WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through messaging, voice calls, and video calls.
A key component of using WhatsApp is your phone number, which is used to register your account. Your WhatsApp account is tied specifically to that phone number. This allows others to identify you by your number and message you on WhatsApp.
So what happens if you get a new phone number and can no longer access your old WhatsApp account? Is there any way to recover and access your previous WhatsApp data and chats? Let’s take a look at some potential solutions.
Using WhatsApp on Multiple Devices
One of the newest and easiest ways to access your old WhatsApp account is through WhatsApp’s multi-device feature. This allows you to use WhatsApp on up to 4 additional linked devices, like a tablet or computer, simultaneously while still using it on your phone.
To set this up:
- Open WhatsApp on your new phone with your new number
- Tap on the Settings icon
- Select “Linked Devices”
- Tap on “Add New Device”
- Scan the QR code with your old phone to link it
Once linked, you’ll be able to access your old WhatsApp account and chat history on both your new phone as well as your old phone or a computer. You can add up to 4 devices total in this way.
Using WhatsApp Web
Another way to access your old WhatsApp account is by using WhatsApp Web. This is the web browser version of WhatsApp that mirrors the app on your phone.
To use it:
- On your new phone with your new number, open WhatsApp and tap “Settings”
- Select “WhatsApp Web”
- Use your phone to scan the QR code on the WhatsApp Web login page
- This will link your new phone to your old WhatsApp account on the web
You can now access all your old chats and data through WhatsApp Web on your computer browser while still using your new number on your phone. However, you can only be logged into one phone at a time.
Using WhatsApp on an iPad
If you have an iPad, you can download WhatsApp for iPad and use WhatsApp Web to link your iPad to your old WhatsApp account with your old number.
To do this:
- Download WhatsApp for iPad from the App Store
- Open WhatsApp Web on your computer browser
- On your iPad, tap the Settings icon and select WhatsApp Web
- Use your iPad to scan the QR code on WhatsApp Web
Your iPad will now be linked to your old WhatsApp account. You can access all your messages and data on your iPad through WhatsApp Web while using your new number on your phone.
Transferring Your WhatsApp Data to a New Phone
If you’re switching to a new phone entirely, there is a way to transfer your WhatsApp data and account info over while changing your number. This uses WhatsApp’s built-in chat history migration tool.
To do this:
- Install WhatsApp on your new phone and verify your new number
- On your old phone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap “Back Up” to backup your most recent WhatsApp data to Google Drive
- On your new phone, open WhatsApp and verify your number again
- When prompted, tap “Restore” to restore your chat history from Google Drive
This will transfer your account info, profile data, groups, and chat history over to your new phone. You can then access it using your new number. Any messages sent to your old number after this transfer will not appear.
Using Third-Party Apps
There are also some third-party apps that can help you read your old WhatsApp chats and messages on a new device:
- WazzapMigrator – App that transfers your chats and media from one phone to another.
- CopyTrans Contacts – App that can extract your WhatsApp chats and export them to your computer.
- Dr.Fone – Tool that can backup and restore WhatsApp data when switching phones.
However, most third-party apps will require root or jailbreak access to your device and the security of your data could be compromised. Use caution with these tools.
Using Local WhatsApp Backups
WhatsApp automatically saves daily backups of your chats locally on your device. You can use these backups to restore your chat history on a new phone.
To access these backups on Android:
- Locate the WhatsApp folder on your device’s internal storage or SD card
- Navigate to the Databases folder and locate the most recent .crypt12 file
- Copy this file to the new phone’s WhatsApp Databases folder
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp
- When prompted, select “Restore” to restore chats and data from this backup
On iPhone, backups are stored in iCloud and can be restored when reinstalling WhatsApp.
Contacting WhatsApp Support
As a last resort, you can try contacting WhatsApp directly through their support channels:
- Twitter support – Tweet @WhatsApp with your issue
- WhatsApp support email – [email protected]
- WhatsApp support pages – Help center at whatsapp.com/help
Explain your situation and that you need to recover access to your old account and chats. However, there is no guarantee WhatsApp can help recover your data.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp accounts are tied to your phone number, there are ways to access your chat history and data if you get a new number:
- Use WhatsApp on multiple devices
- Link your account through WhatsApp Web
- Transfer your chat history when switching phones
- Use third-party apps at your own risk
- Restore from local backup files
- Contact WhatsApp support as a last option
With some effort, you should be able to find a method that works to regain access to your precious WhatsApp memories and conversations, even without your previous number.