If you are a former iPhone user planning to switch to Android, you must be Googling everything about data transfer. And if you are a hard-care WhatsApp user, you are most likely to be worried about the transfer of WhatsApp data. No worries, help has arrived.
Unfortunately, Android and iOS both don’t provide an easy solution for data transfer. You can always use third-party apps to move WhatsApp from iPhone to Android, some users are not comfortable with the process. Don’t worry, there’s still hope. Let’s walk through the most common ways of transferring data:
1: Transferring WhatsApp from iPhone to Android via Chat Backup
WhatsApp has the default setting of creating a backup of the chats. They are saved to your phone’s memory daily (unless you change the setting). You can back up your chats to google drive (or cloud storage) to transfer them from your old iPhone to a new Android device. You must have fast internet for a successful transfer. Thank God I had one of the best Spectrum Gold package and speed when I transferred my data last year. So follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone
- Make sure you are logged into your account
- Go to “Settings” and “choose chats”
- Tap on “Chat Backup”
- Choose the “Back up Now” button and your phone will start backing up the WhatsApp data
- Download WhatsApp and then install it on your new Android device
- Sign in to your same WhatsApp account
- You will be asked to enter the verification code received via SMS
- A message will pop up asking if you want to restore your chats from backup
- Select “Restore” and wait until your device finishes retrieving old chats
This is the easiest way of transferring data from an old phone to a new phone regardless of your operating system. Don’t choose the local backup option otherwise, you will have to transfer the files to your new phone using an SD card. This is a time-taking process.
Pros
- This method does not require any additional software
- It almost works automatically in retrieving old chats
Cons
- It may take longer than expected to restore data
- Google Drive has a storage quota. If your backup exceeds that, this method won’t work for you.
#2: Transferring WhatsApp from iPhone to Android via Email
You can also use email chat to transfer WhatsApp data. This method is for intermediate users. Here are the steps to get started:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone
- Go to the “Settings” and tap on “Chat settings”
- Choose “Email Chat” from the options
- Select what WhatsApp history you would like to transfer.
- Choose whether you want to attach media or go without media.
- Note that attaching media will make the email message large
- Type in the preferred email address and hit “send”
- From your new Android device, log into the same email address
- You will be able to view all old WhatsApp chats
You won’t be able to sync this WhatsApp data with your WhatsApp app. However, the chats will still be saved on your phone in your email.
Pros
- All previous chats will land in your inbox
Cons
- You can’t open the chats in WhatsApp on your new device
- If the data is huge, sometimes, this method does not work.
- The link will expire after a month. Therefore, download the chats from your email as your soonest.
Some say when compared to the google drive backup function, the email chat function is more flexible. You can store the chats you like, share them with others, and even print them out for physical backup.
#3: Transferring WhatsApp from iPhone to Android via Third-Party App
Several free third-party apps/software are available to help users move WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android. They offer a simpler solution. You must download good software on your PC to facilitate the transfer. These are the basic steps involved no matter what program you use:
- Download the app in your PC
- Launch the app and make sure your iPhone and Android devices are connected to your PC
- The program will detect both devices
- A few prompts related to data transfer will pop on the screen
- You just have to say yes and let the program proceed
- Within a few minutes, the program will be done transferring data to your new Android phone.
Pros
- It’s fast.
- It works even if you are not that tech-savvy.
Cons
- Some of the best apps for transferring WhatsApp data have a price tag.
Final Words
The best method of moving WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android, in my opinion, is through Google Drive/iCloud. It’s easiest if you don’t have much data in your backup. All your chats, pictures, videos, and voice notes are restored automatically. Choose the latter methods only if the first one doesn’t work for you.