backup

Suppose you have accidentally deleted all your WhatsApp messages and don't know how to recover them. Don't worry because we have the perfect tool for you. The name of this amazing application is Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery, which helps recover WhatsApp messages without backup. Hence if you forget to create the backup file and need your WhatsApp messages back, this software is a perfect choice. Below is the step-by-step guide on how to use this application.

  • Download the application on your PC and click the "Recover WhatsApp Data" option. Make sure the USB debugging is on; otherwise, the tool won't be able to recognize your device.

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  • Once the program recognizes your device, you will be moved to a new page from where you have to click the "Start" option.

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  • Follow the instructions on the screen to back up your data.

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  • Once the scanning process is completed, all the WhatsApp data will be shown on your screen; choose the messages that you want to restore and click the "Recover" button.

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  • Finally, you have recovered all your WhatsApp messages.

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Also Read: How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iPhone

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have finally learned all the possible ways of how to reinstall WhatsApp without losing data on Android and iPhone. You can follow these step-by-step guide and get effective results. In case you want to recover deleted messages on Android without reinstallation, you can download Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery. This tool is amazing and has a good success rate.