Over two billion people gloabally use WhatsApp as their main means of contact with friends and family. For these people – moving over to an iPhone meant they had to chuck out years of photos and history on WhatsApp – but not any more. Apple and WhatsApp have teamed up and Apple created an Android app called Move to iOS that works with a new beta version of WhatsApp for Android, to move your data over to an iPhone securely.
As it turns out, the majority of WhatsApp users are on Android. But now that there’s this new process to migrate WhatsApp over to the iOS, it will be interesting to see if more WhatsApp users will be tempted to switch to an iPhone.
With the new app – Move to iOS – people can move their contacts, calendar, SMS messages and photos from an Android phone to an iPhone. As of this week, you can now move your WhatsApp data from Android to iOS, too.
Move to iOS encrypts WhatsApp data, which has to be authenticated on your iPhone before you can pick up where you left off. A beta version of WhatsApp for Android currently offers support for the process.
To make the move, here’s what you need:
- iPhone running iOS 15.5
- Android phone running Lollipop (Android 5)
- The most recent version of Move to iOS from the Google Play Store
- The most recent version of WhatsApp for Android
Once your data is on your new iPhone, you can back it up using iCloud.
This is how you do the transfer:
Get your Android and your iPhone and make sure both devices are fully charged or plugged in to a power source and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Now, with your Android and iPhone side by side, do this:
1. On your new iPhone, begin the process of setting up a new phone. Make sure to connect to the same Wi-Fi network as the Android, or else this won’t work. Once you get to the Apps & Data section, tap Move Data from Android. Next, hit Continue until you see a one-time six-digit code, which you’ll need to enter on your Android later.
2. On your Android, open the Move to iOS app, hit Continue and agree to the terms and conditions. You’ll also want to grant the app access to your Android’s location, calendar, text messages and other info. This will allow you to transfer your data over to the iPhone. Enter the six-digit code from your iPhone into your Android and connect to the Wi-Fi network created.
If it all works properly, you’ll be able to choose which data to transfer over, such as apps, photos and videos and contacts. You should have the option to transfer over your WhatsApp history. Check the WhatsApp option, as well as anything else you want to port over, and continue on with the transfer process. It’s good to know that when you use these services, you’re using end-to-end encryption, so your data and your messages, are not shared with or seen by Android, Apple or any third parties.
Once the transfer is complete, you should see a WhatsApp icon on your home screen or in your app library on your iPhone. Open this and authenticate your account to view your existing conversations.
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