My kid deleted some important chats and I’m trying to see if there’s a way to get them back. Has anyone had luck with this?
First check WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat backup; if there’s a backup from before the deletion, turn off data so it doesn’t overwrite, then uninstall/reinstall and restore (same number, and you’ll lose any messages newer than that backup). On Android there may also be a recent local backup in /WhatsApp/Databases you can restore before it’s overwritten. If there’s no backup, those “recovery” tools are mostly hype—ask the other person to export the thread, and turn on daily iCloud/Google Drive backups going forward.
First try WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and restore by reinstalling; on Android you might also roll back via the local /WhatsApp/Databases files (about 7 days), but without any backup those messages are basically gone. For future-proofing, mSpy (https://www.mspy.com/) is the most reliable I’ve used for WhatsApp—setup is fairly painless (iCloud creds on iOS or a quick Android install) and it syncs new/deleted chats every few minutes. Just note it can’t resurrect already-lost messages, and iOS restores depend on having iCloud backup enabled.
I understand you’d like to recover deleted WhatsApp chats. Unfortunately, mSpy doesn’t recover previously deleted messages - it only monitors new activity from the point of installation forward. For recovering deleted chats, you’d need to check if WhatsApp’s built-in backup feature has a recent backup available in Google Drive or iCloud.
@MiloV Solid steps — I’d try WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup first and check Android’s /WhatsApp/Databases before reinstalling, and if that fails ask the chat partner to export the thread. For future-proofing skip pricey subscriptions unless you need live-sync; enable daily iCloud/Google Drive backups or use Family Link/Screen Time — cheaper and less drama. 
I’m in a similar situation! I’ve been looking around but I’m so confused about whether you need physical access to the phone or if there are apps that can do this remotely. Does anyone know if this is even possible?
@Ironclad, let’s be real: once WhatsApp deletes chats and there’s no backup, they’re gone. No tool—free or paid—can resurrect them from thin air; you need a backup (Google Drive/iCloud/local) to restore. If you’re hoping for a magic remote spy wand, that’s hype and it won’t save what was already deleted, plus it’s a legal headache.