Can I keep my WhatsApp messages if I change phone?

Changing to a new phone but want to keep your WhatsApp message history? Here’s what you need to know about transferring and backing up WhatsApp messages when getting a new phone.

Quick Summary

Yes, you can keep your WhatsApp message history when changing to a new phone. There are two main ways to do this:

• Back up your WhatsApp messages to Google Drive or iCloud, then restore the backup on your new phone
• Transfer your messages directly from your old phone to the new one using a cable or wireless transfer app

As long as you properly back up your messages before switching phones, you should be able to retain your entire WhatsApp chat history on the new device.

Backing Up WhatsApp to the Cloud

The easiest way to keep your WhatsApp messages when changing phones is to back them up to the cloud. WhatsApp has built-in backup options that save your messages to either Google Drive (on Android) or iCloud (on iPhone).

Here’s how to backup WhatsApp messages on each platform:

Android Backup to Google Drive

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot menu in the top right
2. Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup
3. Tap Back Up to Google Drive and select a backup frequency and Google Account
4. Tap Back up over cellular data if you want backups to happen when not on WiFi

Your messages will now be backed up automatically based on your selected frequency. You can also manually trigger a backup anytime from this screen.

iPhone Backup to iCloud

1. Go to iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud
2. Make sure WhatsApp is toggled ON under Apps Using iCloud
3. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
4. Tap Auto Backup and select a backup frequency

WhatsApp will now back up your messages to iCloud automatically on the schedule you selected. You can also initiate a manual backup here if needed.

Restoring from Google Drive or iCloud

Once your messages are backed up to the cloud, restoring them on your new phone only takes a couple steps:

1. Install WhatsApp on your new phone and verify your number
2. On the Back up found screen, tap Restore to restore your chat history from the cloud

And that’s it! Within a few minutes your full message history should be restored on the new phone from your backup.

Transferring WhatsApp Messages Directly

In addition to cloud backups, you can also transfer WhatsApp messages directly from your old phone to your new one. This copies the messages over locally rather than downloading a backup from the cloud.

Using a Cable Transfer

To transfer WhatsApp messages with a cable:

1. On both phones, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat History
2. On the old phone, tap Export Chat History and select Bluetooth as the transfer method
3. On the new phone, tap Import Chat History and select Bluetooth
4. Use a cable to connect both phones and tap Start Transfer on each device

This will directly transfer your WhatsApp data from the old phone to the new one without needing a cloud backup. Make sure both phones are connected and have Bluetooth enabled.

Using Wireless File Transfer Apps

There are also various third-party apps you can use to wirelessly transfer WhatsApp chats between Android phones. Some options include:

• ShareIt – Transfer files locally between phones on the same WiFi network
• Xender – Allows cross-platform transfer between Android, iOS, and PC
• Send Anywhere – Uses WiFi Direct to transfer files between devices

To use these apps for WhatsApp transfers:

1. Export your WhatsApp chat history as a file on the old phone
2. Open the wireless transfer app and send the file to your new phone
3. On the new phone, use WhatsApp’s Import Chat History option to load the messages

Look for apps like these on the Play Store if you want to wirelessly transfer your chats from phone to phone.

Transferring From iPhone to Android

Switching from iPhone to Android? There are a couple extra steps to successfully move your WhatsApp history between platforms:

1. Back up WhatsApp messages to iCloud on your iPhone
2. On the Android phone, install the Move to iOS app
3. In the Move to iOS app, select WhatsApp under Transfer Data
4. Follow the prompts to move your iCloud backup to the Android device
5. Install WhatsApp and log in with the same phone number used on iPhone
6. Allow WhatsApp to restore chats and media from the iCloud backup

This uses Apple’s official Move to iOS app to securely transfer your iCloud WhatsApp backup to your new Android phone when switching. The chat history will then be imported into WhatsApp on your Android device.

Transferring From Android to iPhone

For going the other way and transferring WhatsApp from Android to iPhone:

1. Back up WhatsApp messages to Google Drive on your Android phone
2. On the iPhone, install the Move to iOS app
3. Open Move to iOS and select WhatsApp under Transfer Data
4. Follow the prompts to move your Google Drive backup to iPhone
5. Install WhatsApp and log in with the same number used on your Android device
6. Allow WhatsApp to restore chats and media from the transferred Google Drive backup

Similar to above, this leverages the official Android to iOS transfer app to port your WhatsApp backup over, which can then be restored when you set up WhatsApp on iPhone.

Troubleshooting WhatsApp Message Transfers

If you encounter issues moving your WhatsApp messages to a new phone, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure you are using the same phone number on the new phone
• Double check that backups completed properly before transferring
• On iPhone, check that WhatsApp backup is enabled in iCloud settings
• On Android, check WhatsApp backup settings and confirm the Google account
• Try reinstalling WhatsApp after the transfer if messages don’t appear
• Force quit and clear cache for WhatsApp, then restart the app
• Try using a different transfer method like cable or wireless file sharing
• Contact WhatsApp support if you still can’t successfully transfer messages

With some troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve most issues that arise during the WhatsApp transfer process. Just make sure your backups are working properly before making the switch.

Alternative Ways to Keep WhatsApp Messages

Aside from the built-in transfer options, there are also a few other ways you can try and keep your WhatsApp message history when changing phones:

• Local backup apps – Use a third-party backup tool to export your WhatsApp chats to internal storage or SD card.
• Email chat history – Email entire WhatsApp conversations or individual photos/videos to have copies in your email account.
• Cloud storage services – Manually back up WhatsApp media and files to services like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
• Screenshot chats – Take screenshots of important messages you want to keep copies of.

While cumbersome for large message histories, these approaches can provide alternate ways to preserve your chats if you run into issues with the standard backup process.

Conclusions

Some key points to summarize how to keep WhatsApp messages when changing phones:

• Enable WhatsApp cloud backup to Google Drive or iCloud regularly
• Restore latest backup after installing WhatsApp on your new phone
• Use cable or wireless file transfers to move chats directly between devices
• Make sure you use the same phone number on your new phone
• Troubleshoot issues with backups, transfers, and WhatsApp installs
• Alternative manual methods like local backups or screenshots can also retain messages

By properly backing up your WhatsApp chats before a device change, you can successfully transfer your entire message history to your new phone. This lets you pick right back up where you left off and keep all your conversations intact when upgrading devices.