How to Transfer WhatsApp Chats from Android to iPhone

We often see people switch from Android phones to iPhones to get a taste of Apple’s premium hardware and smooth software experience. But the one criticism that we regularly hear from users making the switch, especially in places like India, is that there’s no straightforward way to transfer old WhatsApp chats from your Android phone to iPhone. Well, WhatsApp finally listened to our incessant requests and rolled out a simple way to move your chats from Android to iPhone. If you are someone who has been looking for a solution to this problem or relying on paid tools to move your precious chats, well, not anymore. In this article, we will explain how you can transfer your WhatsApp messages and media from Android to iPhone with ease.

Requirements to Move WhatsApp Messages from Android to iOS

There are a number of things that you need to remember before you transfer your WhatsApp chats from your Android phone to an iPhone. It is important that you read these points carefully and thoroughly, else you might mess up the transfer process.

You need to meet the following requirements to transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone:

  • An Android phone running Android 5 Lollipop and above.
  • iPhone running iOS 15.5 or later. That means you can transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone on all iOS 15-supported phones, including the iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS/ XS Max, iPhone SE, SE2, and SE3, and even the iPhone XR.
  • A compatible WhatsApp version, i.e. iOS version 2.22.10.70 or above and Android version 2.22.7.74 or above.
  • Download the “Move to iOS” app (Free) from the Play Store on your Android phone. Apart from WhatsApp data, the app lets you move your messages, contacts, files, and more to your iPhone.
  • This is the most important step for this method to work. You need to reset your iPhone and set it up from scratch, otherwise, you won’t be able to move your WhatsApp messages. The steps to reset an iPhone are explained below.
  • Log in to WhatsApp on iPhone using the same phone number as Android. You cannot change the phone number while moving data.
  • Since the transfer process can take a long time, especially if your WhatsApp backup is huge, you should keep both your Android phone and iPhone plugged into a power source.
  • Moreover, you either need to connect both your devices to the same wireless network, or your Android phone will be connected to the iPhone’s hotspot for data transfer.

What WhatsApp Data You Can or Cannot Transfer to iPhone?

On its official support page, WhatsApp has detailed the data you will be able to move from Android to iPhone. We have tabulated the same right here:

WhatsApp Data that Gets TransferredWhatsApp Data that’s Not Transferred
account informationprofile display name
profile picturepeer-to-peer payment messages
individual and group chatscall history
chat history (with media)
WhatsApp settings

How to Reset an iPhone

If you are moving from an Android phone to a new iPhone, then you are good to go and can move your WhatsApp chats while setting up your Apple device for the first time. However, if you are already using an iPhone and wish to bring your old chats over from Android, you will first need to reset your iPhone, as stated above.

The process to factory reset an iPhone is easy, but we suggest you back up your data before you proceed further. Once you are ready to reset your Apple device, here’s how to go about it:

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to “General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone
reset iphone iOS 15
  • Next, select the “Erase All Content and Settings” option. You will see the “Erase This iPhone” screen, where you need to click on “Continue” to proceed further.
erase this iphone - reset
  • Then, enter your passcode for confirmation, and select the “Erase” option after backing up your data to iCloud. And that’s it. You have successfully reset your iPhone.
Upload data to iCloud and then reset

Steps to Transfer WhatsApp Chats from Android to iPhone

Note: We used the OnePlus Nord running Android 12-based OxygenOS 12 and iPhone SE 2 running iOS 15.5 to test the WhatsApp data transfer feature in this tutorial.

Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s look at how you can transfer WhatsApp data from an Android phone to your iPhone for free. Oh yeah! You no longer need to get paid third-party tools to move WhatsApp chats to your iPhone. Here’s how the free and official method for moving chats from Android to iPhone works:

  • Once you have reset your iPhone, start the setup process by following the on-screen instructions. Log into your Apple account and more, but stop when you see the “Apps & Data” screen during the setup.
  • On this screen, select the “Move Data from Android” option (second last from the bottom).
move-data-from-android-to-iphone
  • On the next screen, titled “Move from Android”, tap on “Continue” to see a single-use code that you need to enter in the “Move to iOS” app on your Android phone.
single-use-code-on-iphone-you-need-to-enter-it-on-android-phone-in-move-to-ios-app
  • Now, move to your Android phone and open the “Move to iOS” app (Free).
  • In the app, tap the “Continue” button, agree to Apple’s terms and conditions, and give the app all the necessary permissions (location permission is essential).
move to ios setup on android
  • After that, you will once again see a “Continue” button on the “Find Your Code” screen. Tap on the “Continue” button and enter the single-use code displayed on your iPhone (in step #3)
enter one time code from iphone on android in move to ios app
  • Once you enter the code, your Android phone will wirelessly connect to your iPhone. You might be asked to select and connect to the iPhone’s local wireless network to complete the pairing process.
  • After you have paired the two devices, you will see a “Transfer Data” option in the “Move to iOS” app on your iPhone. Here, select the “WhatsApp” option from the list. You will see a checkmark and the size of the WhatsApp data backup that you will be moving from Android to iPhone. Press the “Continue” button to proceed.

Note: In the meantime, you will see a message saying, “Waiting for <device model number>” on your iPhone. Check out a screenshot of the waiting screen via the link right here.

transfer whatsapp chats from android to iphone
  • At this point, the “Move chats to iOS” option in WhatsApp will show up on your screen, meaning you’re one step closer to moving your messages from Android to iPhone. Here, tap on the “Start” button, followed by the “Next” button once WhatsApp is done preparing your files for transfer.
move from android to ios - whatsapp
  • Then, WhatsApp will work its magic and start transferring your WhatsApp messages and media from Android to iPhone.
transferring whatsapp chat from android to iphone

Note: Please stay patient as the WhatsApp data transfer process can take some time. The app usually says 4-5 minutes, but it may take longer if your backup is fairly large. I moved a 1.7GB WhatsApp backup from Android to iPhone, and it took around 30 minutes.

  • Finally, both your Android phone and iPhone will show a “Transfer Complete” message once your WhatsApp messages have been successfully moved to your Apple device.
whatsapp chat transfer complete

Set up WhatsApp and Complete Data Transfer on iPhone

Now, you can set aside the Android phone and tap the “Continue Setting Up iPhone” button on your Apple device, as seen in the image above. After that, follow the steps below to set up WhatsApp on your iPhone:

  • Once you are on the home screen, head to the App Store and install WhatsApp (Free).
install and open whatsapp on iphone
  • Next, open WhatsApp Messenger on your iPhone, and you will see the “Move Chats from Android” prompt right away. Tap on the “Start” button and give WhatsApp the necessary permissions to move messages from Android to iPhone.
move chats from android to iphone - whatsapp
  • Once you do that, you will see WhatsApp import chats from your Android phone to iPhone. This may take around 10 to 15 minutes or more, depending on the size of your backup. You will see a “Transfer Complete” prompt after that and can set up your profile.
importing chats in whatsapp
  • And voila, you are done! You have successfully transferred your messages and media from Android to iOS.
whatsapp on iphone with same chats as android

Enable iCloud Backup for WhatsApp on iPhone

While you are done, there’s a final step you should follow for safekeeping. Now, it’s important to mention that your data was moved to your iPhone using a local backup, so you need to enable iCloud backup for WhatsApp manually.

To do that, navigate to “Settings -> Chats -> Chat Backup” and select the “Back Up Now” option to keep your chat history and media in iCloud. Now, whenever you switch to another iPhone, you can easily restore all your previous messages using the iCloud backup. For any more WhatsApp tips and tricks, check out the linked article.

whatsapp chat backup iphone

If you wish to upgrade your iPhone but didn’t backup your WhatsApp chat, fret not. Fortunately, WhatsApp now lets you transfer your chats from iPhone to iPhone without any backup.

