WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents and even make voice and video calls. One of the best things about WhatsApp is that it backs up your chat history regularly so that if you ever switch phones, you can restore your chats on the new device.
If you are switching from an old Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone, transferring your WhatsApp data is quite easy. Samsung has its own built-in software called Smart Switch that lets you transfer not just your WhatsApp chats but also contacts, photos, videos, music etc. from your old phone to your new one.
In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss in detail how you can use Smart Switch to seamlessly transfer WhatsApp chat history from an old Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone.
Requirements
Before you begin transferring WhatsApp chats, ensure that you meet the following requirements:
– The old and new phones should both be Samsung devices. Smart Switch works between Samsung phones only.
– Both phones should have WhatsApp installed. Download and install the latest version of WhatsApp from Play Store on both phones.
– Your old phone should have the latest backup of WhatsApp chats saved. WhatsApp backs up chats automatically everyday but you can also do a manual backup by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
– There should be enough storage space on your new phone to restore the WhatsApp backup.
– Keep both the phones charged or plugged in during the transfer process.
– Both phones should have internet connectivity either through mobile data or WiFi. The transfer happens online.
– Use the original charging cables that came with each phone for Smart Switch process.
Step 1 – Backup WhatsApp Chats on Old Phone
The first step is to manually backup your WhatsApp chats on the old Samsung phone before you begin the transfer process. Here is how to do it:
1. Open WhatsApp on your old Samsung phone.
2. Tap on the three dot menu icon in the top right corner.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Tap on Chats.
5. Tap on Chat Backup.
6. Tap on Back Up. This will immediately start backing up your WhatsApp chats to Google Drive.
7. Wait for the backup to complete. Do not close WhatsApp while backup is in progress.
This will ensure that the latest WhatsApp chat history is saved from your old phone before you wipe its data. Once the manual backup is completed, you can proceed with the next steps.
Step 2 – Install Smart Switch on Both Phones
Samsung Smart Switch is the official app from Samsung that helps transfer data between Samsung devices. You will need to install it on both your old and new Samsung phones.
Here is how to install Smart Switch on each phone:
On old Samsung phone:
1. Open Play Store.
2. Search for “Smart Switch”.
3. Tap on the result by Samsung Electronics.
4. Tap on Install.
5. Once installed, open Smart Switch.
6. Tap on Agree to accept the Terms & Conditions.
On new Samsung phone:
1. Open Play Store.
2. Search for “Smart Switch”.
3. Tap on the result by Samsung Electronics.
4. Tap on Install.
5. Once installed, open Smart Switch.
6. Tap on Agree to accept the Terms & Conditions.
This will install the latest version of Smart Switch on both the phones and get them ready for data transfer.
Step 3 – Connect the Phones
Once you have installed Smart Switch on both phones, the next step is to physically connect both the phones. You can connect the old and new Samsung phones in one of the following ways:
– Using USB cable
– Wirelessly over WiFi
– Using Samsung Cloud
Connecting using USB cable is the most reliable method and transfers data faster compared to wireless. Follow these steps to connect using USB cable:
1. Take the USB cable that came with your new Samsung phone.
2. Connect one end of the USB cable to your new phone.
3. Connect the other end of the USB cable to your old phone.
4. Keep both phones next to each other during the transfer process.
5. On your new phone, launch the Smart Switch app.
6. On the old phone, tap on Allow when prompted to Allow access to data.
7. Select the content you wish to transfer on the new phone.
8. Tap on Transfer to start the process.
Smart Switch will now transfer the selected data from your old phone to the new phone over USB. Just keep the phones connected and wait for the transfer to complete.
Step 4 – Transfer WhatsApp Chat History
Once both the Samsung phones are connected over USB, follow these steps to transfer WhatsApp chat history specifically from old phone to new:
1. On your new Samsung phone, open Smart Switch.
2. On the Welcome screen, tap on Old device → New device.
3. Under Transfer method, select Cable.
4. On the next screen, the app will show you the data that can be transferred. Tap on WhatsApp under App data.
5. Tap on Transfer to start copying WhatsApp data from old device to new device.
6. A prompt will appear on your old Samsung phone to Allow access to WhatsApp data. Tap on Allow.
7. Wait patiently while your WhatsApp chat history is transferred from old phone to new phone. Do not disconnect the cable during this process.
8. Once transfer is complete, you will see Transfer complete on your new phone.
This will copy your entire WhatsApp data including chat history from your old Samsung phone to your new Samsung phone. Verify on new phone if chats have been restored properly.
Step 5 – Restore WhatsApp Backup on New Phone
After you have transferred the WhatsApp data using Smart Switch, open WhatsApp on your new Samsung phone. Follow these steps to restore backup and access chats:
1. Agree to Terms of Service if you are opening WhatsApp for first time.
2. Enter your phone number when prompted and tap Next.
3. On the Restore from Backup screen, tap on Restore.
4. Select the backup source as Google Drive.
5. Tap on the backup date to select the latest backup.
6. Tap on Restore to retrieve your chats and media from Google Drive.
7. Wait for WhatsApp to restore chats, media, settings etc. This may take few minutes.
8. Once done, you will see your full WhatsApp chat history from old phone on your new Samsung phone.
9. You can start using WhatsApp on the new device now.
This completes the WhatsApp transfer process from your old Samsung phone to the new one using Smart Switch and Google Drive backup. All your chats, photos, videos will be securely restored on the new device.
Extra tips
Here are some useful tips when transferring WhatsApp chats from an old Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone:
– Charge both phones fully or keep them plugged in during the transfer process.
– Use original cables that came with each phone for better connectivity.
– Disable battery optimization for Smart Switch on both phones.
– Disable screen lock on both phones to avoid interruptions.
– If transfer fails, restart both phones and try again. Reconnect cable properly.
– If WhatsApp shows error while restoring backup, uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
– You can transfer WhatsApp along with other data like contacts, photos, videos in one go.
– Connect to stable WiFi if transfer over mobile data does not work properly.
– Take a manual WhatsApp backup on old phone before transferring as a failsafe.
– Make sure you have enough storage space on new phone for WhatsApp backup.
– Refer to Smart Switch help if you face any issues during the data transfer process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about transferring WhatsApp chat history from an old Samsung device to a new Samsung device:
Does Smart Switch transfer WhatsApp chats?
Yes, Smart Switch can transfer your WhatsApp chats, media, settings from an old Samsung phone to a new Samsung phone provided both devices have WhatsApp installed.
Will I lose my WhatsApp chats when changing phones?
You will not lose any WhatsApp chats when changing phones as long as you use Smart Switch to transfer your data or restore WhatsApp backup on new phone.
Is Smart Switch secure?
Yes, Smart Switch uses encryption to ensure your data is transferred securely between the old and new device.
Can I transfer WhatsApp chats without cable?
You can transfer WhatsApp chats from old Samsung phone to new wirelessly using WiFi Direct or Samsung Cloud but cable transfer is the fastest method.
Will WhatsApp restore all chats history?
WhatsApp restores your entire chat history including messages, photos, videos from Google Drive backup as long as the backup is recent.
Do both phones need to be on same WiFi?
For wireless Smart Switch transfer, both the phones need to be connected to the same WiFi network. Use WiFi with strong signal.
Can I transfer WhatsApp from Samsung to iPhone?
No, Smart Switch only transfers data between two Samsung devices. You cannot use it to transfer WhatsApp chats from Samsung to iPhone.
Does WhatsApp backup transfer media?
Yes, WhatsApp takes backup of your chats as well as media like photos, videos exchanged in chats. It is restored when you set up WhatsApp.
How do I transfer WhatsApp from broken screen?
If your old Samsung phone has a cracked or broken screen, you can first take its WhatsApp backup on Google Drive and then restore it on the new phone.
Conclusion
Transferring WhatsApp chats from an old Samsung device to a new Samsung device is quite simple with Samsung’s Smart Switch software. Just install Smart Switch on both phones, take a backup of WhatsApp chats on old phone, connect the two phones either via USB cable or wirelessly, then transfer WhatsApp data from old phone to new one. Once done, restore WhatsApp backup on new phone and all your chats will appear on the new device. This allows you to seamlessly move your WhatsApp history when upgrading your Samsung phone.