How to Back Up WhatsApp on iPhone Without iCloud

Myra updated on Feb 27, 2024 to iPhone Data Transfer

To perform WhatsApp backup on iPhone without iCloud, you have three ways to choose from. Read this guide in detail and apply the one you like best to back up WhatsApp on your iPhone without using iCloud.

Update Information
This article was originally written to give instructions on how to transfer WhatsApp data by using EaseUS MobiMover. Some users might download the other software called ChatTrans, that's no problem, as we're migrating the WhatsApp section from MobiMover to ChatTrans, to hopefully manage WhatsApp better in doing transfer, backup and restore.

How Can I Back Up My WhatsApp Messages on iPhone Without iCloud

Method Effectiveness Difficulty
🥇WhatApp transfer software High - a professional WhatsApp-targeted transfer desktop app Easy
🥈iTunes Medium - move the WhatsApp messages by backing up iPhone Medium
🥉Email Low - migrate WhatsApp chat by emailing yourself Easy

Backing up WhatsApp on iCloud is the official way from WhatsApp to make a copy of WhatsApp data. Although it's quite simple to back up your WhatsApp data with iCloud, issues may occur during the backup process.

For example, an iCloud WhatsApp backup needs enough free space on both your iCloud and iPhone. According to WhatsApp:

"You need to have at least 2.05 times the space available in your iCloud account and on your phone than the actual size of your backup."

Thus, the 5GB of free storage provided by Apple may not be sufficient and you need to buy extra storage.

What's more, if your WhatsApp data is in a large size, it will take a long time to back up all of your WhatsApp messages, attachments, and other media files and the backup may get stuck.

Due to such reasons, you may prefer to back up WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud.

Method 1. How to Back Up WhatsApp on iPhone Without iCloud Easily

The most efficient way to back up WhatsApp on an iPhone is to use third-party tools. The WhatApp transfer software - EaseUS ChatTrans also works well as a WhatsApp backup and restore tool. Generally, it allows you to:

  • Access and view your iPhone WhatsApp conversations from a computer
  • Back up WhatsApp to PC and restore WhatsApp data from the backup
  • Transfer WhatsApp chats and attachments from one iPhone to another

Thus, if you are looking to back up your WhatsApp messages without iCloud, using such a tool will fulfill your needs perfectly.

Method 2. How to Back Up WhatsApp on iPhone with iTunes

If you back up your iPhone using iTunes, you also make a backup for WhatsApp on your device. That's because an iTunes backup includes almost all data and settings on your device, including WhatsApp data.

Unlike a third-party tool that enables you to back up WhatsApp on your iPhone only, iTunes will make a copy of your other data and settings, together with WhatsApp chats. What's more, you cannot view or access your WhatsApp chats in iTunes or from the iTunes backup. If you want to read your WhatsApp information from the backup, you have to restore a device from the backup. That means if the target device has been set up already, you will need to erase it in advance.

To back up WhatsApp on iPhone using iTunes:

Step 1. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable and wait for iTunes to launch automatically.

Step 2. Unlock your iPhone and trust the computer. If required, enter your iPhone passcode to continue.

Step 3. In iTunes, click the "Device" tab and choose "Summary".

Step 4. Click "Back Up Now" to start backing up WhatsApp on iPhone without iCloud.

Method 3. How to Export WhatsApp Chats via Email

Using an email is more like a way to transfer WhatsApp data rather than backing up chats. However, if you attempt to back up a small number of WhatsApp conversations, exporting your WhatsApp messages using an email is advisable.

Let's see how to export WhatsApp chat history to save a chat to another device.

Step 1. Open WhatsApp and click the chat you'd like to back up.

Step 2. Tap the name of the contact or the group.

Step 3. Choose "Export Chat".

Step 4. Select "Attach Media" or "Without Media" according to your needs.

Step 5. Open Mail, type in your email address, then click "Send" to export your WhatsApp chats.

Step 6. On your computer or other devices, check the email and save the chats to your device.

Bonus Tip: How to Back Up WhatsApp on iCloud

It's undeniable that using iCloud has some disadvantages, but it's also true that you can enjoy some benefits if you back up WhatsApp on your iPhone to iCloud.

iCloud allows you to perform a backup wirelessly and you can sync data across your devices that use the same Apple ID account. Moreover, it's quite convenient to back up WhatsApp data using iCloud since no computer or third-party software is required.

To back up WhatsApp to iCloud:

Step 1. Turn on "iCloud Drive" via "Settings" > [your name] > "iCloud".

Step 2. In WhatsApp, go to "Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat Backup".

Step 3. Click "Back Up Now" to make a manual backup. (You can switch on "Auto Backup" to allow automatic and scheduled backups.)

The Bottom Line

These are the common ways to back up WhatsApp on iPhone, either with or without iCloud. Some users may also want to back up WhatsApp to Google Drive on the iPhone. Unluckily, there is no direct way to get it done so far. Thus, it's easier to back up your WhatsApp data to PC or cloud storage.

Carry out the way best suited to your needs to make a backup of your WhatsApp chats with a few simple clicks.

FAQs

Whatever you want to know about how to back up WhatsApp on your iPhone without using iCloud, our Frequently Asked Questions section has got you covered!

1. How can I move WhatsApp conversations from Android to iPhone?

You are able to use EaseUS ChatTrans to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone. In addition, Move to iOS is also available, but it's less efficient.

2. What data from WhatsApp can I transfer to my new phone?

You can transfer your account information, profile photo, individual chats, group chats, chat history, media, and settings. You can't transfer your call history or display name.

3. Can I transfer WhatsApp data to iPhone using Google Drive?

You are allowed to use Google Drive to back up your WhatsApp data on an Android device. But WhatsApp uses iCloud to back up data on an iPhone. So Google Drive is not available to restore WhatsApp backup on iPhone device.