WhatsApp has released an update so you can recover single-view photos in your chats. Here's how.
If you've ever used WhatsApp's single-view feature, you know it's great for privacy: a photo or video is shown only once and then automatically deleted.
But what happens if you open that photo in a hurry and accidentally close it before analyzing it properly? It's a pain, I know.
I've been through it and I've looked for everything that can help me recover that lost image.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp doesn't offer a native way to recover single-view photos after opening them. But don't worry!
There are alternatives that might work, especially if the media file was downloaded or cached by the system.
Below, I'll share a step-by-step guide on how I tried to recover it and the apps I used:
See how to recover single view photos.
Step-by-step guide to trying to restore a single-view photo
Check your device storage
Sometimes, depending on your system and WhatsApp version, the image may be temporarily stored in the app cache or gallery. Go to the folder:
Android: File Manager > Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Media > .Status or Media > WhatsApp Images.
iOS: It's not easy to access the file system, but if you have a recent backup, you can restore it.
Use a file recovery application
This is where I had success. I'd used it before to recover accidentally deleted videos and photos, so I decided to try it again. Here are three options:
DiskDigger
This is my favorite. Even in the free version, it analyzes deleted files and shows everything that can be restored. It saved me when I deleted an important PDF, and this time, it found some media files I'd forgotten.
MobiSaver
It's very intuitive and focuses on lost files, but I confess it wasn't as effective with WhatsApp media files as DiskDigger.
Restore deleted videos
It works, but it's a bit slower and requires more patience. Still, it can work depending on the situation.
They are all available on the Play Store and are safe, with positive reviews and good updates.
Check if you had a backup
If you usually make automatic backups to Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone), a more drastic alternative is to uninstall WhatsApp, reinstall it, and restore the most recent backup.
But be careful: this will only work if the media file in question was not sent after the last backup.
Ask the person to forward it
It may seem obvious, but it's worth a try. Sometimes, the person still has the original media file and may send it to you again, this time without the single-view feature.
I once asked a friend to do this and he was surprised that I didn't know the image would disappear when I opened it.
Recovering a WhatsApp photo isn't guaranteed, but there are ways. Apps like DiskDigger and MobiSaver are excellent allies in these desperate moments.
Plus, backing up regularly is a smart way to avoid headaches in the future.
In my case, DiskDigger helped me find some recent images that were in the cache, which saved the day.
Since then, I decided to enable daily backup on WhatsApp and also automatically save all the images I receive, even if I manually delete them later.
If this has happened to you too, tell me how you solved it! Sometimes, a simple tip can help a lot of people.
Take advantage of the opportunity to recover single-view photos.
