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Keep your old phone and its WhatsApp data intact until you can see the chats you need on the new phone. The right transfer method depends on whether you are moving between iPhones, between Android phones, or switching platforms. If you are changing your number too, change it in WhatsApp on the old phone before transferring.
Choose the transfer path before setting up WhatsApp
WhatsApp supports moves between phones of the same type and between iPhone and Android, but the steps are different. In particular, Android-to-iPhone migration happens during iPhone setup, while iPhone-to-Android uses a WhatsApp transfer flow and QR code.
| Move | Method and timing | Important conditions |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone to iPhone | Use WhatsApp’s phone-change or direct account-transfer instructions on the two phones. | Keep the old iPhone and its data available until the new phone’s chats are confirmed. |
| Android to Android | Use WhatsApp’s phone-change or direct account-transfer instructions on the two phones. | Keep the old Android phone and its data available until the new phone’s chats are confirmed. |
| iPhone to Android | Start the transfer in WhatsApp on the iPhone, then scan the QR code on the Android phone and follow the local Wi-Fi prompts. | Use the same number on both phones, current WhatsApp versions, and a stable Wi-Fi connection. Do not activate WhatsApp on the new Android phone before moving the history. |
| Android to iPhone | Use Apple’s Move to iOS app as part of initial iPhone setup. | The iPhone must be new or factory reset. Use the same number, and meet the documented Android 5+ and iOS 15.5+ minimums. |
The same-platform rows refer to WhatsApp’s general change-phone and direct-transfer guidance; follow the prompts WhatsApp presents for your devices. For any route, avoid erasing the source phone or deleting its WhatsApp data until the destination has the chats and media you need.
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- Keep the old phone usable. You may need it to scan a QR code, approve a prompt, or retry the transfer. Keep WhatsApp open until the transfer-complete screen appears.
- Have access to your WhatsApp number. You may need to receive a verification code on the number being registered. If two-step verification is enabled, be ready to complete it.
- Check power and connectivity. Keep both phones powered and nearby. For the cross-platform flows, follow the on-screen Wi-Fi instructions and use a stable connection.
- Do not start with a cloud restore assumption. A direct move and a cloud backup are separate. A completed transfer does not necessarily create a fresh backup in iCloud or a Google Account.
WhatsApp may require a waiting period before sending a verification code during some security checks; it says it cannot shorten that wait. WhatsApp also says chat history is not stored on its servers, so do not count on WhatsApp to retrieve a history that is no longer on your phone or in a usable backup.
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Move between two phones of the same type
WhatsApp’s direct transfer instructions call for both phones and internet access. Install WhatsApp on the new phone, register the account number, then use the old phone’s camera to scan the QR code shown on the new phone. Follow the prompts on both devices until the transfer-complete screen appears; do not close WhatsApp before then.
- Keep the old phone available, and install WhatsApp on the replacement phone.
- Open WhatsApp on the new phone and register the number for the account. If you are keeping the number, use that same number.
- When the new phone displays a QR code, open WhatsApp on the old phone and scan it with the old phone’s camera.
- Follow the prompts on both phones and wait for the transfer-complete confirmation.
- Open chats on the new phone and verify that the conversations and media you need are present before deleting or resetting anything on the old one.
Registering the account on the new phone logs WhatsApp out on the old phone. That is not a reason to wipe the old phone: retain its data until you have checked the result. If WhatsApp presents a security wait before sending a code, wait for the stated period rather than repeatedly trying to force verification.
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Move chats from iPhone to Android
WhatsApp’s iPhone-to-Android flow uses a QR code and a local Wi-Fi connection. The old iPhone’s WhatsApp data must remain available until the move finishes, and the chat history must be transferred before activating WhatsApp on the new Android phone.
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- On the iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Chats > Transfer Chat History > Transfer to Android.
- On the Android phone, proceed with WhatsApp setup and verify the same phone number used on the iPhone.
- Scan the QR code with the iPhone and join the local Wi-Fi connection when prompted.
- Keep the phones available and wait for WhatsApp to report that the transfer is complete. The time depends on the amount of data.
- Check the new Android phone’s chats and media before removing WhatsApp data from the iPhone.
WhatsApp says this route can move account information, individual and group chats, communities, channel updates, chat history, files, and settings. It does not move the display name, status updates, or media received through WhatsApp channels. Personal messages transfer, but peer-to-peer payment messages do not.
