Restoring a WhatsApp backup through Google drive compromises any privacy?

Such2938

I´m having trouble restoring the account through a local backup. I didn´t want to have to do it through Google drive but here we are. I believe you need to log into google through whatsapp to initiate the process. I know the app is sandboxed but it's Google... What will they see?

Whatsapp is installed on its own profile by itself. I won´t be doing any backups through Google Drive, obv. It´s just for the initial restore. Thanks

Oggyo

I don't think there is a way w/o installing Google Play Services. WhatsApp supports only backup/restore from GDrive and uses (probably) the API by Google Play Services. As soon you authorize the app to see the data in your GDrive it automatically signs you in and registers the used Google account in phone Settings | Password and Accounts.
By the way, Vibers is the same.

Such2938

Oggyo Supposedly, WhatsApp can work independently from Google services. Regardless, I want to know what happens when you install the app and sign in to the google account to be able to restore. When you try to import contacts from a Google account on GrapheneOS, for example, I know that Google knows at the very least that a login to the Google account has been made from that device model and will want to "confirm it´s you". The phone model will appear as one of your devices.

cyberparty

WhatsApp can work independently from Google services and maintains a local backup of any conversations you make.

The following should work:
Install the app, but don't open it. Copy the "com.whatsapp" folder from the "Android/media" folder from the device you want to transfer to the "Android/media" folder on the device you want to transfer to. Allow the app access to the "com.whatsapp" folder by changing its permissions in the settings (just allowing it access to this specific folder via storage scopes should work, but full access will work also.)
You can now open the app and walk through the setup. The app should detect the backup.

Unsure if the storage-scopes-before-opening approach is needed 100%, but other users (including myself) have reported difficulties with regards WhatsApp detecting such backups otherwise. I will test further and report back if this has changed.

cyberparty

cyberparty
Addendum to this:

It looks like the "storage-scopes-before-opening approach" isn't necessary so long as you just grant the app access to the files it needs while going through the setup.
Just copy the "com.whatsapp" folder from the "Android/media" folder from the device you want to transfer to the "Android/media" folder on the device you want to transfer to before running the app.

The app will likely prioritise Google backups if it finds Google Play Services present on the device, however. If you install Google Play services in the same profile before you restore the backup, it will likely attempt to restore from a Google account instead.

Such2938

cyberparty I tried your approach. It detected the backup although the message said it was only 400mg when it's actually around 16GB. It failed, unfortunately.
"Alert. Sorry we were unable to to restore any of your message history backups."

Any other ideas?

cyberparty

Such2938
That's odd, and hasn't been my experience with restoring backups.

Out of curiosity, did you try my first post's instructions, or the addendum?

Such2938

cyberparty Addendum. I gave it all permissions as requested.

Such2938

Ended up restoring via Google acct. after 5 hrs (easy) of failed attempts and research on social media (there's sooo many issues and methods to address them), hitting my head against the wall. Lesson learned: being too strict with privacy, like when trying everything to avoid logging into a Google acct to restore WhatsApp, is big time waster leading to unnecessary frustration. Have to play the long, iterative game and do the best you can.