WhatsApp Rolling Out Ability to Transfer Chats Between iOS and Android

One of the biggest hurdles for customers looking to switch between Android and iOS is their inability to transfer their WhatsApp chats between the two different ecosystems. Now, that's coming to an end, as WhatsApp has officially announced that it will easily allow users to transfer their chats between Android and iOS.

Whatsapp Feature
As reported first by Engadget, WhatsApp used airtime during Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event to announce the new feature. WhatsApp tested the feature for the past few weeks and said it was difficult to implement due to "end-to-end encryption," requiring added assistance to make it work.

The feature will first arrive on Android devices, specifically Samsung smartphones, allowing users to initially transfer chats from iOS to Samsung smartphones. The transfer will include the chat itself, photos, videos, and voice memos, and should be available to Samsung users in the "coming weeks." WhatsApp has not said when the feature will arrive for a wider range of WhatsApp devices and on iOS.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple TV Color

Apple TV Announces 12 New Shows and Films Coming This Year

Wednesday February 4, 2026 12:29 pm PST by
Apple on Tuesday previewed 12 new shows and films that will be premiering on the Apple TV streaming service throughout 2026. The new series: Imperfect Women — March 18, 2026 Margo's Got Money Troubles — April 15, 2026 Widow's Bay — April 29, 2026 Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed — May 20, 2026 Cape Fear — June 5, 2026 Lucky — July 15, 2026 The new films: Eternity — ...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Models at Lower Prices

Wednesday February 4, 2026 7:44 am PST by
Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models on its online store in the U.S., with prices discounted by 12% to 22% compared to Apple's current or former pricing for the devices. Here were Apple's starting prices when the devices launched in September 2024: iPhone 16: $799 iPhone 16 Plus: $899 iPhone 16 Pro:...

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
59 months ago
I'm rolling my eyes so hard at WhatsApp getting features today to fix issues that Telegram never had because it had good multiple device support from the start. Not to mention WhatsApp has always done things in a clunky manner, such as the desktop app relaying everything through your phone. It's sad that it has such a large user base making it hard for people to move to something better.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marmiteturkey Avatar
59 months ago
…and how about an iPad app?

I HATE whatsapp.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
59 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/11/whatsapp-transfer-between-android-ios/')

One of the biggest hurdles for customers looking to switch between Android and iOS is their inability to transfer their WhatsApp chats between the two different ecosystems. Now, that's coming to an end, as WhatsApp has officially announced that it will easily allow users to transfer their chats between Android and iOS.



As reported first by Engadget ('https://www.engadget.com/whatsapp-import-chat-history-android-ios-144745811.html'), WhatsApp used airtime during Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event to announce the new feature. WhatsApp tested the feature for the past few weeks and said it was difficult to implement due to "end-to-end encryption," requiring added assistance to make it work.

The feature will first arrive on Android devices, specifically Samsung smartphones, allowing users to initially transfer chats from iOS to Samsung smartphones. The transfer will include the chat itself, photos, videos, and voice memos, and should be available to Samsung users in the "coming weeks." WhatsApp has not said when the feature will arrive for a wider range of WhatsApp devices and on iOS.

Article Link: WhatsApp Rolling Out Ability to Transfer Chats Between iOS and Android ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/11/whatsapp-transfer-between-android-ios/')
Ahhh! Making the transition very easy. I’m sure it will benefit both IOS and Android software.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
59 months ago
Whoa that's a long awaited feature. Hopefully it can go both ways (Android to iOS).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alijahsimon Avatar
59 months ago
That’s weird; I’ve been able to do this since 2014 with Telegram with zero effort thanks to its secure and encrypted cloud backups. WhatsApp still doesn’t do this? ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
59 months ago
Oh. My. God. I tried transferring Whatsapp messages from my grandma’s old Motorola to her new iPhone using 3rd party software; it cost me three hours, €30, it didn’t work and all data was lost with no recovery possible.

Now they’re rolling this out. But it’s just for one specific kind of transfer and one brand. Great work guys!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)