How to transfer your chat history

Android
iOS
If you're moving from an iPhone to another iPhone, you can transfer your full chat and media history using WhatsApp's Chat Transfer feature.
While restoring from a backup can recover all of your chat data, the Chat Transfer feature allows you to transfer your full account information including all of your personal messages, photos, videos, documents, etc. However, you can’t transfer peer-to-peer payment messages and your call history, or media received over WhatsApp Channels.

What you need

  • The latest iOS version available on both of your devices.
  • The latest version of WhatsApp from the App Store.
  • Use the same phone number as your old phone on your new phone.
  • Your new phone must not be registered on WhatsApp until you start the migration on your old phone.
  • Your phones must be close to each other.
  • Both of your phones should be connected to a power source.
  • Both of your phones need to have WiFi and be connected to the internet.
  • Both of your phones must have local network permissions.

Transfer your chat history

Old phone

  1. Open WhatsApp on your old phone.
  2. Tap Settings > Chats > Transfer Chats to iPhone > Start.
  3. Tap Allow to “WhatsApp would like access to the camera” if it’s not enabled. You’ll use the camera on your old phone to scan the QR code on your new phone.

New phone

  1. Open WhatsApp on your new phone.
  2. Accept terms and conditions, then verify your phone number.
  3. Tap Continue on Transfer chat history to iPhone and accept local network permissions.
  4. Use the WhatsApp camera on your old phone to scan the QR code on your new phone.
  5. When prompted, accept local network permissions.
  6. While your chat history is transferring, a percentage bar will track the progress. Keep your phones near each other, unlocked, and don’t leave WhatsApp. Messaging is paused during the chat history transfer. You can Cancel the process at any time.
  7. When you see Transfer completed, tap Next. You’ll see the Setup Profile page where you’ll enter your name. After that, you’ll see the Chats list with all of your existing chats.

What happens to my data?

  • Transferred data doesn't go to cloud storage as a result of the migration unless you create an iCloud backup.
  • WhatsApp can't see the data you transfer.
  • Your old iPhone will still have your data on it unless you delete WhatsApp or reset your old phone.
Note:
  • If you're having issues with the chat transfer, try restarting both phones. Turn them off, wait 30 seconds, and turn them back on. Then, try the chat transfer again.
  • Don't delete your old phone's data, reset your old phone, or uninstall WhatsApp on your old phone until you can confirm the data has successfully transferred to your new phone. In case your transfer fails, gets stuck, or you receive an error, your data will still be available on your old phone.
  • It’s currently not possible to transfer chats on WhatsApp Business.

Related Resources

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