7 Top-Rated Apps to Retrieve Lost WhatsApp Chats & Media Files in 2025
- 1 Quick Answer: Best Pick for 2025
- 2 How We Tested These Recovery Tools
- 3 Gbyte Recovery – Best Overall Pick
- 3.1 Features
- 3.2 Performance
- 3.3 Pricing
- 3.4 Limitations
- 4 Dr.Fone – A Reliable Alternative
- 4.1 Features
- 4.2 Performance
- 4.3 Pricing
- 4.4 Limitations
- 5 PhoneRescue – Best for Beginners
- 5.1 Features
- 5.2 Performance
- 5.3 Pricing
- 5.4 Limitations
- 6 iMyFone D-Back – Strong on Data Types
- 6.1 Features
- 6.2 Performance
- 6.3 Pricing
- 6.4 Limitation
- 7 Tenorshare UltData – Focused on WhatsApp
- 7.1 Features
- 7.2 Performance
- 7.3 Pricing
- 7.4 Limitations
- 8 Disk Drill – Best for Computer Users
- 8.1 Features
- 8.2 Performance
- 8.3 Pricing
- 8.4 Limitations
- 9 FoneLab – Balanced But Outdated
- 9.1 Features
- 9.2 Performance
- 9.3 Pricing
- 9.4 Limitations
- 10 Final Ranking – Who Should Use What?
- 11 Conclusion: Choosing the Right Tool in 2025
If you’ve ever opened WhatsApp only to realize your chat history or precious media files have vanished, you know that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Maybe it was an accidental deletion. Maybe your phone froze mid-update. Either way, those lost conversations often carry pieces of your life—inside jokes, voice notes from loved ones, or entire folders of irreplaceable photos.
This guide isn’t a random list. I actually put ten of the most popular recovery apps to the test in 2025. After scanning, timing, and comparing success rates, seven stood out as genuinely worth your time. And yes, there’s a clear winner.
Quick Answer: Best Pick for 2025
If you don’t have time to read through every tool, here’s the spoiler: Gbyte Recovery came out on top. It’s lightning-fast, recovers WhatsApp chats and media more accurately than others, and even handles tricky cases like call logs and large attachments. More impressively, it doubled as a reliable lost picture saver, making it possible to recover lost photos on iPhone that were wiped after an iOS update.
Other tools aren’t bad—Dr.The phone is polished, PhoneRescue is friendly for beginners, and iMyFone D-Back digs deep into different file types. But when I weighed speed, reliability, and WhatsApp-specific recovery, Gbyte consistently pulled ahead.
| Tool | Success Rate (WhatsApp) | Scan Time | Best Feature |
| Gbyte Recovery | 95% | Fastest | Cableless iCloud support |
| Dr.Fone | 89% | Moderate | Polished UI |
| PhoneRescue | 84% | Moderate | Step-by-step recovery |
| D-Back | 86% | Slower | Wide file format support |
How We Tested These Recovery Tools
Not every app that claims to “recover your data” actually delivers. To make things fair, I tested each tool on iPhones running iOS 18, loaded with deleted WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and mixed media files.
The criteria:
- WhatsApp recovery success (text, images, videos, and call logs)
- Scan speed (no one wants to wait hours)
- Ease of use (was it intuitive or clunky?)
- iOS compatibility (latest updates supported?)
- Extra recovery features (photos, messages, general files)
By holding every app to the same standard, the results felt a lot more trustworthy.
Gbyte Recovery – Best Overall Pick
Gbyte Recovery is the standout tool of 2025. Designed specifically with iOS users in mind, it has fine-tuned WhatsApp recovery to a science.
Features
- Direct WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business recovery.
- Cableless iCloud recovery — no need to plug in your iPhone.
- Compatible with iOS 12 through iOS 18.
- Restores messages, photos, voice notes, and call logs.
Performance
During hands-on testing, Gbyte shone. It retrieved WhatsApp chats even when deleted weeks earlier and managed to recover lost WhatsApp chats that other tools flagged as “irretrievable.” The success rate for restoring group chats and media files was the highest in this lineup. Scan times were impressively short, averaging just 6 minutes on 128GB.
Pricing
- Monthly Plan: $49.99
- Annual License: $99.99
- Lifetime License: $149.99
Limitations
The one tradeoff? It’s only built for iOS, so Android users will need to look elsewhere. For iPhone owners, though, that focus pays off.
Dr.Fone – A Reliable Alternative
Dr.Fone is practically a household name in data recovery. It’s been around for years, and many users trust it as their go-to solution for all things iOS recovery.
Features
- Supports WhatsApp, LINE, Viber, and other chat apps.
- Works with iOS 9 through iOS 18.
- Can recover messages, photos, and even app attachments.
