Get your WhatsApp data across the Android-iOS divide with the Move to iOS app
Moving from Android to iOS and vice versa used to be a Herculean task that often meant sacrificing your data and starting fresh. Things have changed for the most part, with Google, Apple, and other OEMs developing tools for transferring user data between devices. Still, there are gray areas, data that you can’t move beyond the divide. One such is transferring WhatsApp data from Android to iOS, but not anymore.
After a long wait, Meta announced the ability to transfer your WhatsApp account information, profile photo, individual chats, group chats, chat history, media, and settings using Apple’s Move to iOS app for budget and high-end Android phones alike. You can’t transfer your call history or display name, though. Here’s everything you need to know about the process.
What you’ll need to transfer your WhatsApp messages from Android to iOS
Before starting the process, you’ll need to ensure a few things:
- The Android phone must be on OS version 5 (lollipop) or above.
- The Apple phone must be running iOS version 15.5 or above.
- WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 or above is on your Android.
- WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 or above is on your iPhone (this is only required at the end of the setup process).
- You use the same phone number on both devices.
- Your iPhone must be new or reset to factory settings. Otherwise, it won’t pair with the Move to iOS Android app.
- Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or the Android device must be connected to the iPhone’s hotspot.
- The Move to iOS app must be installed on your Android phone.
How to move your WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone
Your iPhone must be in a set-up state for this method to work. In other words, you can only use a new iOS device or a factory reset one if it’s already been used.
- Download the Move to iOS app from the Google Play Store and install it on your Android phone.
- Begin the setup process for your new (or factory reset) iPhone. Go to the Apps & Data setup screen and select Move data from Android.
- Open the Move to iOS app on your Android phone and follow the onscreen instructions. A code appears on your iPhone.
- Enter the code on your Android phone, and you’re taken to the Transfer Data screen.
- Select WhatsApp and then tap Start. This encrypts your WhatsApp data and starts the data migration process. You’re also signed out of your WhatsApp account on Android automatically.
- Once your iPhone is fully set up, download the latest WhatsApp version from the App Store and sign in with the same phone number. The data won’t be decrypted if you are not on WhatsApp iOS version 2.22.10.70 or above.
Using the Move to iOS app requires a new or factory-reset old phone to work. Even if you recently set up the device, you still have to wipe it to use the service again.
Look for the Apps & Data screen. Then tap Move Data from Android. If you finished the setup, you must erase your iOS device and start over. If you don’t want to erase, transfer your content manually.
Move your WhatsApp data with third-party alternatives
Follow the above steps to transfer your WhatsApp data from your Android phone to your new iPhone. The only downside of this tool is that the iPhone must be in setup mode (new or factory reset). If you’d like to transfer your data to an iPhone you’ve been using without deleting your data, these third-party options can help:
- Wondershare Wutsapper-WhatsApp transfer tool for Android
- Tenorshare iCareFone Transfer to iPhone app for Android
- iMobie AnyTrans software for Windows and Mac
- Wondershare Dr.Fone app for PC
- iMobie PhoneTrans for Windows and Mac
Moving from Android to iOS should not spell the end for your WhatsApp data
Switching between the Android and iOS ecosystems used to mean losing your data and starting afresh for many of your favorite apps. That isn’t the case anymore. With the official tool or third-party options, you can transfer your WhatsApp data between devices and continue chatting with friends like you never left.
Moving from Android to iOS goes beyond transferring your WhatsApp data, though. So, we answered your most pressing questions on making the switch.
