How To Decrypt Whatsapp Messages From Backup Files On Android

Whatsapp is most popular messenger app for any smartphones today. Everyone wants to hack it but its not that easy because Whatsapp uses encryption. It stores backup of messages into your smartphone in encrypted form. Whatsapp encrypts all data into .cryptX format where X can be 5/7/8/12. Whenever Whatsapp encrypts data, it uses a key for encryption. It stores the key into your smartphone. In order to decrypt these messages, we will need that key. This trick works for android phones only!!

Requirements:

• Rooted Android phone: Your phone must be rooted in order to get the key file. To root your device, search on google!!!
• A PC/laptop
• Whatsapp Viewer : It is a tool used to decrypt and view whatsapp messages.

Downloads:

• Whatsapp Viewer : Download
• Solid Explorer : Download

Note: 

• Here, I am using Nox Android Emulator to demonstrate instead of an real android device but all steps are same for both.
• To decrypt ".crypt5" file, you will need your google account linked to your android device.

Steps:

*how to take backup of whatsapp message:

• Open Whatsapp on your phone.
• Go to Setting>Chats>Backup Chat and click on "Backup" button.

• Now, Go to Solid Explorer (you can also go to your favourite explorer if it supports root access).
• Go to Root>data>data>com.whatsapp.

• Now, go to Files folder. There will be a file named "key".This is the file where encryption key is stored.
• Copy this file to your phone's sd card or internal storage. I am storing it in internal storage>downloads.

• Now, Whatsapp database is located in internal storage>Whatsapp>database or sdcard>Whatsapp>Database.

• Now, connect your phone to your PC and copy that Database folder  and that key file to your PC.
• Now Open Database folder to check which encryption method is used. To do that look at the extension of the files. Here it is ".crypt12".

• Now, Open Whatsapp Viewer and go to file>Decrypt .crypt12...(choose according to your encryption extension).

• It will ask for database file and key file.click on "..." button at the end of the database file box.

• It will open a menu to choose the file. browse to database folder copied from your phone and select the file with big in size as main file "msgstore.db.crypt12" ( or you can choose any file) and click on OK button.

• Now click on the "..." button at the end of the key file box.

• Browse to the key file copied from your phone and select it and click OK.

• Now Click on OK to decrypt the file.

• When decryption is completed, it will show the message "Database decrypted to file msgstore.decrypted.db" as shown below. Click OK.

• A file will be created named "msgstore.decrypted.db" where you have stored your database folder or your key file. That file contains your Whatsapp messages in decrypted form.

• To view messages, open Whatsapp viewer again and go to FIle>Open.

• Click on "..." button at the end of file box.

• Browse through the location where your msgstore.decrypted.db file is. Select the file and click OK.

• Now, Click OK to view.

• In the left panel, it will show the chats in the form of mobile numbers. Select any mobile number to show the chat messages at right panel.

• At the bottom of the right panel, 3 options are given if you want to export your chat in form of ".txt/.html/.json" files.
• Enjoy!!!

Video Guide: