Changing your phone number can be a hassle, especially if you rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family. When you get a new number, you’ll lose access to all of your old WhatsApp chats, media, and messages. Thankfully, with some preparation, you can safely back up your WhatsApp data and restore it after the number change. Here’s what you need to know about recovering WhatsApp messages when you change your number.
Back Up WhatsApp Before Changing Numbers
The key to recovering your WhatsApp data is completing a timely backup before you change numbers. WhatsApp has a built-in backup feature that saves your messages, media, and settings to Google Drive or iCloud. As long as you do a manual backup right before the number change, you’ll have a snapshot of your WhatsApp data that you can restore later.
Here are the steps to back up WhatsApp before changing numbers:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the More options (three dot) menu.
- Select Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- Tap “Back Up Now” to do a manual backup of your WhatsApp data.
- Wait for the backup to complete. You’ll see a “Backup Successful” message when it finishes.
That’s it! As long as the backup completes successfully, your WhatsApp data will be saved and ready to restore after you switch numbers.
Transfer the WhatsApp Backup to Your New Number
Once you have the WhatsApp backup file from your old number, you need to transfer it to your new phone so that you can restore your chats.
For Android users:
- Your backup is saved to your Google Drive account. As long as you use the same Google account on your new Android phone, your backup will transfer over automatically.
- Alternatively, you can use a file manager app to locate the WhatsApp backup file on your old phone’s storage and transfer it manually to your new phone via cable, cloud storage, etc.
For iPhone users:
- Your backup is saved to iCloud. As long as you use the same iCloud account, it will sync automatically to your new iPhone.
- You can also use AirDrop or iCloud Drive to manually transfer the WhatsApp backup file from your old iPhone to the new one.
The key is making sure the latest WhatsApp backup file has been transferred from your old phone to your new phone prior to installing WhatsApp and trying to restore.
Restore Your WhatsApp Backup on the New Phone
Once your phone number change is complete and WhatsApp is installed on your new device, you can restore your chat history. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your new phone and agree to the Terms of Service.
- On the prompt to “Restore Chat History”, tap RESTORE.
- Select the backup you want to restore from (usually the latest one).
- Wait for WhatsApp to restore your chats, media, settings etc. This may take a few minutes.
- That’s it! Once finished, you’ll see all your old WhatsApp chats on your new phone.
And just like that, you’ve successfully recovered and restored your WhatsApp data after changing phone numbers! As long as you backed up right before the switch, you shouldn’t lose any messages or chat history in the transition.
Alternative Methods to Restore WhatsApp
Backing up to Google Drive or iCloud and restoring is the easiest way to get your WhatsApp chats back after a number change. However, there are a couple alternative methods that also work:
- Local backup: You can back up WhatsApp locally to your phone’s storage instead of the cloud. Transfer this file to your new phone via cable or SD card.
- Third-party apps: Apps like Dr.Fone and iMyFone can extract WhatsApp data from your old phone and transfer it to a new device.
- WhatsApp Transfer: Use the Change Number feature within WhatsApp to directly migrate your account and messages to your new number.
While the local and cloud backup method works for most, the alternatives above may be better solutions if you encounter issues restoring your chat history.
Tips for Smoothly Switching Numbers on WhatsApp
Follow these tips to ensure the number change process goes smoothly and you can pick right back up with your chats:
- Do the backup close to the time of your number change to limit message loss.
- Make sure you’re backing up over a trusted WiFi connection for reliability.
- Double check that the backup transferred fully to your new device.
- Have both your old and new SIM cards active simultaneously if possible during activation.
- If issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp before attempting to restore.
- Contact WhatsApp support if you still can’t get your messages back after following all troubleshooting steps.
With proper preparation, changing your WhatsApp number doesn’t have to result in losing all your great chats and memories. Follow these steps, and you’ll be up and running with your new number in no time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp backup save all my messages?
Yes, a proper WhatsApp backup will save your entire chat history including messages, photos, videos and voice messages you have sent or received on the app. It does not save your call history however.
Can I transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android?
While you can’t directly transfer WhatsApp from an iPhone to Android device, you can use a cross-platform cloud backup method to preserve your chat history. Back up your iPhone WhatsApp to iCloud, then access that same iCloud backup on your Android phone to restore chats.
How do I restore WhatsApp from Google Drive?
On your new Android phone, install WhatsApp and verify your number. When prompted to restore from backup, select Google Drive and choose the backup you want to restore. Grant the permissions and your Google Drive backup will then restore to your device.
How long does WhatsApp keep backup files?
WhatsApp currently retains your chat backup files for up to 120 days (4 months). Any backup older than 4 months may be deleted from Google Drive or iCloud automatically. The limit is to conserve cloud storage space.
Can I transfer WhatsApp to a new phone number?
It is possible to directly transfer your WhatsApp account and messages to a new phone number within the app. On your old number, open WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Change Number. Then enter your new number and follow the prompts.
Summary
Changing phone numbers can be a headache, but with a few simple steps you can safely transfer your WhatsApp chat history to a new number:
- Back up your WhatsApp messages on your old phone before changing numbers.
- Transfer the backup file to your new device.
- Install WhatsApp, verify your new number, and restore your messages from backup.
Be sure to back up over WiFi, double check the transfer, and use cloud backups or alternative solutions if you encounter issues restoring your chats. Follow these tips, and your WhatsApp messages will make it through the number change unscathed.
| OS | Backup Location | Restore Method |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Google Drive | Sync same Google account |
| iPhone | iCloud | Sync same iCloud account |
This summarizes the key backup and restore steps for Android and iPhone when changing your WhatsApp number. Following this process will ensure you don’t lose your precious chat history.
Conclusion
Changing phone numbers can be frustrating if you rely heavily on WhatsApp for messaging. Thankfully, WhatsApp makes it relatively easy to backup your chats before a number change and seamlessly restore them after. As long as you do a timely cloud or local backup, transfer it to your new phone, and restore during setup, you can get right back to your chats and enjoy seamless messaging with no history lost in the transition. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time and follow the proper steps outlined above.