How do you Transfer WhatsApp Messages to a New Phone?

Transferring WhatsApp conversations to another phone can be a headache if you hardly know your way around it. However, it shouldn’t bother you much. If you’ve ever struggled to transfer WhatsApp to a new phone, this article will help you out.

The thought of transferring WhatsApp conversation carries the grace of a fiery, unbeatable monster. It’s even worse if you aren’t well-versed with this application or know little about navigating it. However, I can assure you that it’s pretty much a breeze.

Hello Friends,

I’m Frankie Caruso; your ever-resourceful Italian lad raised on spaghetti and pizza and a seasoned messaging app expert. And today, I have all the best I can offer, with the topic: how to transfer WhatsApp messages to a new phone.

I’ll offer to break down the process and intricately delve into the necessary and helpful details about the process. My article today is an all-rounder for all phone operating systems and helps you with ideas about transferring WhatsApp between Android-Android and iPhone-iPhone.

I’ll also explain how to transfer these conversations from Android to iPhones and vice versa.

But first, here’s something for you.

I always offer helpful resources you can find handy for all your messaging app problems. You’ll only need to subscribe to my newsletter to never miss a chance at making your messaging app experience better.

That said, I’ve also organized this article to make it seamless to understand and follow closely and make reading it an indulgence. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting; here’s how I’ve structured it.

• Back up your WhatsApp chats on your phone
• How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from Android to Android
• How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from iPhone to iPhone
• How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from iPhone to Android
• How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from Android to iPhone
• Frequently Asked Questions on How to Transfer Whatsapp Messages to a New Phone

Ready to go? Let’s delve into it!

Frankie’s Take:

It’s vital that you back up your chats frequently. Thankfully, WhatsApp helps with that and makes scheduling this process more seamless. It’s easy; you only have to set your backup schedule based on the frequency you want, every day, weekly or monthly.

Back Up Your WhatsApp Chats on Your Phone

I always recommend backing up WhatsApp chats every day. If that’s too tight, perhaps weekly can still be ideal.

You may feel prompted to change your phone anytime. You may also lose your phone, or it may experience technical glitches, making WhatsApp inaccessible. If so, you need some straws to grip, and backing up your WhatsApp conversations can be incredibly helpful.

The process is usually varied in Android and iOS operating systems. However, the idea is similar, so please don’t expect different results.

Below are how to back up WhatsApp chats on Android and iPhone.

How to Back Up WhatsApp Chats on Android

The backup process requires that you have a stable and reliable internet connection. I usually recommend doing it over Wi-Fi. However, your cellular data can still work. On your old Android phone:

• Click on the three vertically arranged dots in the top right corner next to the search icon. Go to “Settings” and click on “Chats.”
• Find “Chat backup” towards the bottom and click to open. Remember that you’ll need to link your Google account for some backup storage – that’s where your chats and media archive get stored after backup.
• You can set up your Google backup settings by deciding the backup frequency or whether or not you should include videos. (Fret not, you’ll see all that under “Google Drive settings“).

How to Backup WhatsApp Chats on iPhone

When we want to back up WhatsApp without iCloud, iTunes is the first thing that comes to mind. Like iCloud, iTunes is a native Apple solution for managing our iOS devices. You can back up your entire device and later restore it using this solution. It is free, but it will take a backup of the phone’s entire memory, including WhatsApp. When you restore the backup, you will wipe out the phone’s existing data, so you should only use this approach when resetting your device.

To restore your WhatsApp messages and attachments on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Connect your device to your computer using a working lighting cable.
2. After iTunes detects your device, go to its Summary tab. Next, click the “Back Up Now” link under the Backups tab and make sure you are backing up to “This Computer.”
3. It will take a while for iTunes to back up your device, including your WhatsApp messages and attachments.

After that, you can follow the same procedure and decide to restore the backup to your iPhone instead.

