Most people only think about WhatsApp backup after the old phone is already sold or reset. A correct backup takes five minutes and saves years of chats, photos and voice notes. Do it in this order.

1. Take a fresh backup now

Open WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup. Check the Google account shown is one you actually use, tap Back up, and stay on Wi-Fi until it reaches 100 percent. Include videos only if you have enough Drive space — videos make backups very large and slow.

2. Set automatic daily backup

On the same screen set Back up to Google Drive → Daily and turn on end-to-end encrypted backup if you want extra protection — but save that backup password somewhere safe at home, because without it even you cannot restore.

3. Restore on the new phone

  1. Sign the same Google account into the new phone first.
  2. Install WhatsApp and verify the same phone number.
  3. When WhatsApp finds the backup, tap Restore and wait on Wi-Fi.
  4. Open a few old chats and check media is downloading before you use the old phone for anything else.
Faster option on new phones: WhatsApp also offers direct chat transfer without Drive: old phone WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Transfer chats, then scan the QR code shown on the new phone. Both phones must stay close, charged and on Wi-Fi.

Backup stuck or not found? Fix these

  • Wrong account: the backup lives on the Google account used on the old phone — add that account to the new phone.
  • Drive full: a full Google Drive stops backups silently. Delete large Drive files or remove old WhatsApp backups you no longer need.
  • Stuck at a percentage: connect to stable Wi-Fi, plug in the charger, update WhatsApp, and restart once — then start the backup again.
  • Different number: change the number inside WhatsApp on the old phone first (Settings → profile → number) before backing up.
Never uninstall first: Do not uninstall WhatsApp or reset the old phone until the new phone shows your chats complete. The old phone is your only second copy until the restore is verified.
Read also: Backup is not the same as recovery — recover deleted WhatsApp messages step by step →

Frequently asked questions

Does WhatsApp backup include photos and videos?

Photos are included. Videos are included only if you turned on Include videos in Chat backup — otherwise video files are not part of the backup.

My new phone does not find any backup. Why?

Almost always the Google account or the phone number is different from the old phone. Sign in with the exact same Google account and verify the same number, then reinstall WhatsApp.

Is WhatsApp backup free?

Yes, but it uses your Google account storage. Very large backups with videos can fill the free 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos.