Friday, February 7, 2025

How to Read Encrypted Whatsapp Messages

With more than 100 billion messages sent each day on WhatsApp, the sheer volume of conversations that happened on whatsapp is staggering. Among these, a vast majority are protected by encryption, a feature that ensures only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. 

But what happens when you need to access these encrypted messages under special circumstances? Perhaps you’re a concerned parent, a vigilant employer, or facing legal necessities. Whatever the reason, the question of “how to read encrypted whatsapp messages” looms large.

Therefore read our guide and get to know how you can read encrypted whatsapp messages. 

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Let’s get started!  

What is End-To-End Encryption on Whatsapp?

WhatsApp is a user-first platform and ensures the launch of features that make users’ lives easier, like the recent rollout of the screen-sharing feature.

End-to-end encryption is a technique for secure communication that bars unauthorized entities from accessing data during its transfer from one system to another. In the context of WhatsApp, this security measure is deeply integrated into the app, ensuring that any form of communication – be it messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents, status updates, or calls – is only accessible to the sender and the intended recipient.

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Here’s how it works: when you send a message through WhatsApp, it is protected by a unique lock. The only key to this lock is held by the recipient of your message. This means that once your message is on its way, it cannot be read or listened to by anyone else – not hackers, not cyber-thieves, and not even the team at WhatsApp. 

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How to Read Encrypted Whatsapp Messages

Here are effective and seamless ways to read encrypted whatsapp messages on different devices:   

How to Read Encrypted Whatsapp Messages on PC?

  1. Start by going to your device’s storage settings and open the WhatsApp folder.
  2. Inside, look for a subfolder named ‘Databases’ and within that, locate the ‘Files’ folder.
  3. In ‘Files’, find a document called the ‘Key’ file.
  4. Connect your phone to a computer using a USB cable.
  5. Transfer the ‘Key’ file and the ‘msgstore.db.cryptX’ file to a new folder on your computer.
  6. Open the program called WhatsApp Viewer on your computer.
  7. In WhatsApp Viewer, click on ‘File’ at the top, then select ‘Decrypt .crypt12’.
  8. Load the ‘Key’ file and ‘msgstore.db.cryptX’ file you transferred earlier.
  9. Click ‘OK’ to start decrypting. Wait until this process finishes.
  10. Once done, a new file named ‘msgstore.decrypted.db’ will appear in the folder.
  11. Go back to the ‘File’ menu in WhatsApp Viewer and click ‘Open’.
  12. Select the phone number that’s linked to the WhatsApp account you’re working with.
  13. The software will now show you the chat history.
  14. If you want, you can export these chats as either text or HTML files.
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How to Read Encrypted Whatsapp Messages on iPhone?

  1. First, get the WhatsApp Viewer application onto your computer by downloading and installing it.
  2.  Use a USB cable to connect the other person’s smartphone to your computer. Navigate to the WhatsApp folder in the phone’s storage, then find and open the ‘Databases’ folder. Inside, locate the ‘Files’ folder, and from there, copy both the ‘Key’ file and the ‘msgstore.db’ database file.
  3.  Launch WhatsApp Viewer on your computer. Click on the ‘File’ menu, then choose the ‘Decrypt .crypt12’ option. Load both the ‘Key’ file and the ‘msgstore.db’ database file into the program and allow the decryption process to complete. The resulting decrypted file will be placed in the same directory as the original files.
  4.  Return to the ‘File’ menu, select ‘Open’, and choose the newly decrypted file. At this point, you’ll need to input the phone number associated with the WhatsApp account you’re accessing. Once entered, you’ll be able to view all the WhatsApp conversations from that account.

How to Read Encrypted Whatsapp Messages on Android? 

  1. Start by downloading AppTrans software onto your computer. It’s free and safe to use.
  2. Open AppTrans after installing it. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see an option for ‘App Restore’ – click on it, then select ‘WhatsApp Backup’.
  3. Next, you’ll need to sign into your Google account. This is necessary because your WhatsApp backups are stored in your Google Drive.
  4. Once logged in, you’ll see a list of WhatsApp backups. Choose the one you want to decrypt.
  5. Now, you’ll be asked to select the specific types of files you want to access. If you’re only interested in messages, select ‘Messages’.
  6. The crucial step is decryption. Click on ‘Decrypt Now’ and follow the instructions provided. This will start the decryption process of your WhatsApp messages.
  7. To complete the decryption, you’ll need to connect your Android device to your computer. You’ll be prompted to install a ‘WhatsApp Custom Version’ on your phone. Follow the on-screen steps to do this.
  8. Give the ‘WhatsApp Custom Version’ permission to access your WhatsApp data by enabling storage permissions.
  9. Log into your WhatsApp account on the ‘WhatsApp Custom Version’. Make sure it’s the same account that you have the backup for in your Google Drive.
  10. After the decryption is done, you can return to the ‘Messages’ section in AppTrans. Here, you’ll be able to view your decrypted WhatsApp messages.

Conclusion

These are several ways on how to read encrypted WhatsApp messages follow them to effortlessly read encrypted whatsapp messages. Stay tuned to our Techthirsty blog to stay up-to-date with everything tech.

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Sara Sharma
Sara Sharma
Born and raised an Indian girl who is passionate about writing. When I am not writing you will find me voraciously reading classic or contemporary literature or a fashion and lifestyle magazine

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