Frankie’s take

Despite the advantages of backing up WhatsApp chats on your iPhone, there are a few disadvantages. First, every file on your device will be backed up, including those you don’t want. Second, when you restore your backup, all of your current WhatsApp data will be deleted. Third, you cannot selectively restore or preview WhatsApp data. Fourth, restoring to a different iOS version may result in compatibility issues.

The backup process in iPhones is similar to Android, and the only is the backup destination. Conventionally, iCloud Drive is the most convenient storage for iPhones. However, you can still use iTunes or export chats to Mail and Messages, among other destinations.

But I’ll pick iCloud Drive, and here’s the process.

• Open settings and tap on the conspicuous Apple ID banner at the top. Find “iCloud” and tap on it.
• Scroll down, toggle the switch next to the WhatsApp app, and launch it.
• Tap the “Settings” menu before finding the “Chats” button. Find “Chat Backup” and tap on “Backup Now.”
• The backup process should commence afterward. Remember, you can also set up your preferred backup frequency and include videos. (You can do all these things in your new phone since your old phone should soon be obsolete).

Frankie’s Take:

For Android users, backing up chats and media archives is always ideal. It’s easier to access these chats from your new phone than backing them up on the old phone’s storage.

How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from Android to Android

I’ll talk about two conventional methods of restoring WhatsApp on Android phones. (Please don’t mind me, I love variety 😊) That should offer you more options, too, should one fail to apply.

Restoring WhatsApp Conversations Using Local Backup

I’ve already expounded on Google Drive as an ideal WhatsApp backup destination. However, you can still use your local backup if you can’t access your Drive.

So, here’s the deal.

• Find the Files app on your phone to access your internal storage.
• Locate the WhatsApp folder (You can also search it if you want) and go to “Databases.” You should see several files having quite complex numbers and letters with the name appearing something like “msgstore.db.crypt14.”
• Find the most recent file and change it to “msgstore_BACKUP.db.crypt14.” To do that, long press on the file and select “Rename” on the box that pops up.
• You can then uninstall WhatsApp on your old Android phone before installing it on your new phone. Your phone should eventually detect local storage during your restoration.

Restoring WhatsApp Conversations Using Google Drive

• You can then install WhatsApp on your new Android phone, and you’ll have to go through setup. Use your WhatsApp number (The same as the one on your old phone) and ensure to go through the verification procedure.
• Also, you need to ensure that you’ve linked your Google Drive account to your Android phone, which should help you with the backup process.
• If so, your phone will automatically detect your recent backup, and a green button with an upward-facing arrow should appear.
• You can check below and click “Restore.” If you have an authentication code, please wait for a prompt. (Your new WhatsApp will detect the code once you receive it in text).

Your WhatsApp restoration should immediately begin after you finish the authentication. Keep in mind that it could take a bit of time if your backup is quite sizeable.

How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from iPhone to iPhone

I usually find no difference when restoring WhatsApp between Android-Android and iPhone-iPhone. The process is similar, the only difference being the backup type used.

But I’ll help with that, anyway. And here’s the process.

As usual, please ensure you’ve backed up your chat and media archive on iCloud, as I’ve explained in the sub-section “How to backup WhatsApp chats on iPhone” above.

• Install WhatsApp on your new iPhone and go through the setup. Please use your WhatsApp number and be sure to go through the verification process.
• Like Android, please ensure you’ve linked your iCloud Drive account to your new iPhone, which should help you with the backup process.
• Your phone will automatically detect your recent backup, and a green button should appear once you verify your WhatsApp number.
• You can click “Restore,” a green button at the bottom. If you have an authentication code, please wait for a prompt.

Frankie’s Take:

I find the processes for transferring WhatsApp on Andoid and iPhones similar. The only difference should be the chat and media archive backup destinations.

How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from iPhone to Android

Most WhatsApp users get confused when transferring WhatsApp from iPhone to Android. That’s okay since the two operating systems are as different as day and night. However, rest assured that you won’t get stuck, as I’ll break down the process for you.

In truth, several ways to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android exist. And one recent development with Android 12 Samsung phones has made the process pretty straightforward.

So, what’s the conventional method of transferring WhatsApp conversations from iPhone to Android?

