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WhatsApp fails to download media or make local backups

asked 2019-04-04 15:10:30 +0200

enwine gravatar image

updated 2019-08-06 10:16:17 +0200

jovirkku gravatar image

I recently changed from Jolla 1 to XA2, and first had problems with restoring the whatsapp backup (because I couldn't write to android_storage). I found a work-around (https://together.jolla.com/question/202078/cant-copy-whatsapp-backup-to-android-_storage/ and https://together.jolla.com/question/200375/cannot-write-to-android-storage/) and got the app working. But I cannot download any media in the app, nor can I make a local backup. I tried messing around with permissions and changed the user and group to media_rw (like Alex suggested in https://together.jolla.com/question/200375/cannot-write-to-android-storage/) but this did not resolve the issue.

Anyone know how to fix this? I'm running Sailfish X 3.0.2.8 (obviously with Android support beta).

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I have the same issue running X 3.0.2.8 on a Xperia X compact. But also had the issue before the update. I tried different whatsapp versions and a factory reset of the device. The issue was shortly resolved after the factory reset but occurred very soon after again. It is the main reason that I am not using it a a daily driver now.

bertjefred ( 2019-04-04 15:29:44 +0200 )edit

@enwine:
1) You wrote, "I cannot download any media in the app". Do you mean that if someone sends a picture to you, you cannot see it in the Whatsapp message you received? Or how would you like to download media? This appears to work fine on my XA2/3.1.0
2) You also wrote, "nor can I make a local backup". So, obviously, in Whatsapp app, you go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. I tried this and it worked like a charm. Can you tell what happens when you try?

jovirkku ( 2019-08-06 13:39:37 +0200 )edit

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answered 2019-04-04 15:37:36 +0200

balta gravatar image

updated 2019-04-04 15:41:08 +0200

I had the same problem after restoring the WhatsApp directory, it is an issue with the permissions in the overlay filesystem:

devel-su
chown -R media_rw:media_rw /home/.android/data/media/0/WhatsApp

I do not remember anymore if I restarted AlienDalvik or the device after this. Attention: in the android_storage directory the owner and group of the directory will show up as nemo.

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Thanks for the suggestion, but I already tried this and it did not resolve the issue. I have also tried restarting AD as well the device. EDIT: I tried it again, and IT WORKED. I must have messed something up the first time...

enwine ( 2019-04-04 15:51:41 +0200 )edit

I had this problem on XA2 H4113 3.0.1.14. I Tried setting ownership and group for /home/.android/data/media/0/WhatsApp like described above, uninstalled and re-installed WA tens of times, with and without restarting the device. Fiddling with the android permissions (i.e allowing storage access) during the first launch of WA. Nothing seemed to help - most of the times restored the messages backup successfully but always ended up with unable to load media nor create WA backup.

I thought the problem was caused by the fact that I had copied the WA directory from Jolla 1 to XA2 before installing and launching WA in XA2 for the first time. The directory ownership was incorrectly nemo:nemo at that time. The problem was solved finally by uninstalling removing the directory, re-installing WA one more time and allowing the app create the directory. Then just to make sure it works I one image message sent from my other phone to this newly installed WA on XA2. Once this worked, I once again restored the media files and msgstore backup file. Then I yet one more time uninstalled and re-installed WA and FINALLY was able to restore the backup AND send+receive media AND create WA backup.

Maybe not the simplest exercise to find out how to transfer the WhatsApp chat history from Jolla 1 to XA2 but none of the hints I found helped. I don't know how many times I received the activation code SMS and how many times had to request the WA activation call when too many times had requested the SMS. Must have been many :-) Luckily my number was not banned like somebody had during the last days with the native sailfish client WhatsUp.

I have had XA2 as the daily driver for four weeks now, of which one week with WhatsApp being able to handle media. Lost three weeks of message history when I had to restore the old backup from Jolla during the last reinstall.

Jusla ( 2019-04-06 10:18:34 +0200 )edit

I am trying to import my backup from ios to XA2, I moved the chatstorage.sqlite to the android_storage/download/ . I started WA on XA2 and the backup msg pop-up, trying to restore it. soon I click the restore, I get a [Alert] notification - unable to restore chats etc... I believe it must be a permission issue.. can't find a way to fix this

ShinAkuma ( 2019-05-18 19:12:43 +0200 )edit
2

answered 2019-08-06 00:16:46 +0200

hansdej gravatar image

updated 2019-08-12 21:09:36 +0200

Hi, I was struggeling with the same thing, had some trouble to read the steps in your- and other discussions. But got it solved in the end. I took the liberty to write down the steps that I needed and post them so that others might benefit from that.

