In the past, switching from iPhone to Android (or vice versa) meant losing your in-app WhatsApp conversations. But now, both Android 12 devices as well as iPhones can transfer WhatsApp messages between operating systems. Whether you’re looking to switch from iPhone to Android or Android to iPhone, your WhatsApp messages can make the switch, too.
Samsung Galaxy phones were the first to allow for this type of transfer: Soon after, WhatsApp opened up transfers to Google Pixels, then to devices running Android 12. While those of us switching to iPhone had to use workarounds rather than an official method, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that the app supports moving chat histories from Android to iOS. Now, thankfully, it doesn’t matter what type of phone you switch to: You won’t need to lose your WhatsApp chats.
How to transfer WhatsApp messages from iPhone to Android
To start, you’ll need a Lightning to USB-C cable. Make sure you’re running the latest version of both your operating system and WhatsApp, then connect the two phones with the cable. As you go through the setup process, you’ll get a prompt about transferring WhatsApp chats with a QR code.
Scan the QR code with your iPhone, and your devices will take care of the rest. All of your conversations and media will transfer over so you can access them from your new Android phone.
You can also try opening WhatsApp on your iPhone after connecting the two phones. Go into the app’s settings, tap “Chats,” then tap “Move Chats to Android.” As with the other process, your phones will take care of it from there.
How to transfer WhatsApp messages from Android to iPhone
It’s relatively easy to move messages from iPhone to Android. But, for some reason, it’s a bit more complicated going the other way around. First of all, you’ll need to be running at least Android 5 on your Android device, and iOS 15.5 on your iPhone to start. Your Android device will need the Move to iOS app, which you can download from this link, and your iPhone will need to be brand new or factory reset before the transfer. You’ll need to be running WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 on Android, and version 2.22.10.70 on iOS, with both devices plugged into power and connected to the same wifi network (or your iPhone’s hotspot).
With all that squared away, open the Move to iOS app on your Android, and follow the instructions that appear. You’ll see a code appear on your iPhone, which you should then enter on your Android. Tap Continue: On the Transfer Data page, choose “WhatsApp,” then choose “START,” then give WhatsApp time to prepare your chat history. Once it’s done, WhatsApp will automatically log out of the Android app. Now, tap “NEXT” to head back to the Move to iOS app, then choose “CONTINUE” to move your data to your iPhone.
Now, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your iPhone: Open the app, then log in with the phone number tied to the account from your Android. Tap “Start.” After the process wraps up, you should see all messages appear on your iPhone. Just know you can’t transfer your call history or display name.
Before WhatsApp announced this change, we had to rely on unofficial methods to move chats from Android to iPhone. One of those ways is through the Dr.Fone tool. This is a free, third-party app for restoring chats and transferring data between devices. After downloading and installing it, plug both your iPhone and Android phones into your computer.
Open Dr.Fone and click “Restore social app.” Click “WhatsApp,” then “Transfer WhatsApp messages,” and the app should show both your phones on the screen. When you click “Transfer,” the app will start moving the data, and you can track the progress on your screen.
Once the transfer process is done, click “OK” and disconnect your phones. You should now have your WhatsApp messages up and running on your iPhone.
How to sync WhatsApp chats between phones
If you want to keep using both phones, there’s an answer for that, too. The WhatsApp web app syncs between your phone and computer, which you can use to your advantage. Keep in mind this is a workaround, not an official method, so it may not work perfectly.
Start by opening the WhatsApp web client in Safari on an iPhone that doesn’t have WhatsApp installed. Tap the “Aa” button, then “Request Desktop Website,” and a QR code will pop up.
On your Android phone, open your WhatsApp settings and go to “Linked Devices.” Tap “Multi-Device Beta,” then “Join Beta.” After that, go back to the Devices page and tap “Link a Device.” This will open a QR scanner, which you can use to scan the code on your other phone.
After, you can use WhatsApp on both phones simultaneously. Since you’re using the desktop version of the web client on one phone, the experience won’t be perfect, but it’ll be functional.
This post was originally published in November 2021 and updated on June 14, 2022 with more up-to-ate information about transferring messages between devices.