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WhatsApp Working on Tool to Transfer Chats from Android to iOS

By Laura Tucker
Whatsapp Transfer Android Ios Featured

What makes it challenging to switch between operating systems is figuring out how to transfer your data. Samsung announced last month it was helping with this by transferring WhatsApp chats from iOS to new Samsung smartphones. Now WhatsApp is working on the opposite: a tool to transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS.

Also read: 13 of the Best WhatsApp Web Tips and Features

WhatsApp Chat Transfers from Android to iOS

Last month, WhatsApp added the ability to transfer data from iOS to Android, but it started small. As it stood before this, you could back up your data to the cloud but not bring it with you if you switched mobile platforms. Android stores backups to Google Drive, whereas iOS stores backups in iCloud, so the two systems cannot be combined.

Whatsapps Transfer Android Ios Smartphones

With this new ability, you can transfer chats, voice notes, and photos – but only to the new Samsung Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 smartphones. The plan is to eventually cover all transfers from iOS to Android.

This transfer is carried out with a Lightning-to-USB-C cable. It’s not transferred over the Internet, which seems surprising in this day and age.

WhatsApp Transfers from Android to iOS

But what if you’re on Android already and switch to an iOS device?

WhatsApp submitted an update this week through the Google Play beta program. It indicated that Android to iOS transfers would soon be available in a featured not-very-creatively called “Move Chats to iOS.”

Perhaps this was the plan all along, to cover both directions of the cross-platform transfer. But there had also been plenty of complaints about last month’s one-sided announcement.

Whatsapp Transfer Android Ios Iphone

It’s unknown how the Android-to-iOS WhatsApp transfers will take place, but it’s believed a cable will again be necessary. It’s also believed that this will include all Android phones and not just Samsung.

There have been other ways to transfer WhatsApp data, such as with third-party apps. Unfortunately, if you previously transferred data this way, you won’t be able to complete a new transfer with the new technology and migrate that data. Worse yet, the WhatsApp transfer will overwrite your previous backups.

It should also be noted that this is a beta feature, which may not ever go live, but it would seem odd if WhatsApp never brings the ability to transfer chats from Android to iOS while allowing it in reverse.

Even switching within the same platform can be an issue, as videos and images don’t transfer when you switch from one iPhone to the next, but you can read on to learn how to fix issues with images and videos not downloading.

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Laura Tucker Avatar
Laura Tucker
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.

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