Being the only Tech guy around, I am the only one who gets bombarded with different tech questions from extended family.
And interestingly, moving WhatsApp from one platform to another has been one of the most common questions. Some people are looking to move from Android to iPhone and want to know how they can transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone.
Some people are moving from iPhone to Android and want to know how to transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android.
When I searched for my website, I realize I haven’t written any easy, helpful guide. So I am here to rectify that mistake.
In this article, we will learn possible ways to transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone.
Before we do that, if you are looking for an easy way to switch all other data from iPhone to Android without having a headache you should check out this article. It was 2018, but I keep going back to update it with relevant information, and frankly, nothing much has changed in these years.
I am sure that you will have some idea about switching from iPhone to Android without too much effort.
Transferring WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone
It’s a shame that even in 2020, there is no native solution to transferring your WhatsApp from one platform to another.
WhatsApp has made it easy to switch phones. Still, only if you are changing within the platform, for example, if you are switching from an Android phone to another Android, you have an option to backup your data in Google Drive, and then restore it on your newser Android Phone.
Similarly, if you switch from one iPhone to another, you can backup all your WhatsApp data to the iCloud and then restore it to the new iPhone.
This is where the problem lies. For android smartphones, the backup service is Google Drive, and for iPhones, it’s the iCloud.
WhatsApp could easily have given the option to backup chats in Google Drive on the iPhone, making things a lot easier for switching between these different platforms. Still, I am sure it is a limitation put down by Apple because it does not want to give anybody an option to move out of their ecosystem.
Here is a workaround to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone
Until WhatsApp comes off with an option to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone or vice versa, here is what we can do as a workaround.
Backing Up Files and Documents
If there are files in WhatsApp chat you are worried about and want to have access to them even after switching from Android to iPhone, you can make a Dummy WhatsApp group and send all the essential files you wish to access on another phone to the group.
Since WhatsApp keeps a copy of a file on the server, you will be able to retrieve these when you move from one smartphone to another, even if it is from Android to iPhone.
To create a dummy WhatsApp group, you can add I want WhatsApp number while creating a group and then remove them, leaving just you to as the WhatsApp member. You can rename the group something descriptive, such as notes or backup.
Backing Up Photos and Videos
If it’s the photos you want to move from Android to iPhone, you can use Google Photos and sink the WhatsApp media folder containing videos and pictures.
The good thing is that Google photos are also available for the iPhone, which means your photos will be available on the iPhone, although it will not be available in the WhatsApp chats interface. But I’d still be happy that I have them backed up before moving from Android to iPhone.
Backing up Chat Conversations
If you want to conserve chat conversations you had with someone on your Android smartphone, you can save them in text format and share it in the same dummy WhatsApp group, which will make it available when you switch to a different smartphone.
To do that, you can tap on chats from the settings area of WhatsApp and scroll down to find chat history. It will have the option to export chat. Once you tap on it, you will be able to select one chat conversation, share it via other third-party apps or save it offline, but I would recommend you share it in the same dummy WhatsApp group.
I know this is quite a tedious process and is not appreciated by everyone.
I know many people who would bypass this and start afresh or maybe e even drop the idea of switching from Android to iPhone. Still, if you see practically, you won’t be losing anything apart from having the ability to continue using WhatsApp on iPhone where you left on Android.
Transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone using third party software
And if you want to do that, there is undoubtedly an option that involves a third party software available for Windows and Mac, which will allow you to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone or vice versa. But it’s paid software.
The software is called MobileTrans, and it’s from Wondershare. It is available for both Windows as well as Mac. If you want it for windows, you can get it for $29, and if you wanted for Mac, you would have to pay $39.
But once you get the license, the process is relatively easy. All you have to do is connect both your Android and iPhone to the computer using the cable provided with the mobile phones, let the software recognize both the devices, and then you can choose to transfer WhatsApp data from one smartphone to another.
The time taken by the software to move WhatsApp data depends on how much data there is. I’ve used the software to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iPhone, and the process was seamless.
This is not a paid review of Wondershare software, neither I am earning from any affiliate. It’s just one of many software that works. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find a free software solution but haven’t got it as of writing.
If I get, it will surely update this article to help everyone looking to switch from Android to iPhone.
Finally, I want to end this article on a positive note that I read the news a couple of months ago that WhatsApp is working for or an easy option to switch from one platform to another.
Maybe even come up with a feature that allows people to use their same WhatsApp account on multiple devices just like Telegram does.
