Skip to content
ChatcoveChatcoveChatcove Docs

WhatsApp was not found in this backup

"WhatsApp was not found in this backup" means Chatcove opened the backup but it contains no WhatsApp message data. If WhatsApp is installed on the iPhone and has chats, make a fresh backup and try again.

Everything stays on your Mac. This check reads the backup stored on your Mac only.

What you see

Section titled "What you see"

On the WhatsApp history card, the pill No WhatsApp and the message: "WhatsApp was not found in this backup. If WhatsApp is installed on the iPhone, make a fresh backup and try again." The button is Back up again.

In one-click export the card reads: "No WhatsApp data was found in the backup. Make sure WhatsApp is installed and has chats on the iPhone."

This is a calm explanation, not a crash. The backup password was accepted, so your saved password is fine.

Common causes

Section titled "Common causes"
  1. WhatsApp is not installed on this iPhone. Chatcove reads the WhatsApp databases that are stored inside the iPhone backup. If the app was never installed here, or was deleted, there is nothing to read.
  2. WhatsApp is installed but has no chats yet. Open WhatsApp on the iPhone and confirm your chats are there.
  3. The backup was made before WhatsApp was installed, or before the chats existed. A backup is a snapshot. A backup made earlier does not contain what came later.
  4. The backup is incomplete. If an earlier backup was interrupted, it may be missing the WhatsApp data.
  5. You are using WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp Business is not supported. Chatcove reads only the regular WhatsApp app's data from the backup, so Business chats are not found. If the iPhone has both apps, only the regular WhatsApp chats are read.

Fix

Section titled "Fix"
  1. On the iPhone, open WhatsApp and make sure your chats are there.
  2. In Chatcove, click Back up again on the card. In one-click export, click Back up again on the main card.
  3. Keep the iPhone unlocked and plugged in, and enter its passcode when it asks. See Backup stuck or slow if it takes a while.
  4. When the backup finishes, Chatcove reads your history again.

If you chose Use existing backup, that reuses the older backup. After a fresh backup, the new data is included.

Still not found

Section titled "Still not found"

If WhatsApp has chats on the iPhone and a fresh, complete backup still reports no WhatsApp, send a problem report. It contains technical details only, never your messages: Send a problem report.

Section titled "Related"