What you need to know
- WhatsApp is going to let you move between iOS and Android.
- Previously users had to start from scratch when switching on the app.
- Users will be able to bring their chats and data starting with Samsung devices on Android 10.
WhatsApp has announced plans to finally let users take their data with them when they move from iOS to Android, or from Android to iOS.
As reported by our friends at Android Central, WhatsApp announced the move during Wednesday's Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 launch event:
WhatsApp is one of the best messaging apps around, but a key feature omission was the ability to switch between platforms. Users on Android have to start over from scratch if they want to switch to iOS, and the same holds true the other way. Well, WhatsApp is now addressing this issue by introducing out the ability to transfer chat history between Android and iOS.
WhatsApp says that starting right now, WhatsApp will let users move their entire WhatsApp chat history across platforms, including voice notes, photos, and conversations, where previously moving between iOS and Android meant losing all that data and starting again. The company stated:
Your WhatsApp messages belong to you. That's why they are stored on your phone by default, and not accessible in the cloud like many other messaging services. We're excited for the first time to make it easy for people to securely transfer their WhatsApp history from one operating system to another.This has been one of our most requested features from users for years and we worked together with operating systems and device manufacturers to solve it.
It means users who move from Android to devices like iPhone 12 or the upcoming iPhone 13 won't have to give up any of their data in order to switch to the best iPhones available. Equally, iOS customers now have one less reason to hang onto their iPhone if they decide to make the leap to Android.
