The “Move chats to Android” feature on WhatsApp allows users to transfer their WhatsApp chat history from an iPhone to an Android device. This can be useful when switching from an iPhone to an Android phone and wanting to keep conversations, photos, videos and other media sent and received on WhatsApp.
How does moving chats from iPhone to Android work?
The process involves using the “Move to Android” app on the Google Play Store. This app needs to be installed on the Android device first. Then on the iPhone, under WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Move chats to Android, a QR code needs to be scanned using the Move to Android app. This links the two devices and kicks off the transfer process.
WhatsApp then exports the chat history to the linked Android device. It captures the messages, photos, videos and voice messages within chats on WhatsApp and copies them over to the new phone. The transfer happens entirely locally between the two devices – the data does not pass through WhatsApp’s servers.
What gets transferred during Move chats to Android?
The following data from WhatsApp on iPhone will be moved to the Android phone:
- Entire chat history – messages, photos, videos
- Media sent and received in chats
- Voice messages
- Chat backups
- Chat configuration and settings
The following items are not transferred:
- Call history
- Display name and About information
- Groups created by the user
- Starred messages
Requirements for moving chats from iPhone to Android
The requirements for using the Move to Android feature include:
- iPhone must be running iOS 15.5 or higher
- Android phone must be running Android 10 or higher and have the Move to Android app installed from Play Store
- User needs to have the same phone number on both devices
- Both devices need to be connected to a power source
- Both devices need to be connected to the same WiFi network
- User needs to have an active WhatsApp account set up on both devices
The WhatsApp account on the iPhone should not be deleted until the transfer process is fully completed. The account can be deleted later once the data is fully migrated.
Step-by-step guide to move chats from iPhone to Android
Follow these steps to move your WhatsApp chat history from an iPhone to Android phone:
- Update your iPhone’s operating system to iOS 15.5 or higher.
- On your Android phone, visit the Google Play Store and download the Move to Android app.
- On your iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Move Chats to Android.
- A QR code will appear on the iPhone screen. Scan this code using the Move to Android app on your Android phone.
- On your iPhone, tap Start in WhatsApp. This will prepare the data for export.
- On the Android phone, tap Next in the Move to Android app. Select WhatsApp under Transfer data.
- Tap Continue on your iPhone when prompted by WhatsApp. Keep the app open.
- Wait for WhatsApp to create the backup and transfer it to your Android phone. This can take a while depending on how big your chat history is.
- Once complete, install WhatsApp on your Android if you haven’t already. Login using the same phone number used on your iPhone.
- On Android, tap Import when prompted inside WhatsApp to import the chat history from iOS.
- Finish the setup process on Android and verify all your chats have been transferred.
How long does it take to move chats from iPhone to Android?
The total time taken to move your WhatsApp chats from an iPhone to Android phone can vary:
- If your chat history is small, it may only take a few minutes.
- Medium-sized chat history could take 15-30 minutes.
- Large chat history with many media files could take 1-2 hours.
Factors that affect transfer time:
- Amount of chat history and media
- Internet connection speeds on both devices
- Processing power and available storage space on Android device
Be patient and keep both devices connected during the transfer process. Plan the chat history migration when you have time to allow for a large data move.
Tips for speeding up the chat transfer process
Here are some tips that can help speed up how long it takes to move your WhatsApp chat history from iPhone to Android:
- Delete large files or media you don’t need from WhatsApp on your iPhone to reduce transfer size.
- Connect both devices to power sources so they don’t run out of battery.
- Move closer to your WiFi router or connect to a stronger network.
- Close all other apps running in the background on both devices.
- If transfer seems stuck, restart both devices and try again.
- Check that you have enough free storage space on your Android device.
Following these tips can help optimize the chat migration process and avoid any failures during the transfer.
Can I transfer WhatsApp chats without third-party apps?
There is no native way to directly transfer WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android without the Move to Android app. The app provides the simple QR code method to securely link the two devices and pipe the chat data across.
Some third-party apps claim to transfer WhatsApp chats between operating systems:
- iCareFone – Transfers WhatsApp messages between iOS and Android.
- CopyTrans – Can back up and restore WhatsApp chats to Android.
- MobileTrans – Moves WhatsApp history between different mobile platforms.
However, these third-party apps are not officially supported by WhatsApp. Some require root access which can be risky. Users have also reported data loss or corruption when using these unofficial transfer methods.
The Move to Android app is the safest and recommended way by WhatsApp to migrate chats between iOS and Android.
