An encrypted database produced by the Android messaging app WhatsApp Messenger is known as a CRYPT12 file.
To access the message history stored in a CRYPT12 database, you need to first find your WhatsApp key file, which contains the encryption key for your CRYPT12 file.
The SD card of Android devices running WhatsApp Messenger contains CRYPT12 database files.
The Databases folder may contain several CRYPT12 database files with YYYY-MM-DD dates appended to their filenames.
You can remove the majority of these outdated backup files to make room on your SD card without deleting any of your WhatsApp messages.
On an Android device, you can transfer or recover your WhatsApp message history by using a CRYPT12 file.
In order to accomplish this, you must rename your most recent CRYPT12 file to msgstore.db.crypt12, reinstall WhatsApp, and manually restore your message history when prompted.
What the WhatsApp Messenger app for iOS and Android does is create an encrypted backup or database called a CRYPT12 file.
WhatsApp uses the CRYPT12 extension to indicate an Encrypted Database, which is appended to another extension called DB. This keeps the message database on mobile devices secure.
Since CRYPT12 files are system files, opening them by hand is not advised.
Investigating CRYPT12 files
The WhatsApp Messenger app uses a file format called CRYPT12 to store encrypted message data on an Android device.
All of the message data, including text, pictures, videos, and other attachments sent and received between WhatsApp users, is kept in this file.
An encrypted database file called a CRYPT12 file format holds all of the chat history for any individual or group WhatsApp conversation.
You must first use the appropriate encryption key to decrypt the file in order to access the contents of the CRYPT12 file.
It is crucial to remember that trying to decrypt someone else’s CRYPT12 file without that person’s consent may violate their privacy and be against the law in some places.
Multiple CRYPT12 database files can be found on an Android device running WhatsApp.
If you have multiple chats with different contacts or groups on WhatsApp, you might have multiple CRYPT12 files because each CRYPT12 file is associated with a distinct chat or conversation.