If I can't find answers here ...

Question

I'm just curious ... if I can't get answers here, where else can I find help? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
My question is about recovering data from a phone whose number I no longer own.

Bastian Siewers · Accepted Answer

Hi Henri,

sorry for not replying yet in your other thread.

The problem is that WhatsApp always relies on the phone number as the main info for an account. There is no way to get around that. So, even if you still have the backup, you won't be able to access it. You can not change the number that is stored in the backup and you can't use that old number to use WhatsApp anymore. I'm sorry that I don't have better news for you but I don't see any possibility for you to restore the backup.

Lindsay mcdaniel · Answer

Henri m
If you no longer own that phone number chances are it is owned by someone else.  So accessing that number to retrieve data would be considered hacking . And that's illegal in most countries.
In other words,  you are asking for assistance in breaking the law.
You and whoever helps you do this could be prosecuted in court!
Lindsay

James Watson · Answer

In fact, a phone number is just related to a sim card other than a phone device. So, if the phone is still yours and is available yet, you may get most data back.

Lindsay mcdaniel · Answer

James
The new owner of that phone number has all their personal information on thier Sims card.
If Henery M is successful in accessing his old number, he will gain access to the new phone number owners  information. 
That's illegal that's hacking.
Isn't it?

Henri M · Answer

Thanks for the answers. I didn't formulate the question right. Let me try again.
I used to own the number, when I traveled abroad. While I owned the number, I connected the What's App and had many chats. I did a backup of my chats on my google drive. I can see the backup in my drive.
When trying to access the backup, it asks me to connect to the phone number associated with the backup. That number doesn't belong to me anymore. I can't access it I can't because the number was given to someone else.
My question should have been: How do I get access to the backup (which is my google drive folder) without having to re-access the old phone number, which I don't own anymore. Sorry for the confusion earlier. Not trying to hack into someone's phone.

juliejames · Answer

> [[cite Lindsay mcdaniel]]
>
> James
> The new owner of that phone number has all their personal information on thier Sims card.
> If Henery M is successful in accessing his old number, he will gain access to the new phone number owners  information. 
> That's illegal that's hacking.
> Isn't it? 

Thanks for this post.