  • Hardware: Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, Dual Sim.
  • SailfishOS: 3.1.0.11-h4413-0.0.7.18

The steps:

  1. Copy your complete WhatsApp-(backup)directory recursively to:
    /home/nemo/android_storage/WhatsApp/
  2. Give these owner & permissions:
  3. devel-su and the password.
  4. cd /home/nemo/android_storage/
  5. chown -R media_rw.media_rw WhatsApp
  6. chmod -R ug+rw media_rw.media_rw WhatsApp (or 664 instead of ug+rw)
  7. Review the backups in /home/nemo/android_storage/WhatsApp/Databases
    eg.:
    >[nemo@Sailfish Databases]$ ls -l
    total 162368
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20702030 Jul 29 06:00 msgstore-2019-07-29.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20705697 Jul 30 00:10 msgstore-2019-07-30.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20727543 Jul 30 06:00 msgstore-2019-07-31.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20751475 Jul 31 06:00 msgstore-2019-08-01.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20756414 Aug 1 06:00 msgstore-2019-08-02.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20849636 Aug 3 18:40 msgstore-2019-08-03.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20873613 Aug 5 09:54 msgstore-2019-08-05.1.db.crypt12
    -rw-rw-r-- 1 media_rw media_rw 20873613 Aug 5 09:55 msgstore.db.crypt12
  8. The file msgstore.db.crypt12 was the last backup, because I have not erased any old messages yet, this should be the largest one.
    If this one is clearly to small, it can be replaced by an older, more complete one:
    eg cp msgstore-2019-08-05.1.db.crypt12 msgstore.db.crypt12
  9. Install (from the Store for example) Google Play-services[Edit: removed Play-services again, because it crashed the Spotify app fatally. Afterwards WhatsApp was still working fine.]< Ha & Google play store: I got the impression they provide a bit of spoofing/stubbing for some apps that think they cannot run without this. (I am not sure wheter Whatsapp falls in this last category of whiners, but at the time I got the backup I already had to wait 6 hours for a new whatsapp activation code so not in the mood to experiment with that any more.)
  10. Install WhatsApp Without starting it immediatly after.
  11. Check that the second kind of permissions (Allow an android app access to Sailfish-parts outside its Android box) is set correctly via the Sailfish Settings App:
    > Settings=>Apps=>WhatsApp=>Open Android(TM)-settings
    I simply enabled all access, and think this is the step I missed for most of the time.
  12. Started WhatsApp and after the lot of previous unsuccessfull attempts, it finally recovered the backup.

I did not get Google-Drive backup running as before on my Jolla-1, and for the short period that I tested the Sony Xperia for errors with its stock-Android. For now I am happy with the aforementioned achievement, but if anyone gets the google-drive cloud-storage backup working, please inform me/us. Or a way to achieve the local backups automated periodically.
(Maybe with some cron job to scp them to somewhere else equally periodical.)

Regards, Hans

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This is a most discussed topic in many of the forum and q&a site. I am very happy to read this here. You are given detailed information. This is very much helpful for everyone. Step by step instructions are always helpful for everyone. I have understood each point very well. This is the right answer. I didn’t have any experience with this jolla. But after reading many posts I thought of making use of it. It is really nice. One of the common issues that WhatsApp users face is losing chat knowledge once switch to a replacement smart phone. As luck would have it, WhatsApp provides robot users associate choice to keep a copy their chat on Google Drive.

It permits you to not solely keep a copy text however conjointly multimedia system like pictures, videos and GIFs. If you’re aiming to follow any of the below tips, you must guarantee you’re connected to Wi-Fi. This is often primarily to form certain the rear up and restore processes area unit quicker. Since your backup files might have a great deal of multimedia system, you will find yourself defrayment mobile knowledge. If you've got enough mobile knowledge or area unit in sensible network space, you’re sensible to travel.

How to keep a copy WhatsApp chats on Google Drive WhatsApp provides robot users 3 choices to keep a copy your knowledge. you'll be able to choose from “back up to Google Drive once you faucet back up’, ‘back up solely over Wi-Fi’ and ‘include videos’. In order to keep a copy, launch WhatsApp, click on the 3 dots on the highest right corner, opt for Settings, chats, chat backups. you'll be able to choose from on top of mentioned choices to keep a copy your WhatsApp chats. If you wish to merely export your chats, that is simply email it to yourself, faucet on chats > chat history > email chats > opt for the chat window you want to keep a copy. How to restore WhatsApp chats from Google Drive Now that you just have insured your WhatsApp chats, and downloaded and put in WhatsApp on a replacement device, here’s what you wish to try to. Launch WhatsApp > established your profile (verify the number, etc) and faucet next. WhatsApp can prompt you to revive your messages from the connected Google account. Simply faucet Restore, Next and you’re done.

veronicasegura ( 2019-08-14 08:26:59 +0200 )edit

I can confirm that these steps resolved the issue for me. The detail included here and missing in other answers is adjusting the Android app permissions prior to launching WhatsApp post install. Thanks Hans for the detailed step by step instructions that saved me where others failed :)

mattpenn ( 2019-10-15 11:20:19 +0200 )edit
0

answered 2020-08-16 08:15:15 +0200

In such cases, i make sure there is exact location folders found in the file manager in my android smartphone. That is why we fail to get back up of whatsapp.

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Asked: 2019-04-04 15:10:30 +0200

Seen: 3,778 times

Last updated: Aug 16 '20