Meta-owned, WhatsApp is now adding the ability for users to transfer their chat history, photos, videos, and voice texts from Android to iPhone via Apple’s Move to iOS app. Prior to this development, users only had to option to transfer chats from iPhone to Android. The ability to transfer data from Android to iPhone is rolling out in beta starting today but will take about a week to reach all users.
WhatsApp Will Transfer Data While Maintaining End-to-End Encryption
“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.”
WhatsApp notes that the transfer process only works on new or factory reset iPhones WhatsApp notes that this process can be used to transfer your account information, profile picture, individual chats, group chats, chat history, media, and settings.
Users Also Have the Option to Store Data on iCloud
However, you can’t transfer your call history or display your name. The company outlines that transferred data doesn’t go to cloud storage as a result of migration until you create an iCloud backup. WhatsApp also notes that it can’t see the data that you transfer and that your Android phone will still have your data unless you delete WhatsApp or wipe your phone.
Although it’s been easy to transfer WhatsApp data from one iPhone to another, or from one Android to another, users have had to find difficult workarounds when moving from Android to iPhone. The new tool will solve this problem and make it a lot easier to transfer data.
Read more: WhatsApp to Display Status Updates in Chat Lists
