How to Fix: WhatsApp Restoring from iCloud Not Working

Please I cannot restore my WhatApp from iCloud, I can see the size of the backup but anytime I try it says “Couldn’t restore chat history” please I need you help!

As the above user describes, you may also get the error message that says couldn’t restore chat history, or WhatsApp stuck loading restore when you try to restore WhatsApp messages on the new iPhone. You can not tell how long does WhatsApp restore take exactly, while it seems to take forever.

If you are facing WhatsApp restore stuck on iPhone or a similar WhatsApp restoring issue, then you come to the right place. Here we will share why is WhatsApp taking so long to restore from iCloud. Besides, you can check several efficient solutions to fix WhatsApp restore from iCloud not working, including how to restore WhatsApp chat history iPhone without iCloud.

Also Read: How to Fix Unable to Restore WhatsApp Backup from Google Drive >

Why Is My WhatsApp Not Restoring from iCloud

Normally, the iCloud restoring process went wrong due to some reasons below:

1. Whatsapp couldn’t restore messages you can check the Internet connection first.
2. Make sure you are using a stable WiFi network to fix WhatsApp taking too long to restore from icloud.
3. It will also happen when you are not using the same Apple ID that the backup was created on.
4. Also, the error may be caused by insufficient iCloud storage, so your iPhone couldn’t restore chat history with the actual size.

And, when you couldn’t restore chat history, it means that you may face the following situations:

• Restore WhatsApp from iCloud stuck and will take long ages to restore.
• WhatsApp no iCloud backup found.
• WhatsApp media not downloading after iCloud restore.
• WhatsApp not connected to iCloud.
• WhatsApp won’t download on the new iPhone, etc.

If you are facing the same issues as above, you can check the solutions below on how to fix WhatsApp restore stuck on iPhone.

And if you have deleted your WhatsApp messages, here is a guide on how to restore deleted WhatsApp messages without backup.

How to Restore WhatsApp from iCloud Backup

PhoneRescue for iOS, the top iPhone Data Recovery tool, is recognized as the #1 iCloud and iTunes alternative for recovering iOS data. Unlike the traditional iCloud or iTunes way, there’s no need to erase anything before restoring WhatsApp from your backup. Besides, you can restore Line or Kik messages and attachments, iOS contacts, texts, etc. It also provides you to restore WhatsApp without backup.

Before restoring, you can view the details of the backup file and selectively restore the WhatsApp messages and media files. Now, let’s check how to fix WhatsApp restore from iCloud stuck and restore WhatsApp from iCloud with a third-party tool.

Step 1. Free Download PhoneRescue for iOS on your computer, or click the Download button below directly > Install and run it.

Step 2. Connect your device to the computer via a USB cable > Choose Recover from iCloud > Click on Right Arrow to continue.

Step 3. Sign in with your iCloud account (Apple ID) > Click on Right Arrow > Choose iCloud Backup option.

Step 4. Select an iCloud backup that contains the WhatsApp messages you want to restore > Click Download > Check only WhatsApp > Click OK.

Step 5. Preview and select the WhatsApp chats > Choose restore to iPhone or to computer on the bottom right corner.

How to Restore WhatsApp Chat History iPhone without iCloud

If WhatsApp restore stuck on iPhone or WhatsApp taking too long to restore, even there is no WhatsApp backup, you can try PhoneRescue for iOS to restore WhatsApp without iCloud backup:

Step 1. Also, launch the software and choose Recover from iOS Device.

Step 2. Check WhatsApp to preview your chat history and media.

Step 3. View WhatsApp chat history and choose to restore without iCloud.

How Do I Fix my WhatsApp Backup Stuck on My iPhone?

1. Check Network Settings

A stable network connection is the most basic requirement for restoring data from iCloud. The error message WhatsApp not connected to iCloud may be caused by your iPhone isn’t connected to a strong Wi-Fi or Cellular network, or you are not using the same Apple ID. So first, make sure that your iDevice is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network or cellular data.

2. Update to the Latest iOS 17 and WhatsApp Version

New updates would fix many bugs that may cause issues like WhatsApp restoring from iCloud not working. Make sure that you have the latest version of both iOS and WhatsApp.

To update iPhone to the latest version, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and install.

To get the latest version of WhatsApp, open App Store > Tap the Updates tab at the bottom > Find WhatsApp and tap on the Update button.

