WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. A key feature of WhatsApp is that it can be used across multiple devices, so your chats and data can be accessed from your smartphone, tablet, computer, etc. However, sometimes you may need to transfer your WhatsApp account from one device to another when you upgrade your phone, switch operating systems, or get a new tablet. Luckily, WhatsApp makes it relatively easy to transfer your account between devices.
Backing up your WhatsApp data
Before transferring your WhatsApp account to a new device, it’s important to back up your messages, photos, videos and other data. This ensures you don’t lose any of your chat history or media when moving to the new device. There are two main ways to back up WhatsApp:
- iCloud backup (for iOS devices)
- Google Drive backup (for Android devices)
To set up an iCloud backup on iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap Backup to iCloud and select a backup frequency (e.g. daily, weekly etc).
WhatsApp data will now automatically backup to iCloud as per your selected frequency. You can also manually back up at any time by returning to the Chat Backup screen and tapping Back Up Now.
For Android devices, the process is similar but using Google Drive:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap Back up to Google Drive and select a backup frequency.
- Tap Account and select the Google account you want to backup to.
Once enabled, your chat history will periodically back up to your linked Google Drive account. You can also manually trigger a backup by returning to Chat backup and tapping Back up.
Transferring WhatsApp to a new Android phone
When moving your WhatsApp account to a new Android device, Google Drive backup makes it seamless. Here’s how to transfer WhatsApp to your new phone:
- First, ensure your old phone is backing up your WhatsApp chats to Google Drive.
- Set up your new Android phone and install WhatsApp.
- Verify your phone number in WhatsApp on the new device.
- On the ‘Restore chats’ screen, tap Restore to restore chat history and media from Google Drive.
That’s all there is to it! WhatsApp will automatically pull your backup from Google Drive and restore your messages, photos, videos and settings.
Using local device backups
You can also transfer WhatsApp using a local backup saved directly on your old Android device:
- On your old phone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap Back up to local storage to create a local backup file.
- Transfer this backup file manually to your new phone e.g. via cable, cloud storage etc.
- On your new phone, install WhatsApp and verify your number.
- Tap Restore when prompted and select your local backup file to restore.
Transferring WhatsApp to new iPhone
For iOS devices, use iCloud to seamlessly transfer WhatsApp data to your new iPhone:
- Ensure WhatsApp is backing up chats to iCloud on your old iPhone.
- Set up your new iPhone and install WhatsApp.
- Verify your phone number in WhatsApp.
- On the ‘Restore chats’ screen, tap Restore to restore chats and media from iCloud.
WhatsApp will fetch your latest iCloud backup and automatically restore your messages, photos, videos etc. All iOS to iOS WhatsApp transfers utilize iCloud backups.
Using local iOS backups
You can also use a manual local backup from your old iPhone:
- On your old iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats.
- Tap Chat Backup > Back Up Now to create local backup.
- Transfer this file to your new iPhone.
- Install WhatsApp on new phone and verify number.
- Tap Restore and select the local backup when prompted.
Moving WhatsApp from iPhone to Android
Transferring WhatsApp from iOS to Android involves a few extra steps since you need to switch backup platforms from iCloud to Google Drive:
- Back up WhatsApp chats to iCloud on your old iPhone.
- On your Android, install WhatsApp and verify number.
- On iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap Back Up Now to create a new local backup file.
- Transfer this local backup to your Android device.
- Open WhatsApp on Android, then tap Restore > Next when prompted.
- Select the iOS backup file to import chats & media to your Android device.
This process uses a local iOS backup to successfully move your chats cross-platform from iPhone to Android. The chat history and media will be imported.
Switching WhatsApp from Android to iPhone
To go cross-platform from Android to iOS:
- Ensure WhatsApp is backing up to Google Drive on your Android device.
- On your new iPhone, install WhatsApp and log in using your phone number.
- Open WhatsApp on your Android device and tap Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap Back up to local storage to create a manual backup file.
- Transfer this backup file to your new iPhone.
- In WhatsApp on iPhone, tap Restore when prompted.
- Select the Android backup file to import chats & data.
This uses a manual Android backup to successfully shift your WhatsApp account from an Android smartphone to an iPhone, transferring over your chat history, media etc.
Transferring WhatsApp to a new phone number
If you are changing your phone number but keeping your existing smartphone, here is how to transfer your WhatsApp account:
- Update your phone number in your smartphone settings.
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account.
- Tap Change Number and enter your old and new number.
- Tap Next and confirm the change when prompted.
Your WhatsApp account will unlink from your old number and relink to your new number, while retaining all your messages, groups, media etc.
Transferring WhatsApp to a tablet or computer
WhatsApp can also be used on linked devices such as tablets and PCs by linking your smartphone account:
- Tablets: Install WhatsApp on your tablet. Open WhatsApp on your phone and tap Linked Devices. Follow the prompts to link your tablet.
- PC: Install WhatsApp Desktop app on computer. Open WhatsApp on your phone and tap Linked Devices. Scan the QR code on computer to link it.
Once linked, your chats, contacts etc. will remain in sync across your smartphone, computer and tablets.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp transfers
WhatsApp transfers should go smoothly in most cases, but here are some troubleshooting tips if you encounter issues:
- Ensure you have a recent backup – WhatsApp can only transfer data from your latest backup.
- Check your internet connection – A stable internet connection is required during the transfer process.
- Verify your phone number – You need to verify your number again on the new device for WhatsApp to restore your account.
- Update WhatsApp – Run latest WhatsApp version on both devices to avoid compatibility issues.
- Reboot devices – Sometimes restarting both devices can help fix minor glitches.
- Clear app data – As a last resort, clear WhatsApp data on the new device and try to restore again.
If problems persist, you may need to contact WhatsApp support for further assistance.
Conclusion
Transferring your WhatsApp account between devices is generally quick and hassle-free. By utilizing built-in chat backups to either iCloud or Google Drive, you can seamlessly move your WhatsApp data to a new phone or platform. Manually transferring local backup files provides an alternative method. Between compatible platforms like iPhone to iPhone or Android to Android, transfers should complete smoothly and retain all your messages, groups, media and settings. When shifting cross-platform between iPhone and Android, a few extra steps are required but your chat history can still be preserved. Following the tips outlined, you should be able to successfully transfer your WhatsApp account and keep chatting uninterrupted on your new device.