Skip to main content

​
General

  • Is this really free?
    Yes. Render, Firebase, and UptimeRobot all have generous free tiers that are sufficient for personal use. You will typically never pay anything.
  • Is my data safe?
    Absolutely. The entire system is self-hosted. You own the database (Firebase) and the server (Render). The developers of this tool have zero access to your data.
  • Does the developer see my chats?
    No. The code connects directly from your Render server to your Firebase database using your personal API keys. There is no middleman server.
  • Is this legal?
    The tool uses standard WhatsApp Web protocols to function as a linked device. It is intended for personal archiving of your own conversations.

​
Features & Limitations

  • Does it save photos/videos?
    No. To keep the project free (Firebase offers limited storage), the logger only saves text content. Media files would fill up your free tier storage very quickly.
  • Does it save View Once messages?
    No. WhatsApp does not send the content of “View Once” media to linked devices/web clients, so the logger cannot see them.
  • Does it save WhatsApp Status?
    No, it cannot save WhatsApp statuses at this time. If you would like to add this feature to this project, please submit a pull request by uploading the updated code to Github.
  • Can I reply from the dashboard?
    No. This tool is designed strictly as a read-only archive to ensure maximum safety and simplicity.
  • Does it work with Group Chats?
    Yes! It automatically archives messages from any group you are part of, including messages sent by other participants.
  • Can I export my chats?
    Yes. Inside any chat on the dashboard, open the menu (three dots) and select “Download” to get a .txt file of the conversation.

​
Technical Setup

  • What is Render?
    Render is a cloud hosting platform. It provides the computer (server) that runs your logger 24/7 so your phone doesn’t have to.
  • What is Firebase?
    Firebase is Google’s database service. While Render processes the messages, Firebase acts as the permanent hard drive where logs are stored.
  • Do I need my phone on 24/7?
    No. Once you scan the QR code, the logger works independently via WhatsApp’s Multi-Device feature. Your phone does not need to stay online continuously after linking.
  • What if Render sleeps?
    If the server sleeps, you will miss messages sent during that time. This is why setting up UptimeRobot (Step 5) is critical—it keeps the server awake.
  • How do I update the logger?
    In your Render dashboard, go to your service and click “Manual Deploy” -> “Deploy latest commit” to pull the newest code from GitHub.
  • Can I host this on a Raspberry Pi?
    Yes. The backend is standard Node.js. You can clone the repo and run npm install && npm start. You still need Firebase for the database.
  • How much storage do I have?
    The Firebase Free Tier (Spark Plan) gives you 1 GiB of storage. Since we only store text, this is enough for millions of messages.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Why is the QR code not loading?
    Your Render server might be starting up or deploying. Wait 30 seconds and refresh the page. Check Render logs if the issue persists.
  • Why does it say “No chats found”?
    The logger starts empty. It only records messages that arrive after you have linked it. Send a message to your phone to see it appear.
I forgot my App PIN/Password
On the lock screen, click “Forgot PIN”. You can reset your local security using the server credentials (AUTH_USER and AUTH_PASS) you set in Render.

Copyright © 2025–2026 Amit Dutta