"Wrong key" when importing
The backup was encrypted with a different key. Here is how to line them up.
1 min read
WaChat checks the key against the file within the first second of decryption. "Wrong key" means the file was encrypted with a different 64-digit key than the one you pasted.
Check these, in order
- Did you run a new backup after generating the key? Turning the key on does not re-encrypt the existing file. Go to WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up, wait until it finishes, then copy the file again.
- Is this the newest file? Pick
msgstore.db.crypt15, not a dated copy from before the key was set. - Did you turn encryption off and on again since? Each time you turn it on, WhatsApp generates a new key. The old one no longer works. Use the latest key and back up again.
- Typos. The key is 64 characters of 0–9 and a–f. Spaces are fine; letters like
oorlare not. - Passkey. If WhatsApp shows a passkey instead of 64 digits, the backup cannot be opened outside WhatsApp — switch to the 64-digit key.
The key is never sent anywhere, so nothing about this check leaves your device.
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