WhatsApp Call Investigation | Data request from WhatsApp for Police and Government

WhatsApp number and call investigations for law enforcement are handled through WhatsApp's Law Enforcement Response System — commonly known as the LERS Portal. Below is a step-by-step walkthrough for authorised police and government officials, covering both preservation and data requests.

Step 1: Access the LERS Portal

• Go to whatsapp.com/records/login — or simply search "WhatsApp LERS Portal".
• Tick "I am an authorized law enforcement agent or government employee."
• Enter your official government email ID.

Step 2: Log in via the email link

A temporary login link is sent to your email. Check all folders — including spam and notifications — for the message, then click the email received from records@records.whatsapp.com.

Step 3: Preservation Request (no legal notice required)

A preservation request saves the metadata and information tied to a WhatsApp account at a specific time or date. It is useful when you do not yet have legal permission in hand but want to ensure the suspect's data is not altered or deleted in the meantime.

Enter the WhatsApp account number you want to preserve and click submit. The data is preserved in the WhatsApp Law Enforcement Portal, and a confirmation appears with a case number.

Please complete all fields to request preservation of account records. WhatsApp will take steps to preserve account records in connection with official criminal investigations for 90 days pending receipt of formal legal process. (Additional detail is in the WhatsApp Law Enforcement Guidelines.)

Step 4: Data (Records) Request

Click Records Request and fill in the required information.

• To request information about a WhatsApp user, select the time period and paste the phone number with country code.
• Under Legal Process, select your country's applicable law — for India, this is the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
• Important: in the documentation field, justify why you need the information. The clearer the justification, the faster the response.

You can also attach a signed and stamped data-request notice to speed things up. Finally, tick "I attest that I am a law enforcement agent or government employee authorized to request account records" and click submit.

What data will you get?

The most vital piece of data is the last-seen IP address from WhatsApp. Depending on your country's laws, WhatsApp may provide considerably more. Expect a reply within hours to days, based on the strength of your country's legal framework — in India, the maximum is 72 hours under the IT Rules.