How to Transfer WhatsApp From Android to iPhone

Finally, a workaround that works

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Published on March 16, 2020

There's no direct way to transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone, as WhatsApp doesn't officially support users who move between different types of phones. However, there are workarounds that make switching from WhatsApp on Android to iPhone less painful. Here's how to backup WhatsApp messages from Android, then transfer your content to iPhone.

Why Can't I Use the WhatsApp Backup Tool?

WhatsApp offers the ability for Android users to backup via Google Drive, and for iOS users to use iCloud. Unfortunately, you can't use those services to restore the backup to a phone of a different type. It might not make sense to many, but it's down to how WhatsApp currently operates.

Can I Use a Third-Party App to Transfer My Backup?

There are apps and tools out there that state they will transfer your backups across devices safely, but none of them are official solutions. As your messages are personal, it's not sensible to use unfamiliar apps to move the content across.

How to Transfer Your WhatsApp Account From Android to iPhone

If you're switching phones, you may also be switching phone numbers, meaning you need to follow a few steps to be able to use your same WhatsApp account, but with a different cell phone number. Here's what to do.

If you're moving from one type of phone to another, but keeping the same number, you don't have to worry about doing this. Simply verify your number when you first install WhatsApp on your new phone.

Open WhatsApp.
Tap the three dots or hamburger menu to the top right of the screen.
Tap Settings.
Tap Account.
Tap Change Number.
Tap Next.
Enter your old phone number, then enter the new phone number.
Tap Next.
Tap Done.

You can choose to notify your WhatsApp contacts by toggling the Notify contacts button.

How to Transfer WhatsApp Messages Between Android and iPhone

WhatsApp doesn't offer a direct way to transfer your messages between Android and iPhone, and keep them within the app, but there is a way to make sure you still have a read-only backup for future reference. Here's how to do it.

You can't transfer these messages to WhatsApp on your new phone, but you can read them any time you want.

Open WhatsApp.
Open a conversation you want to save.
Tap the three dots or hamburger menu.
Tap More.
Tap Export Chat.
Choose to either include media (such as photos, GIFs, and voice clips) or not.

Including media will make the file size much bigger.
Choose to save the file somewhere. This can be Google Drive or you can email it to yourself, such as to your new iPhone email address.
The file is now viewable as a text file on your iPhone.

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