The tool will be exclusively available on Samsung’s latest foldable devices for a few weeks.
WhatsApp is finally bringing one of the most requested features to its platform: the ability to transfer chat history between iPhone and Android devices.
Initially, the chat transfer tool will only be available on Samsung devices but expand to other Android devices in the coming weeks and months.
WhatsApp Will Finally Let You Migrate Your Chats from iPhone to Android
Right now, WhatsApp only allows you to transfer chat history between devices running the same OS. On Android, WhatsApp chat backups are stored in Google Drive, while on iPhone, they are stored on iCloud.
WhatsApp announced the chat transfer feature between iOS and Android at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, where the latter unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and the Galaxy Buds 2. Apart from chats, your voice notes, photos, and other media files will also be migrated as a part of the transfer process.
Sadly, the transfer process does not happen over the cloud. Instead, you will need a Lightning to USB-C cable to transfer your WhatsApp chat history from iPhone to Android. Additionally, if you have chat backups on both iCloud and Google Drive, WhatsApp won’t merge them. Instead, it will overwrite any existing backup during the chat migration process.
As TechCrunch reports, WhatsApp says implementing the chat transfer process was difficult since all WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. Thus, the chat migration tool required additional work and a collaborative effort from WhatsApp, device OEMs, and other parties.
Initially Available on Samsung’s Latest Foldables
For a few weeks, the WhatsApp chat migration feature will be exclusively available on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3. It will then expand to other Samsung devices running Android 10 or higher before eventually being available for all Android devices. On Samsung devices, the chat migration tool will be integrated into Smart Switch, Samsung’s data transfer tool.
Samsung does not bundle the required USB-C to Lightning cable in the box of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Flip 3, so you’ll have to purchase one separately. Or, if you are moving from an iPhone 12 to Samsung’s latest foldable, you are in luck as Apple bundles a USB-C to Lightning cable with it.
It is also important to note that for now, WhatsApp is only allowing you to transfer your chat history from iOS to Android. There’s no word on when—if at all—WhatsApp will allow you to migrate your chat history from Android to iPhone.
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