Install Chatcove on Windows
Chatcove for Windows needs the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. Install that, download and run the Chatcove installer, then plug in your iPhone, unlock it and tap Trust. Everything stays on your computer.
Chatcove 0.2.0 is the first Windows version. Its installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows and your browser will warn you about it. Windows says Chatcove is unsafe explains why and how to get past the warnings safely.
Before you start
Section titled "Before you start"- Windows 10 (version 22H2) or Windows 11, 64-bit.
- An iPhone with WhatsApp, its USB cable, and the iPhone's passcode.
- Free disk space at least the size of your iPhone's backup.
Full list: Requirements.
1. Install Apple Devices
Section titled "1. Install Apple Devices"Windows needs Apple's iPhone driver and device service to talk to an iPhone. Both come with the free Apple Devices app.
- Open the Microsoft Store and search for Apple Devices, or open Apple Devices in the Microsoft Store.
- Click Get (or Install) and wait for it to finish.
iTunes for Windows includes the same service, so if you already use iTunes you can skip this step. If you forget, Chatcove notices and shows you how to get Apple Devices.
2. Download Chatcove
Section titled "2. Download Chatcove"- On your Windows PC, open chatcove.app/download. It gives you the Windows installer.
- The file is named
chatcove-0.2.0-x64-setup.exeand is about 123 MB. You can also download it from Chatcove's GitHub releases page.
Only download Chatcove from chatcove.app or that GitHub page. If your browser says the file "isn't commonly downloaded", see browser warnings. To make sure the file is exactly the one we published, check its SHA-256.
3. Run the installer
Section titled "3. Run the installer"- Double-click
chatcove-0.2.0-x64-setup.exein your Downloads folder. - If a blue "Windows protected your PC" box appears, click More info, then Run anyway. It shows "Unknown publisher" because the installer is not signed yet. See the SmartScreen warning.
- If Smart App Control blocks the installer with no way to run it, read Smart App Control before changing anything.
- Follow the installer. It installs Chatcove just for you, so it needs no administrator rights. The default folder is
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Chatcove, and you can choose another one. - Click Install, then Finish. The installer adds a Chatcove shortcut to your desktop and the Start menu.
4. First launch
Section titled "4. First launch"The first time Chatcove opens it shows a short guided setup, "Set up Chatcove". Click Get started, or Skip setup to go straight to the app.
If Apple Devices is not installed yet, Chatcove shows Install Apple Devices to connect your iPhone:
- Click Get Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store and install it.
- Back in Chatcove, click Check again. You do not need to restart Chatcove; it also checks again by itself every few seconds.
If Apple Devices is installed but its service is stopped, Chatcove shows Start Apple Mobile Device Service instead. Click Open Services, find Apple Mobile Device Service in the list, right-click it and choose Start. If it is already running, restarting your computer usually fixes it.
5. Connect your iPhone and tap Trust
Section titled "5. Connect your iPhone and tap Trust"- Plug the iPhone into the PC with its cable. Use a cable that carries data and plug it straight into the PC when you can.
- Unlock the iPhone and keep it on the home screen.
- The iPhone asks "Trust This Computer?". Tap Trust and enter the iPhone's passcode on the phone.
- Chatcove shows your iPhone within a few seconds.
The first time an iPhone is plugged into a PC, Windows may still be installing Apple's driver. Chatcove tells you what is happening:
| What Chatcove shows | What to do |
|---|---|
| Windows needs Apple's iPhone driver | Keep the iPhone plugged in and unlocked. This usually fixes itself in a minute or two. If not, click Open Windows Update, choose Check for updates, then Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates, and install anything from Apple. |
| Restart your computer to finish setting up | Windows installed or updated the Apple driver and needs a restart. Save your work, choose Restart (not Shut down), then open Chatcove and plug the iPhone in again. Your settings and any backup are kept. |
| The Apple driver for your iPhone is not working | Unplug the iPhone, restart the PC, plug it in again and wait a minute. If it comes back, the card walks you through updating the driver in Device Manager or reinstalling Apple Devices. |
Before a backup, close the Apple Devices app and iTunes if they are open, so they do not compete with Chatcove for the iPhone. Chatcove reminds you if one of them is running.
Then carry on with your first export. The steps are the same as on a Mac.
Where Chatcove stores things on Windows
Section titled "Where Chatcove stores things on Windows"| What | Location |
|---|---|
| The app | C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Chatcove\ (or the folder you chose) |
| App data (settings, licence, saved backup passwords, decrypted WhatsApp data, search index, media cache) | C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Chatcove\ |
| iPhone backups (default) | C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Chatcove\backups\ |
| Log files | C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Chatcove\logs\ |
| Your exports | The folder you pick in the export dialog. |
You can type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Chatcove in the File Explorer address bar to open the data folder. Your saved backup password is protected by Windows for your user account before it is written to disk. Nothing in these folders is uploaded. See Privacy.
To keep backups on another drive, use Settings > Storage > Backup location > Change, as described in choosing another backup folder.
Updating
Section titled "Updating"Chatcove 0.2.0 for Windows cannot update itself until the app is signed. When a newer Windows version comes out, download it from chatcove.app and install it over the old one. Your backups, settings and licence stay. If you tested 0.2.0-beta.1 or 0.2.0-beta.2, install 0.2.0 the same way.
See the changelog for what changed in each version.
Uninstall
Section titled "Uninstall"- In Chatcove, open Settings and click Remove license, so the seat is free for another computer. Skip this if you never activated a licence.
- Optional: to delete one iPhone's backup and data from inside the app, use Settings > Storage > Delete everything for this iPhone. It cannot be undone.
- Quit Chatcove.
- Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10, Settings > Apps > Apps & features), find Chatcove and click Uninstall.
- Uninstalling does not remove your backups. To get the space back, delete the
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Chatcove\folder, and any backup folder you moved to another drive.
Your exports are not deleted by any of these steps. Apple Devices stays installed; remove it separately if you no longer need it.
Windows on ARM
Section titled "Windows on ARM"Chatcove for Windows is built for 64-bit x64 PCs. Windows on ARM PCs run it under Windows' built-in emulation. We have tested that, but most testing was on regular x64 PCs. If something does not work, send a problem report.