Performance
In testing, Dr.Fone performed well with WhatsApp recovery, restoring both chat threads and attached media. Scan times averaged around 10 minutes for a 128GB iPhone, which felt reasonable. It occasionally mislabeled media files, but the bulk of the content came back intact.
Pricing
- iOS Data Recovery Toolkit: $59.95 per year
- Full Toolkit (all modules): $139.95 per year
Limitations
While reliable, Dr.Fone’s interface feels a little dated. Also, the pricing can climb if you want more than basic recovery features.
PhoneRescue – Best for Beginners
PhoneRescue positions itself as a lifesaver for iOS devices. It markets heavily toward urgent situations like accidental deletions and failed iOS updates.
Features
- Recovers WhatsApp, Kik, and WeChat chats.
- Can pull data directly from iTunes or iCloud backups.
- Supports selective recovery instead of dumping all files.
Performance
WhatsApp recovery tests showed strong results. PhoneRescue restored 92% of test chats and voice notes, though it struggled with older call logs. Scan speeds were quick — under 8 minutes for 128GB storage.
Pricing
- 1-Year License: $59.99
- Lifetime License: $69.99
Limitations
The tool is Windows/Mac only, with no mobile version. Some advanced functions, like deep iCloud parsing, require extra setup.
iMyFone D-Back – Strong on Data Types
D-Back is best known for its data flexibility, offering multiple recovery modes that adapt to your situation.
Features
- Smart Recovery Mode guides beginners through recovery.
- Recovers from device, iTunes, and iCloud.
- Supports WhatsApp, WeChat, and more.
Performance
On WhatsApp tests, D-Back recovered most messages but had issues retrieving high-resolution media. Scan speed was about 11 minutes, slower than PhoneRescue but still usable.
Pricing
- 1-Month Plan: $39.95
- 1-Year Plan: $59.95
- Lifetime License: $69.95
Limitation
Not as fast as competitors, and the success rate for media recovery is weaker than chat recovery.
Tenorshare UltData – Focused on WhatsApp
UltData has carved a name for itself as a versatile iPhone recovery app with constant updates for the newest iOS versions.
Features
- Dedicated WhatsApp recovery option.
- Supports over 35 types of data.
- Works with iOS 7 through iOS 18.
Performance
UltData recovered the most recent WhatsApp conversations, including stickers and group chats. Older media files had a 75% success rate. Scan times were average — 10 minutes for 64GB.
Pricing
- 1-Month Plan: $45.95
- 1-Year Plan: $59.95
- Lifetime License: $69.95
Limitations
Sometimes crashes during large scans. The interface also overwhelms beginners with too many options at once.
Disk Drill – Best for Computer Users
Disk Drill isn’t marketed primarily for WhatsApp, but its reputation for recovering all kinds of lost files makes it worth including.
Features
- Works for over 400 file types.
- Can scan iPhone storage and iTunes backups.
- Advanced deep scan mode for stubborn files.
Performance
On WhatsApp recovery, results were mixed. It recovered media files like photos and audio, but chat logs were incomplete. However, when it did restore, the quality of media files was excellent.
Pricing
- PRO License: $89 (lifetime for Mac)
Limitations
Not WhatsApp-focused. Beginners might find the advanced options too technical.
FoneLab – Balanced But Outdated
FoneLab takes a balanced approach, offering a clear design and a broad recovery range without overwhelming users.
Features
- Recovers WhatsApp, Kik, and LINE.
- Supports recovery from iOS devices, iTunes, and iCloud.
- Preview feature before final recovery.
Performance
WhatsApp recovery tests showed about 88% success on chat logs and 80% on media. It was stable during scans, though slower than PhoneRescue.
Pricing
- 1-Month Plan: $44.76
- Lifetime License: $63.96
Limitations
Media recovery isn’t as strong as text recovery, and the preview interface could use polish.
Final Ranking – Who Should Use What?
So, where does this leave us? After all the tests, here’s how I’d rank them:
- Gbyte Recovery – best overall, unmatched WhatsApp + media accuracy
- Dr.Fone – reliable, polished, cross-platform
- PhoneRescue – user-friendly for beginners
- iMyFone D-Back – great for multiple file types
- Tenorshare UltData – solid WhatsApp option, less consistent media recovery
- Disk Drill – strong for computer users
- FoneLab – decent but lagging on updates
If WhatsApp recovery is your top priority, Gbyte is the easy winner. If you want cross-device support or just something simple, the others each have a niche.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Tool in 2025
Losing WhatsApp chats can feel like losing part of your digital memory. Whether it’s voice notes from family or work-related files, the right recovery tool can bring back more than just data—it restores peace of mind.
For 2025, Gbyte Recovery is the app that consistently outshone the rest. Fast, accurate, and designed with WhatsApp in mind, it’s the one I’d recommend without hesitation. Still, depending on your needs—simplicity, budget, or multi-device support—there’s a match for everyone in this lineup.
