How to Back Up WhatsApp Mods Before You Change Phones

A new phone is exciting, but it is also the moment many people lose years of chats. With official WhatsApp, a cloud backup usually carries your history across. With a mod such as JTWhatsApp or GB WhatsApp, you should plan on a local backup that you copy yourself, because you cannot rely on the mod's backups moving across automatically the way the official app's do.

This guide walks through a copy-it-yourself workflow. It takes a little time, but it keeps you in control. Remember that both mods are unofficial, are not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta, and using them can lead to account restrictions. A backup protects your chats; it does not change that risk.

Before you start, check which sign-in you use:

• OTP sign-in. Your account and chat history live in the mod on the old phone. This guide is written mainly for you.
• Linked device mode (JTWhatsApp). Your account lives in official WhatsApp on your main phone. If you are replacing the main phone, back up official WhatsApp through Settings → Chats → Chat backup and move that first; then link the mod again on the new setup.

Step 1: Prepare the old phone

1. Make sure you know your two-step verification PIN, if you set one. You will need it on the new phone.
2. Keep your SIM card or phone number available to receive the verification code.
3. Update the mod to the current version, so the backup is made by the same version you will install on the new phone.
4. Check free storage; a backup with media can be large.

Step 2: Create a fresh local backup

1. Open the mod and go to Settings → Chats → Chat backup.
2. Tap Back up and wait until it completes. Note the date and time shown.
3. For conversations you truly cannot lose, open each one and choose More → Export chat. Exported chats cannot be imported back, but they keep a readable copy.

Step 3: Copy the backup off the old phone

1. Connect the old phone to a computer with a USB cable and allow file transfer, or use a file manager that can copy to a memory card or external drive.
2. Find the mod's data folder. Look for the Databases and Media folders inside it. Folder names and locations differ between mods and versions, so take a moment to find the right ones.
3. Copy the whole mod folder to your computer, not just one file.
4. Open the copied folder on the computer and confirm that the files are there and that the most recent backup has today's date.

Keep the old phone as it is until the new one is fully working. Do not reset it yet.

Step 4: Restore on the new phone

1. On the new phone, download the same mod from its page on MODZILO. For JTWhatsApp, the page suggests around 300 MB of free space; for GB WhatsApp, around 700 MB.
2. Install the app, but do not open it yet.
3. Copy the mod folder from your computer back to the same location on the new phone's internal storage. If the folder does not exist yet, opening the app once and closing it before verifying may create it.
4. Open the mod, verify your phone number with the code, and enter your two-step verification PIN if asked.
5. When the app offers to restore, check the backup date and tap Restore.
6. Wait for chats and media to finish loading.

Step 5: Check before you wipe the old phone

1. Open several recent and older chats, including groups.
2. Tap a few photos, voice notes and documents.
3. Send a test message to a trusted contact.
4. Re-apply any theme or privacy options that did not carry across, in the mod's own settings menu.
5. Make a new backup on the new phone.

Only after all of this should you reset the old phone. Keep the copy on your computer for a few weeks as an extra safety net.

Key takeaways

• With mods, plan on a local backup that you copy yourself when changing phones.
• Know your two-step verification PIN and keep your number available.
• Copy the whole mod folder, including Databases and Media, and check it on the computer.
• Install the same mod version on the new phone, copy the folder back, then verify and restore.
• Do not reset the old phone until everything works; the mods remain unofficial.