Can I transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not currently allow transferring chat history from an Android phone to an iPhone.
The Move to iOS app by Apple only transfers data in the opposite direction – from iPhone to Android.
There is no direct chat transfer method offered officially by WhatsApp to move chats from Android to iOS.
Users looking to migrate their chat history from Android to iPhone have a few options:
- Manually back up chats on Android and email history to themselves.
- Use third-party apps like iCareFone although unofficial and risky.
- Switch to iOS first and then Android to transfer chats using Move to iOS and Move to Android.
Until WhatsApp releases an official Android to iOS chat transfer feature, users will have limited options to migrate their chat history across those two platforms.
Can I transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to Android?
Yes, moving your WhatsApp chat history from one Android phone to another is straightforward:
- On old Android phone, back up chats to Google Drive in WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat backup.
- On new phone, install WhatsApp and log in with same number used on old device.
- On prompt, tap Restore to restore chats from Google Drive backup.
- Chat history from old Android device will be transferred to the new phone.
This process leverages WhatsApp’s built-in Google Drive backup feature to transfer chats between Android devices logged into the same account.
Media like photos and videos may not automatically restore. To retain media, copy WhatsApp media folder from old phone storage before moving to new phone.
Can I transfer WhatsApp chats from iPhone to iPhone?
Migrating your WhatsApp chat history from one iPhone to another is easy if you follow these steps:
- On old iPhone, ensure you back up chats to iCloud.
- On new iPhone, install WhatsApp and log in using same number as old device.
- Allow WhatsApp to restore chat history from iCloud backup.
- Chat messages, media, history will transfer from old iPhone to new device.
WhatsApp leverages iCloud to enable seamless chat transfer between different iPhones logged into the same Apple ID.
One thing to note is that media files like photos and videos may not automatically transfer over. To retain media, you will need to copy the WhatsApp media folder from iPhone storage manually before moving to new phone.
Can I merge WhatsApp chats from two accounts?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not allow users to merge or combine chat histories from two different WhatsApp accounts into one single account.
For example, if you have WhatsApp on two iPhones using two separate phone numbers, there is no direct way to consolidate the chat history into one primary account when you switch devices.
The only option is to manually forward any important chats from the secondary account to primary one by copying content. This is less than ideal but is the only workaround.
Ideally, WhatsApp should build a merge tool to allow combining chats and data across multiple accounts used on same device. But currently, no such feature exists natively on WhatsApp.
Troubleshooting tips for moving WhatsApp chats
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you face issues transferring WhatsApp chats:
- Check iOS and Android version requirements are met.
- Update the Move to Android app if available.
- Verify QR code is scanned properly between devices.
- Check WhatsApp account used is same on both devices.
- Ensure strong WiFi connectivity during transfer.
- Keep devices charged or plugged in throughout.
- Force close and re-open WhatsApp to retry if stuck.
- Restart both devices and try again if necessary.
If problems persist in transferring chats, contact WhatsApp support for help diagnosing the issue.
Does WhatsApp notify others when you move chats to new device?
No, when you transfer your WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android or move between devices, WhatsApp does not notify your contacts or groups.
It simply migrates your local chat history in the background while maintaining your account information. Your contacts will not get to know that you have changed devices or moved your chats.
The process happens privately in the background without informing anyone else on WhatsApp. So you can safely move between iOS and Android without notifying all your WhatsApp contacts each time.
Can I transfer WhatsApp along with my iPhone data to Android?
When moving your data from an old iPhone to a new Android phone, you can transfer WhatsApp along with your other iPhone content using the Move to Android app:
- Media – Photos, videos
- Contacts
- Messages – iMessage, SMS
- Web bookmarks
- Mail accounts
- Calendars
- Files and documents
During the data transfer setup, simply select WhatsApp along with the other data you wish to move. The Move to Android app will then port over your WhatsApp chat history plus the other selected content.
This provides an easy way to move both your WhatsApp data as well as your overall iPhone data when switching to Android phone.
Conclusion
Migrating your WhatsApp chat history from iPhone to Android is simple using the official Move to Android app. Just install app, scan QR code on both phones, and transfer will begin.
Entire message history, media files, voice notes, and backups will port over to new Android phone. Move over WiFi and keep devices plugged in to ensure complete data transfer.
While chats can be moved from iOS to Android, WhatsApp does not yet allow transfer from Android to iPhone. Follow the official process using Move to Android for safe chat migration between different mobile operating systems.