After WhatsApp has been offering the ability to transfer chats from iOS to Android for a while, WhatsApp is now starting to support Android to iOS transfer.
[Update 07/07]: After the initial announcement and limited initial availability, WhatsApp chat transfers from Android to iOS are now starting with the latest beta update, according to WABetaInfo. The latest update of WhatsApp beta version 2.22.15.11 for Android brings the transfer feature to even more devices.
This means you can switch to iOS if you wish and take all your existing chats and messages with you from the world’s largest cross-platform messaging app. The transfer process requires your devices to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and you also need a significant amount of battery life available. Once the app is updated, you’ll get an additional option in Apple’s Move to iOS app. From here the process is fully explained and you can migrate all your content with the simple process.
Confirmed by none other than Mark Zuckerberg via his official Facebook page, you’ll soon be able to transfer your entire chat, video and voice message history between an existing Android phone and an iPhone. Unfortunately, according to the official WhatsApp support pages, you cannot transfer call history or display name between Android and iOS devices.
That said, this is a big move for the cross-platform messaging app. Zuckerberg confirmed that end-to-end encryption is retained even after migrating your content from one device to another. There are some limitations, as you’ll need to use the Move to iOS app on your Android phone to initiate any WhatsApp transfers. On top of that, you need to run at least Android 5.0 Lollipop on your Android phone, while iOS 15.5 is needed to be able to accept a transfer on your iPhone.
That’s not all, as there are some app version limitations, too. WhatsApp for Android version 2.22.7.74 and WhatsApp for iOS version 2.22.10.70 or later are also needed for the transfer to work. There’s one more caveat here too as your new iPhone also needs to be fresh or factory reset and on the same Wi-Fi network as your Android phone or the Move to iOS app will not pair.
Neither Zuckerberg or WhatsApp provided a timeline for the full rollout of the transfer/migration feature. However, it is expected to be available over the coming weeks. If you want to try this for yourself, be sure to refer to the official support pages here.
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