WhatsApp encrypted backup (original)
File type: Mobile phones related file, Encoded and encrypted file
Files with crypt extension are most likely best known as chat history backups made from WhatsApp messaging app.
Found 2 different file type records with the same crypt filename suffix.
File type category:
Mobile phones related file
Encoded and encrypted file
Date updated: January 20, 2025
File extension crypt (sometimes also .db.crypt) is probably best known for its use in the popular instant messaging app - WhatsApp.
Usually found as msgstore.db.crypt, the file stores database of incoming and outgoing messages in encrypted database file format. This backup is created "Backup Chats" function in the app menu.
Later versions of Whatsapp changed this extension adding a number, so it is likely that when you are reading this, the app uses crypt12 or even higher files for its encrypted databases.
The .db.crypt file can be decrypted and converted to HTML with Whatsapp Xtract.
By default, the msgstore.db.crypt file is stored in phone SDcard/WhatsApp/Databases folder.
Certain programs, such as WhatsApp Tri-Crypt (Omni-Crypt) can be used to recover the chat history from within *.crypt files.
Try to use WhatsApp Tri-Crypt, Whatsapp Xtract etc. to extract the content and save it (convert) to one of the other supported formats (HTML, DOC, etc.).
WhatsApp Tri-Crypt (Omni-Crypt) (Google Android)
WhatsApp Tri-Crypt (Omni-Crypt) (Google Android)
Chat Statistics (Google Android)
WhatsApp for iPhone (Apple iOS)
WhatsApp for Android (Google Android)
WhatsApp Tri-Crypt (Omni-Crypt) (Google Android)
Whatsapp Xtract (Microsoft Windows)
Andriller (Microsoft Windows)
WhatCrypt Tools (On-line services)
WhatCrypt Tools (On-line services)
Whatsapp Xtract (Microsoft Windows)
WhatsApp for iPhone (Apple iOS)
WhatsApp for Android (Google Android)
File type category:
Ransomware encrypted file
Date updated: December 20, 2019
File extension crypt is lately also used by several different ransomware, most notably "Scatter which is infected via Trojan-Ransom.BAT.Scatter.
This particular ransomware encrypts and renames files with the appendix to extension being .crypt, .good or .pzdc.
Note: Some of the variants (appeared June 2016) of CryptXXX ransomware also use this extension.
Some unknown ransomware from December 2016 also tries to impersonate other ransomware and uses crypt suffix.
Files affected by "Scatter" can be recovered using ScatterDecryptor or RannohDecryptor utility from Kaspersky. May not work on other ransomware using same .crypt extension.
Not meant to be converted to anything else, at best you can recover the original files. But that will require a decryptor.
Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor (Microsoft Windows)
RannohDecryptor (Microsoft Windows)
Language