Forgot your WhatsApp encrypted backup password: what you can do

If WhatsApp asks for a credential to open an encrypted backup, first identify which one: it may be a password, passkey, or 64-digit encryption key. Then check whether WhatsApp is still open with your chats. Your options depend on that access.

Identify the credential the backup asks for

The encrypted backup password is different from the password you use to lock the app. WhatsApp describes three options: a password, passkey, or 64-digit encryption key. A passkey may be saved in a supported password manager, such as Google Password Manager on Android. Check that manager before switching devices. See how encrypted backups work.

If WhatsApp is still open

If you can still access your chats, WhatsApp says you can change the encrypted backup password:

1. Open Settings → Chats → Chat backup.
2. Tap End-to-end encrypted backup → Change password → I forgot my password.
3. Verify your identity using a method WhatsApp offers on that screen, such as your device PIN, a passkey, or another credential, and create a new password.

This option requires continued access to WhatsApp and a way to verify your identity. See the password change help; don’t assume the same option appears on every phone.

If you no longer have access to your chats

Look for the original password or key and check whether your passkey is saved in a supported password manager. WhatsApp cannot reset the password, send you a copy, or restore the backup if you have lost access to the account and cannot remember the original credential. Turning encryption off or creating a new passkey will not open that backup: you need the secret that protected it.

WhatsApp limits you to five attempts to enter a password or key; after that, you have to wait, though the help page does not say for how long. Avoid trying guesses in a row. Also, don’t start a new backup on another device while you are trying to access the old one: a new backup may replace the one you need.

If you lost access because someone else registered your number, follow the steps to recover a compromised WhatsApp account. That task covers account access; this page covers the credential for encrypted chat history.