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From: Marion <marion@facts.com>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: How to back up WhatsApp to local storage on your Android device
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:58:44 -0000 (UTC)
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Someone asked about WhatsApp backups, where I use WhatsApp only because I
get videos and photos every day from iPhone family members, so I asked them
to use WhatsApp so that media wouldn't be blurred using SMS/MMS messaging.

I just now wanted to backup all the media to Windows, where it's stored in:
 PC\Galaxy A32 5G\Internal storage\Android\media\com.whatsapp\WhatsApp\

There's a folder for "Media" which breaks that into a dozen different types 
but the main 2 types for me are "WhatsApp Images" & "WhatsApp Videos".

Interestingly to the point someone made, there are folders for "Backups" &
"Databases" in that area. However the files in there end with "crypt14".

Looking up what's going on, apparently WhatsApp puts encrypted local
backups of the chat data in Databases so I decided to test out backup.

1. On Windows, I displayed the Android mirrored onto my monitor
2. On that mirror, in WhatsApp, I tapped the top-right hamburger.
3. WhatsApp:Settings > Chats > Chat backup
4. Most people will have a Google Account so they will need to set
   "Back up to Google Drive" to "Never" but I have no Google Account.
    So mine says "Google Account: None selected"
5. Then press the big fat green "Back up" button.

That might work for most people who have accounts, but mine errors with
 "Select a Google account to continue"

Hmm... what does that mean. Does it mean you can't do a local backup of
WhatsApp chat messages unless you have a Google Account? Seems odd to me.

Any ideas?