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How to Backup WhatsApp on iPhone Without iCloud

Nicola Massimo

Written By Nicola Massimo |

"Is there any solution to back up WhatsApp data on iPhone without iCloud?"

If a similar query has brought you here, then this would undoubtedly be the last guide that you will read about WhatsApp backup.

Most regular WhatsApp users already know how the app lets us back up its data on iCloud. Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of times when people don’t wish to use this feature. For instance, you might be running on low space on iCloud or have security concerns. The good news is that there are several ways to back up WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud.

Learn more from our YouTube tutorial:

Recommended reading: If are not using iCloud backup for personal reasons, you should sign out of your iCloud account correctly on your device to protect you data privacy in case that it syncs your data online.

Part 1: Why Backup WhatsApp Without iCloud?

There are several reasons why you might want to backup WhatsApp without iCloud:

  • Limited iCloud Storage: Apple only offers 5GB of free iCloud storage, which is shared across all your apps, photos, and backups. WhatsApp backups can quickly consume storage.
  • Privacy Concerns: Some users prefer not to store their private chats on iCloud due to security reasons.
  • Backup Flexibility: Alternative backup methods allow you to store backups on a computer, Google Drive, or an external hard drive for better control.
  • iCloud Issues: Some users experience iCloud backup errors or find iCloud syncing to be too slow.

Now, let's explore the best ways to back up WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud.

Comparison Table: MobileTrans vs. iTunes vs. Email Chat Backup

MobileTrans iTunes Email Chat Backup
Backup Type Full WhatsApp backup Full iPhone backup (including WhatsApp) Individual chat export
Selective Backup ✅ Yes ❌ No (backs up entire iPhone) ✅ Yes (only selected chats)
Storage Location Computer (Mac/PC) Computer (Mac/PC) Email (Cloud-based)
Restorable to WhatsApp? ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (but restores entire iPhone) ❌ No (chats saved as text)
Includes Media Files? ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes (if chosen)
Backup Speed 🚀 Fast 🐢 Slow 🚀 Fast
Ease of Use ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Very Easy) ⭐⭐⭐ (Requires iTunes setup) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Simple for small chats)
iCloud-Free? ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Best For Complete backup with restore option Full iPhone backup (not WhatsApp-specific) Saving and sharing small chat history

Part 2: How to Backup WhatsApp on iPhone Without iCloud Using MobileTrans

If you are looking for a hassle-free and one-click solution to how to back up WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud, then you should try MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer. It provides seamless backup and restore support for numerous apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, Kik, and Viber. Not just that, the application can also directly transfer WhatsApp to new iPhone without iCloud (even between iOS and Android). Therefore, using MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer, you can easily switch smartphones without losing your social data.

MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer

Back up WhatsApp from iPhone to Computer with a few Clicks!

  • • Back up your WhatsApp chats, attachments, contacts, and voice notes.
  • • Stored on the local system’s storage and freed up space on iCloud.
  • • Restore the backups to your smartphone whenever you need them without overwriting.
  • • The data quality is not compromised in the process and is kept 98% secure.
4,085,556 people have downloaded it

Follow the steps to learn how to back up your WhatsApp with 1 click.

1. Launch the MobileTrans and visit its home page's “Backup&Restore” section. Also, ensure your iPhone is connected to the system using an authentic cable.

 MobileTrans home

2. Click "WhatsApp" to get things started. You can find other different options here.

backup whatsapp home

3. The application will automatically start taking an extensive backup of all the WhatsApp chats and media. So simply wait a while and keep your phone connected until the process is completed.

ios-whatsapp-backup-03

4. At the end, when the entire backup is stored on the system, you will be notified. You can view the backup content from here as well if you want.

ios-whatsapp-backup-04

5. Similarly, you can restore the backup to any device by connecting it to the system and viewing the backup content. Select the data you wish to save and export to the desired format or restore it to the device.

ios-whatsapp-backup-06

Pros:

  • One-click backup without iCloud
  • Stores backups locally on your PC/Mac for easy access
  • No storage limitations, unlike iCloud
  • Restores WhatsApp backup easily to any iPhone or Android device

Part 3: How to Backup WhatsApp on iPhone Without iCloud Using iTunes

iTunes is the first thing that comes to mind when we wish to back up WhatsApp without iCloud. Like iCloud, iTunes is also a native solution that Apple provides to manage our iOS devices. Using it, you can backup your entire device and later restore it as well.