(Please note that the process below applies to Android 10 or higher)

• Start the new Android device and execute the set process. Also, be sure to connect both phones to a similar Wi-Fi.
• Connect the two phones using a USB-C to lighting cable after receiving the prompt, and please ensure that you unlock both phones.
• Your iPhone should display all apps you need to transfer from your iPhone, so please select your WhatsApp application.
• Scan the QR code on your iPhone and launch WhatsApp. That should initiate the chat media archive transfer.

This process also applies to Samsung smartphones from Android 12 or higher. The process should also take time, and you should be ready to use WhatsApp on your Android phone.

How to Transfer WhatsApp Conversations from Android to iPhone

I’ve realized that the WhatsApp requirements for transferring conversations from Android to iPhone are above the ceiling. However, getting your chart and media archive to your new iOS device is still possible without a glitch.

WhatsApp requires that your iPhone be on factory reset and iOS 15.5 or above. Your Android should also be Lollipop, ADK 21 or above, and higher than Android 5.

Moreover, your android phone should use the latest WhatsApp version for this process to work seamlessly. All in all, that’s relatively seamless to come by, and you can seamlessly transfer your WhatsApp without a glitch.

Here’s a rundown of the entire transfer process.

• On your Android phone, open the Move to iOS app, and follow the prompts on the screen. You’ll get a code on your screen; please enter it on your Android phone and tap “Continue.”
• On the transfer data screen, select “WhatsApp.” Tap start on your Android phone and wait for WhatsApp to initiate data export. That’ll sign you out of your Android phone.
• Tap “Next” to go back to the Move to iOS app. Click “Continue” to initiate data transfer from Android to iPhone. Please wait for Move to iOS to confirm the completion of the transfer.
• Go to the App store and install the latest WhatsApp app version. Log in using your old number.
• Wait for a prompt before tapping “Start” and complete the process. Good to go!

Frankie’s Take:

From my many years of experience with messaging apps, I’ve never seen it possible to transfer WhatsApp conversations from Android to iPhone if you can’t meet the requirements above. Perhaps, WhatsApp should try accommodating users with lower Operating System version for inclusivity.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Transfer WhatsApp Messages to a New Phone

People across my social media platforms have been asking me a lot about transferring WhatsApp messages to new phones. As always, I’ll pin the most relevant, frequently asked questions to help you clear any doubt.

Can I Transfer My WhatsApp Messages to Another Phone Without Backup?

Always back up your messages and media archives before transferring your WhatsApp to another phone. However, you can still possibly share your WhatsApp without backup.

In that case, I invite using third-party apps if you don’t want to lose your data. Apps like WatsGo WhatsApp Transfer can fit pretty well.

Will I Possibly Lose WhatsApp Conversations If I Change Phones?

You won’t lose your data if you back up data to your Google Drive or iCloud Drive. However, this information will be gone if you fail to back it up.

Will I Successfully Transfer Data to a New Phone If I Use Another WhatsApp Number on Another Phone?

You cannot transfer your WhatsApp information to another phone after changing numbers. Each WhatsApp number is unique, and transferring messages to other numbers is impossible.

Can I Use WhatsApp on Two Phones with the Same Number If I Don’t Want to Transfer my Messages?

Using a similar account on two phones is impossible. Once you log in to one, you’ll automatically be logged out from the other.

Conclusion

That’s all for today. And I hope this article will be resourceful.

As promised, I’ve clearly explained every possible method of transferring WhatsApp messages to other phones. And more particularly, in Android-Android and iPhone-iPhone transfers.

However, I’ll reiterate that those daily message backups are crucial as they save time in completing the transfer process. Also, please check the requirements, including the operating systems and connections, and use the latest WhatsApp versions.

Suppose you have any burning questions you want to ask, please reach out to the comment section below and follow my social media. By subscribing to my newsletter, you can learn more about this and other topics!

You can also learn about messaging apps by checking out more exciting topics, including the best mobile spy apps and Mspy cell phone trackers.

Cheers, as usual!

Frankie Caruso.

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