WhatsApp Chats Move to iOS Not Working? How to Fix!

If you face any issues while trying to transfer your chats from your Android phone to your iPhone, try out the following solutions:

1. First, make sure that both your Android phone and iPhone meet the basic requirements listed at the start of this article. Also, ensure you’re running a compatible version of WhatsApp on your devices.

2. Next, remember to reset your iPhone before moving your old WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone. You can’t move WhatsApp data to an already activated iPhone, as “it’s not possible to merge the new and old history,” states WhatsApp on its support page. So follow the steps above to reset your iPhone before you proceed further. If you’re setting up a brand new iPhone, you don’t need to worry about this.

3. Remember that both the Android phone and iPhone need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for the chat transfer to work.

4. If these two things are in place, we urge you to log into WhatsApp on your iPhone using the same phone number that you were using on your Android phone. You cannot change phone numbers during the transfer process.

4. Finally, there’s a possibility that the “Move to iOS” app is not working properly or crashing on your Android phone. If that’s the case, on its official support page, WhatsApp suggests contacting Apple support to help you resolve the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I transfer WhatsApp chat history from Android to iPhone?

Way back in June 2022, WhatsApp officially added support for chat transfers from Android to iPhone. You simply need a compatible Android phone with the “Move to iOS” app and iPhone (new or reset) to move messages from your Android phone to WhatsApp. We have added detailed instructions to transfer chats from Android to iPhone in our guide, so give it a read for more information.

How do I restore WhatsApp chats from Google Drive backup on an iPhone?

You cannot restore WhatsApp chats using Google Drive backup from your Android phone on your iPhone. Instead, you can now use the “Move to iOS” app to transfer your chat history from an Android phone to an iPhone with ease.

Is it possible to transfer WhatsApp backup from Google Drive to iCloud?

Yes, it is now possible to backup your WhatsApp data from Google Drive to iCloud. The process is tedious and involves transferring your chats from Android to iPhone using the official process supported by WhatsApp. It requires a factory reset iPhone and an Android phone with the Move to iOS app. Once you have successfully moved the chats from Android to iPhone, you can turn on iCloud backups on your iPhone. We have explained how that works in our guide.

Can WhatsApp read the chats I transfer from Android to iPhone?

No, WhatsApp will not be able to see the data you transfer from Android to iPhone. Also, your messages will not go to any cloud storage server unless you enable iCloud backups after moving your data.

Will my WhatsApp messages be deleted from Android after moving to iPhone?

The answer is no. “Your Android phone will still have your data unless you delete WhatsApp or wipe your phone,” states the messaging giant on its support page.

So yeah, if you closely follow the step-by-step instructions described above, you will be able to transfer your WhatsApp chats to your new iPhone with ease. Moreover, for those making the switch from iPhone to Android, the messaging giant lets you move messages the other way around as well. We are glad to see WhatsApp finally shoulder the initiative and simplify moving between mobile platforms. Also, if you’re planning to upgrade your older iPhone to the latest iPhone 15, you can transfer your WhatsApp chats without any backup. This method also works if you want to transfer chats between two Android smartphones.

If you come across any issues while transferring your WhatsApp chats, feel free to reach out to us in the comments below.

comment Comments 23
  • Krishna says:

    Hi,

    In Step 14, Moving Chats from Android –> Something went wrong.
    Skip Import or Retry.

    After 3 hours of transfer of data in Move to iOS, this message pops up for whatsapp chats transfer.
    Tried multiple times on “Retry” and everytime, it fails at 40% 🙂

    Thanks

  • Ankit says:

    Just 1 Q before I do this,
    Will my chats merge old data + new data or current chats will be gone?
    so, I switched my device from android to ios last year and there’s data on both devices android contains all 2012 to september 2021 chats data and now when I switched to ios it contains data from september 2021- september 2022

    so all chats data will be merge to one like 2012- september 2022 current data?
    or it will be like 2012- september 2021 then straight to current sept 2022 like will it skip the sept 2021-2022?