3. Turn on iCloud Drive

iCloud Drive allows apps to store documents and data in iCloud. If this feature is not enabled, then the backup you made can’t be restored on your device. So, make sure that you have enabled iCloud Drive on your iPhone before the restoring process.

Note: If you used iCloud Drive to create WhatsApp backup, it will only be able to restore on an iPhone with iOS 9 or later.

4. Check iPhone Storage

If your iPhone doesn’t have enough available storage for the iCloud backup, then it can be the reason why you’re unable to restore WhatsApp from iCloud. In this case, you just need to delete some unnecessary files and free up space on your device for backup.

5. The Same Phone Number and Apple ID

Make sure that you have to use the same phone number and iCloud account (Apple ID), which you used for backing up your WhatsApp messages on the previous phone. If not, just change it with the previous phone number and the same iCloud account. It may fix the WhatsApp restoring from iCloud problem.

6. Make Sure You Are Restoring iCloud Backup Correctly

I have had a problem with my whatsapp and I am trying to recover my chat history from iCloud. I backed up my iPhone on iCloud two weeks ago. Now when I signed back into iCloud and installed Whatsapp again and gave my same old number, Restore from iCloud saying “No Backup found”. But I can see the Whatsapp backup of 2GB in Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. I have enough storage space to restore and I tried with connecting to the different Wi-Fi .

If you’re still facing the issue of no backup found on iCloud WhatsApp Restore like the above user, you need to make sure you’re restoring WhatsApp backup rightly once again. To restore WhatsApp from iCloud:

1. If you backed up with WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup

• Make sure there is WhatsApp backup exists.
• Uninstall WhatsApp and reinstall from App Store.
• Verify your phone number, follow the on-screen instructions to restore chat history.

Note: The phone number used for backing up and restoring must be the same.

2. If you backed up with Settings > [your name] > iCloud

• First erase iPhone: Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
• Then start setting up iPhone: On the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud backup.
• Restore from iCloud: Sign into the same iCloud account that you used to create backup > Choose one backup you want to restore and start restoring.

7. Try to Restore WhatsApp from iTunes Backup or Google Drive

AppTrans allows you to transfer, back up, and restore WhatsApp easily. You can choose to restore WhatsApp data from iTunes backup, from a computer, or Google Drive to iPhone.  Here, we take iTunes backup as an example

Step 1. Get AppTrans installed on your computer > Choose App Restore > Move to iTunes Backup and click Restore button.

Step 2. Here AppTrans will list all your iTunes backups > Select the one that contains the data you need > Click View.

Step 3. Select WhatsApp Messenger > Click View Details or Restore directly.

Step 4. All the WhatsApp chat history will be listed below > Choose the one you want to restore > Click Export button and you can choose export as PDF, HTML, or TXT format.

Try Another Way to Back Up and Restore WhatsApp on iPhone 15

No matter whether your WhatsApp is taking so long to restore from iCloud, or WhatsApp backup is stuck on iPhone, you can try AnyTrans to backup & restore WhatsApp to your iPhone. As a professional iOS data manager, you can backup all WhatsApp data safely and quickly, no worry about WhatsApp not backing up to iCloud. Then, you can restore the backup of WhatsApp to your new iPhone with ease. Besides, you can choose to restore WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone with AnyTrans.

Download and launch AnyTrans on your computer and check the guide below to backup & restore WhatsApp messages:

Step 1. Make a Backup for WhatsApp on iPhone 15

Click Social Messages Manager on the left panel, then choose Back Up WhatsApp > Tap on Back Up Now > Decide whether to encrypt the backup and click Next to Backup.

Step 2. Restore WhatsApp Messages

Head to Restore WhatsApp panel and you can click Restore button to choose one backup to fix WhatsApp taking long to restore from iCloud.

The Bottom Line

With the above solutions, you may have fixed the WhatsApp restoring from iCloud not working error successfully. And you can try PhoneRescue for iOS to restore WhatsApp without iCloud or restore iCloud/iTunes backup successfully, including WhatsApp chats and WhatsApp media.

If you have other troubles while restoring WhatsApp from iCloud, feel free to leave them in the comment section and we will reply to you soon. Lastly, if you find this guide useful, share it to help more users who are also stuck on this problem.