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If you already activated WhatsApp on the new Android phone before transferring, WhatsApp’s instructions say to uninstall it first to restore the prior chats. Histories cannot be merged, so do not expect messages created on the new installation to combine with the old history. This local transfer is not itself a cloud backup.
Move chats from Android to iPhone
Android-to-iPhone transfer uses Apple’s Move to iOS app during the iPhone’s initial setup. The iPhone must be new or factory reset; a reset erases the iPhone’s contents, so save any unrelated data you need before choosing that route.
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WhatsApp’s listed prerequisites are Android 5 or later, iOS 15.5 or later, current WhatsApp versions, the same phone number on both devices, both phones connected to power, and either a shared Wi-Fi network or the Android phone connected to the iPhone’s hotspot.
- Start setting up the new or factory-reset iPhone. If you need to reset an iPhone that already contains data, back up or otherwise preserve that data first.
- Open Move to iOS on the Android phone and enter the code displayed on the iPhone.
- When asked what to transfer, select WhatsApp. Follow WhatsApp’s prompts to prepare and export its data.
- Complete the Move to iOS process on the Android phone and iPhone.
- Install and open WhatsApp on the iPhone, then activate it using the same phone number as on Android.
- Check the transferred chats and media. Create an iCloud backup afterward if you want a cloud backup on the iPhone.
WhatsApp lists account information, profile photo, chats, communities, channel updates, chat history, media, and settings as transferable. Call history, display name, and channel media are not transferred. The migration itself does not put the data in iCloud; an iCloud backup must be created after the move.
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If you are changing your phone number too
Change the number in WhatsApp on the old phone before transferring the account and chats. WhatsApp’s Change Number feature moves account information and settings to the new number, including profile details, privacy settings, contacts, individual chats, and groups.
- On the old phone, use WhatsApp’s Change Number feature and complete the number-change process.
- After the change, create a fresh backup if you rely on cloud restore. Existing cloud backups are associated with the number used to create them and cannot be used to restore after the number change.
- Transfer to the new phone using the route for your source and destination platforms, registering with the new number.
- Confirm the chats are available on the new phone before removing the old copy.
If you no longer have access to the old WhatsApp account, WhatsApp’s guidance says you cannot move its backup to a new number. Do not postpone the number change until after migration if you intend to move the history too.
Cloud backups: what a successful transfer does and does not mean
A phone-to-phone migration can put chats on the new device without creating a cloud backup there. For example, Android-to-iPhone migrated data is not in iCloud until you make an iCloud backup after the migration. Treat transfer verification and backup verification as two separate checks.
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- Before backing up, check that the phone and Google Account have enough storage and that the internet connection is stable.
- WhatsApp chat backups are not protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption unless you enable encrypted backup.
- After changing your number, create a fresh backup under the new number if you want a cloud backup tied to that account.
Verify the move before wiping the old phone
- Open several recent and older conversations on the new phone, including group chats you need.
- Check that important photos, documents, and other media are accessible; transfer exclusions vary by direction.
- If you rely on a cloud backup as well as the local transfer, confirm that you created the backup on the destination phone after migration.
- Only after those checks decide whether to delete WhatsApp data from the old phone. WhatsApp recommends deleting old-phone chats after a move if you want to help keep them private.
When a transfer stalls or the chats are missing
- Transfer has not completed: Keep both phones powered, nearby, and available. Follow any prompts to unlock the phones or reconnect to Wi-Fi. Do not delete source data while troubleshooting.
- WhatsApp was activated too early on Android: For iPhone-to-Android, WhatsApp says to uninstall WhatsApp on the Android phone before restoring the prior chats. Existing histories cannot be merged.
- Android-to-iPhone setup is already finished: The Move to iOS WhatsApp transfer is part of initial iPhone setup. The documented route requires a new or factory-reset iPhone; resetting erases its contents, so protect unrelated data before doing so.
- Backup is not available after a number change: Backups are tied to the number used to create them. Follow the number-change sequence on the old device and make a new backup after changing the number.
- Using WhatsApp Business: The cited cross-platform instructions do not establish uniform support for Business-app migration. Check WhatsApp’s current guidance for the specific app before applying consumer WhatsApp steps.
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