Own Your Data. Forever.

A privacy-first, self-hosted archive for your WhatsApp conversations.

WhatsApp Logger is a "Companion Device" that runs in the cloud. It connects to your WhatsApp account just like WhatsApp Web, but instead of just displaying messages, it saves them permanently to your private database.

This means even if a sender deletes a message ("This message was deleted"), you still have the original copy in your archive. It runs 24/7 in the cloud, so your phone doesn't need to be online.

What's New in v3.10.4?

Architecture: The Privacy Triangle

Understanding how your data flows is key to trusting the system. You own all three points of this triangle.

Why Self-Host?

Why go through this setup instead of downloading a "Recover Deleted Massages" app from the Play Store?

Prerequisites

You don't need coding skills, just these free accounts:

Step 1: The Vault (Firebase)

• 1
  Create Database

  Go to Firebase Console -> Add Project "MyLogger".

  Go to Build -> Firestore Database -> Create Database. Select Production Mode.

• 2
  Set Privacy Rules

  Go to the Rules tab. Replace everything with this strict code:

  Copy

  rules_version = '2';
  service cloud.firestore {
    match /databases/{database}/documents {
      match /{document=**} {
        // 1. Allow Read: Required for the frontend to view chats
        allow read: if true;
  
        // 2. Allow Update: For "Rename Chat" feature only
        allow update: if true;
  
        // 3. Block Create/Delete: Only Backend (Render) can add/remove data
        allow create, delete: if false;
      }
    }
  }

• 3
  Get Service Key

  Click Gear Icon -> Project Settings -> Service Accounts -> Generate new private key.

  Save this JSON file. Open it and copy the entire content.

Step 2: The Engine (Render)

• 1
  Fork & Deploy

  Go to the GitHub Repo and click Fork.

  Go to Render -> New Web Service -> Select your forked repo.

• 2
  Environment Variables

  Scroll down to Environment Variables and add these three:

  FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT Paste the full JSON content from Step 1.

  AUTH_USER Set a username (e.g., admin).

  AUTH_PASS Set a password. Used for login & PIN resets.

  Click Create Web Service.

Step 3: Link Device

Once Render says "Live", open your Render URL (e.g., https://myapp.onrender.com).

1. 1. Login with your AUTH_USER and AUTH_PASS.
2. 2. You will see a QR Code.
3. 3. Open WhatsApp on phone -> Linked Devices -> Link a Device.
4. 4. Scan the QR code. Refresh page to confirm "System Operational".

Step 4: Frontend Setup

This is the actual App interface. You need to configure it before hosting.

Choose Hosting Method

# 1. Install Firebase Tools (requires Node.js)
npm install -g firebase-tools

# 2. Login to Google
firebase login

# 3. Initialize Project
firebase init hosting
# -> Select "Use an existing project"
# -> Select your "MyLogger" project
# -> Type "public" for public directory
# -> Type "y" (yes) for single-page app
# -> Type "n" (no) for automatic builds

firebase deploy

User Guide: App Security

The frontend includes advanced security features to protect your local device from prying eyes. These features run entirely on your device (Local Storage).

1. Setting up 6-Digit PIN

1. 1. Open the App and click the Settings Gear settings in the sidebar.
2. 2. Find the App Security section.
3. 3. Toggle PIN Lock.
4. 4. Enter a 6-digit PIN when prompted. Confirm it by entering it again.
5. 5. Done! Now every time you open the app, it will require this PIN.

2. Enabling Biometrics

1. 1. Ensure your device has a fingerprint or face scanner set up.
2. 2. In App Settings, Toggle Fingerprint Lock.
3. 3. Your browser/OS will prompt you to verify your identity.
4. 4. Once verified, the app will prioritize Biometrics on the lock screen.

3. Emergency Reset (Forgot PIN?)

If you forget your local PIN, you can reset it using your server credentials.

This will wipe the local security settings and let you in. It does not delete your chats.

User Guide: Features & Tips

Global vs. Chat Search

• Sidebar Search: Filters your contact list. Use this to find a specific person or group name.
• In-Chat Search: Inside a chat, click the Menu (⋮) -> Search in Chat. This highlights specific words within that conversation history.

Using the Calendar

Looking for messages from a specific day?

1. 1. Open a Chat.
2. 2. Click Menu (⋮) -> Search by Date.
3. 3. Select a date on the calendar.
4. 4. The chat will jump to the first message of that day and flash yellow.

Renaming Contacts

Since the logger saves contacts by phone number, you might want to give them real names.

Download Chat Logs

You can export any conversation to a simple text file. Click Menu (⋮) -> Download. It generates a .txt file formatted with timestamps and sender names.

Step 5: Keep it Alive

Use a free pinger service to wake it up.

1. 1. Go to UptimeRobot.
2. 2. Add Monitor -> Type HTTP(s).
3. 3. URL: Your-Render-URL/ping.
4. 4. Interval: 5 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Frequency Asked Questions

Community & Support

This project is open-source and relies on the community to stay safe and effective.

Contact Channels