While the solution is free, it would take a backup of the entire phone memory – including WhatsApp. Later, the backup would be restored, wiping off the phone’s existing data. Therefore, you are recommended to follow this approach only when resetting your device.

  1. Simply connect your iPhone to your computer (Mac/Windows) using a working lightning cable. Also, launch an updated version of iTunes on it and let it detect your device.
  2. Once your iPhone is detected, go to its Summary tab. Next, click the “BACK UP NOW” button under the Backups tab and ensure that you are taking the backup on “This Computer.”
  3. Wait for a while as iTunes will save the backup of your device, including your WhatsApp chats and attachments. Later, you can follow the same procedure and choose to restore the backup to your iOS device instead.

backup-whatsapp-without-icloud-2

Pros:

  • Free solution
  • Stores a backup on the local computer

Cons:

  • Will back up the entire device
  • While restoring the backup, it would wipe the existing data on iPhone
  • No provision to selectively restore or preview WhatsApp data
  • Compatibility issues while restoring to different iOS versions

Part 4: How to Backup WhatsApp on iPhone Using Email Chat Backup

If you only have a handful of conversations to back up WhatsApp, you can email them to yourself as well. This can be done by the native feature of WhatsApp that lets us email conversations to any contact. You can even choose to include or exclude attachments in the backup mail. Ideally, this would not restore your WhatsApp chats back to your device. Instead, though, it will make sure that you always have a backup of your important chats saved on your email. Here’s how you can backup WhatsApp without iCloud via the email chat feature.

1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone and go to the conversation (individual chat or group) you wish to save.

2. Swipe the conversation icon on WhatsApp and go to its more options to find the “Email Chat” feature. You can also tap the chat icon, go to its info, and select the “Email Chat” option.

backup-whatsapp-without-icloud-3

3. This will give you an option to include/exclude chat attachments. Since most email servers have a limit of 20 MB, it is recommended not to attach large media files.

4. Later, it will ask you to select the email app. A draft window would be opened with a TXT file of your WhatsApp chats automatically attached. You can now send this email to yourself or any other contact.

backup-whatsapp-without-icloud-4

Pros:

  • Free
  • Will maintain a backup on your email server

Cons:

  • A bit complicated to follow
  • It won’t restore your chats to WhatsApp
  • Mostly, media files can’t be included in the backup
  • Tedious to multiple backup conversations

Part 5: FAQs

1. Can I restore WhatsApp backup from Google Drive to iPhone?

Unfortunately, it's not possible to directly restore WhatsApp backups from Google Drive to an iPhone. This is because WhatsApp for iOS uses iCloud for backups, while WhatsApp for Android uses Google Drive. The backup formats are not compatible with each other due to the different operating systems.However, you can learn how to migrate your WhatsApp data from Google Drive iPhone by this link.

2. How to Backup WhatsApp with iCloud?

To back up your WhatsApp data using iCloud on an iPhone, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
2. Go to "Settings" within WhatsApp.
3. Tap on "Chats" and then select "Chat Backup."
4. Tap on "Back Up Now" to immediately start the backup process.

You can also set up automatic backups by toggling on the "Auto Backup" option and selecting the frequency at which you'd like the backups to occur.

It's important to ensure that your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network and that there is enough iCloud storage available to complete the backup process.

3. Can I back up WhatsApp on my iPhone to Google Drive?

No, it is not possible to back up WhatsApp data from an iPhone to Google Drive. WhatsApp for iOS uses iCloud for backups, while WhatsApp for Android uses Google Drive. The backup formats are not compatible due to the different operating systems. However, you can transfer your WhatsApp to Android by MobileTrans, and then back up WhatsApp data from Android to Google Drive.

Conclusion

There you go! Now when you know three different ways to back up WhatsApp without iCloud, you can easily keep your data safe. If you wish to save time and effort while managing your WhatsApp data, then prefer using MobileTrans - WhatsApp Transfer. It is a highly resourceful social management app that lets you backup and restore WhatsApp, LINE, WeChat, Kik, and Viber data. Apart from that, you can also directly transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud, irrespective of the platform it runs on. Go ahead and give this popular application a try and never lose your social app data again!

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Nicola Massimo

Nicola Massimo

staff Editor

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