How to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iOS

Migration made easy

If you’re a regular WhatsApp user (who isn’t?), then it’s not easy to switch from an Android phone to an iPhone without losing all your data. Until now that is. WhatsApp has finally added the ability to transfer chats, phones, videos and voice messages from an Android to an iPhone using the Move to iOS app.

“We’re adding to WhatsApp the ability to securely switch between phones and transfer your chat history, photos, videos and voice messages between Android and iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. “This is a top requested feature. We launched the ability switch from iPhone–>Android last year and now adding Android–>iPhone as well.”

How to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iOS

To start the migration process, you will first need to install the ‘Move to iOS’ app on your Android phone. Once you start the process, follow the on-screen instructions till you’re asked for a code, which will be displayed on your new iPhone. Enter the code, and tap ‘Continue’.

Select ‘WhatsApp’ from the Transfer Data list, and then tap on ‘Start’ for WhatsApp to start preparing the on-device data for migration. Once the data is ready, you’ll be signed out from the app on your Android phone. On the next screen, tap ‘Continue’ to start the process of transferring the data to your iPhone.

The next step is to download the latest version of WhatsApp on your iPhone, and login using the same phone number. When prompted, tap ‘Start’, and allow the app some time to finish transferring all the data to your new device. Once the process is complete, your chat history and multimedia will have been transferred to your new iPhone.

It’s worth noting that this process only works on new or factory reset iPhones. Users also need to be using devices running Android 5 or above, and iOS 15.5.