A WhatsApp backup without Google Drive or iCloud is one of two things: a restore image that can put your chats back onto a phone, or a readable copy you can open without WhatsApp. Android keeps a local restore image on the phone itself; a phone-to-phone transfer moves chats with no cloud at all; Export chat writes a readable text file; and a WhatsApp Web export writes a readable spreadsheet. No single method is both restorable and readable, so most people need one of each.
The Mastros WhatsApp Chat Backup is the readable kind. It reads the conversation open in WhatsApp Web and saves it as CSV, JSON or JSONL, one row per message with sender, text and time, written in your browser and saved straight to disk. It does not restore a phone, and it does not replace the official backup; it gives you the copy the official backup cannot.
Restorable or readable: which do you need?
WhatsApp's Google Drive and iCloud backups exist to restore chats onto a new or reset phone. The file they store opens in nothing but WhatsApp, and with end-to-end encrypted backups switched on it opens only with your key. That is the right design for a restore point and useless for reading a conversation from last year.
A readable copy is the opposite: a file you can search, sort and open in Excel, and one WhatsApp cannot restore from. Decide which you need before picking a method; the table at the end sorts the four by it.
How do I back up WhatsApp without Google Drive or iCloud?
1. Copy the local Android backup file
Android WhatsApp writes a local backup to the phone every day whether or not cloud backup is on. Copying that folder is a real, restorable backup that never touches Google.
- In WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chats → Chat backup and tap Back up to write a fresh local copy.
- Open a file manager and go to Internal storage → Android → media → com.whatsapp → WhatsApp.
- Copy the Databases folder, and the Media folder if you want attachments, to a computer, a USB drive or a NAS.
- To restore: install WhatsApp on the new phone, copy the folders back to the same path before opening it, and choose Restore when WhatsApp offers the local backup.
Best for: an Android user who wants a real backup with no Google account involved. iPhone has no equivalent folder; its local route is an encrypted iTunes or Finder backup of the whole phone.
2. Transfer directly to a new phone
- On the old phone, open Settings → Chats → Transfer chats.
- On the new phone, install WhatsApp and reach the transfer screen during setup.
- Scan the QR code with the old phone and keep both unlocked and on the same Wi-Fi until it finishes.
Best for: moving to a new phone, including Android to iPhone and back, with no cloud. It is a move, not a copy: nothing is left behind for later.
3. Export a chat as a text file
- Open the chat, then More options → More → Export chat (on iPhone, the contact or group name, then Export chat).
- Choose Without media or Include media.
- Save the file, share it to a drive, or email it to yourself.
Best for: one conversation, now, on the phone. The file is a plain .txt transcript that WhatsApp cannot re-import, and the export stops at 40,000 messages without media, or 10,000 with. The export limit is its own post.
4. Save a readable spreadsheet from WhatsApp Web with Mastros
- Install the Mastros WhatsApp extension from the Chrome Web Store and open web.whatsapp.com in Chrome, Edge, Brave or another Chromium browser.
- Open the chat or group, and scroll up until the history you want has loaded; the export covers what WhatsApp Web has rendered.
- Choose Chat Messages in the Mastros panel. The fields show before anything is saved.
- Save as CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, JSON for one tidy list, or JSONL for one message per line. For a group, Group Members saves the member list as its own file.
Best for: a searchable, sortable copy you can open anywhere, and a group's member list beside it. Free covers 100 messages and 100 profiles a month with every tool unlocked and no account; Pro is $9 a month for 10,000 messages and Scale is $18 for 500,000.
Which method should I use?
| Restores a phone | Readable without WhatsApp | Opens in Excel | Includes media | Message limit | Runs on | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Android backup | Yes | No | No | Yes, if you copy Media | None | The phone |
| Phone-to-phone transfer | Yes, once | No | No | Yes | None | Both phones |
| Export chat | No | Yes, as text | Awkwardly | Optional | 40,000 without media, 10,000 with | The phone |
| Mastros export | No | Yes | Yes, one row per message | No, media is a separate tool | What WhatsApp Web has loaded | A computer |
Who this is not for
- Anyone who wants to read their Google Drive backup on a computer. It is not a readable file, and nothing opens it but WhatsApp on a phone.
- Anyone who needs a restorable backup from a computer. The Mastros export is readable, not restorable; keep the local Android backup or the official cloud backup for that.
- Anyone hoping to recover deleted messages. No backup method brings back what was deleted before the backup was made.
FAQ
Can I restore WhatsApp chat backups without Google Drive?
On Android, yes: copy the local backup folder back to the new phone at the same path and choose Restore when WhatsApp offers it. Or use Transfer chats between two phones. On iPhone, an encrypted iTunes or Finder backup of the whole phone restores WhatsApp with it.
How do I take a WhatsApp backup locally?
Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up writes a local copy on Android. Then copy the Databases and Media folders under Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp to a computer or drive.
How do I stop WhatsApp backing up to Google Drive?
Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up to Google Account → Never. The daily local backup on the phone continues.
Is a Mastros export a replacement for the official backup?
No. It is a readable copy of a conversation, saved on your computer, that you can search and open in Excel. It cannot restore chats onto a phone. Keep the official backup for device changes and use the export for the copy you can actually read.
Will the other person know I backed up the chat?
No. Every method here reads what your own WhatsApp already shows. WhatsApp tells no one, and the Mastros extension sends nothing.
Related reading
- WhatsApp Chat Backup: the readable export in method 4, and how it differs from the official backup.
- How to Export WhatsApp Messages to CSV: the full walkthrough of the readable route.
- WhatsApp Media Downloader: the photos, videos and voice notes the CSV does not carry.