  • Philipp Keller says:

    I tried this today. On “move to iOS” the WhatsApp option was missing. I used iCareFone Transfer to migrate my history. This cost 25$ but the money was well spent.

  • Akshat says:

    Hey, i need to know, will it be working on iphone 8 as its supporters the current version of ios and will be supporting upcoming ios 16. And yes i do have an Android phone with Android 12. So help me out here. I need to know this!

  • Pramod K says:

    Please let us know when it will be officially available..?
    I am not able to use my new iphone primarily because of this.
    Please make a video on that as we follow your youtube channel regularly.

  • Kay says:

    I have tried transferring with the iOS app 6 times already – each time doing a reset to factory setting. When I download and open Whatsapp on my iPhone 11, I get two options – 1. restore from iCloud or 2. Skip restore. After selecting the skip restore function(because the restore from iCloud option is greyed out) , my chat logs do not transfer over.

    • Vikram K says:

      Same issue with me as well. It does show Whatsapp option when I launch ‘Move to iOS’ app but data does not get transferred. Just waiting for it to roll out so I can use my iPhone.

  • Neo says:

    Official Move to iOS did not solve my problem, but iCareFone did. Hope that it will come true some day.

  • Salil Chari says:

    I have reset my iPhone 2 time to transfer WhatsApp but WhatsApp option in not showing in move to ios app. I am using Poco F1. Is it so thet I have to delete data plan as well to transfer the WhatsApp when I reset my iPhone?

  • Satheesh Natarajan says:

    As you mentioned, WhatsApp team enrolled this features to few users only, Is there a way to find, my account is eligible or not before we format / factory reset the iPhone

    • Abhijeet B says:

      Having the same issue. Bought a iPhone, now its just sitting on the shelf, cause I value my Whatsapp Chats more than it.

      • T. M says:

        I am in the same boat as you. My iPhone 13 has been gathering dust since abt April 2022, l do value my WhatsApp chats more than the IPhone. Now l am abt to bite the bullet and get a paid App to do the transfer. So l go into 2023 using IPhone. Not that l am a fanatic.

  • Mark Milton says:

    After Transferring To Iphone The Unread Messages Will Be In Inread State Or It Will Be Opened After Transfer (At Iphone)!?

  • Suman Bhadra says:

    What about Whatsapp business?? Can it be also transferred.

    • Anmol Sachdeva says:

      No, not at the moment.

  • Lucas Gonçalves de Souza says:

    I have two smartphones to do the process. Both are a Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro (mine and my wife’s smartphone) and we both want to migrate to iPhone 13 Pro. The thing is that the transfer process worked with my Xiaomi to iPhone on monday (20), but this same process didn’t work on my wife’s smartphone. Why??? Both same region, same origin smartphone models, same destine iPhone models, same iOS version, same Android version, same WhatsApp versions but with one it worked and with other don’t.

    • Anmol Sachdeva says:

      the rollout is happening in stages right now, so that could be the reason.

  • ScriptX says:

    i met all requirement, but option is not visible in move to ios app on android.

    • Anmol Sachdeva says:

      WhatsApp is rolling out the ability to transfer chats from android to ios in stages. check back in some time and you will see WhatsApp in the move to ios app

  • Utkarsh says:

    Mee to j tried everything but that didn’t work please help

  • S says:

    This process did not work for me and all the basic setups are correct. It only worked until step 9

  • george b says:

    I tried the same with a latest beta apk of whatsapp in my android phone (android 9) and with ios 15.5 installed in my iphone 13. I did not get the whatsapp option in move to ios app. Is this because it isn’t rolled out for android 9 yet ? Please let me know

    • Nico says:

      I have sort of the same issue. I cant see the option apearing

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