WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily send messages, photos, videos and other files to your contacts. However, when you transfer your WhatsApp account to a new phone, all of your chats, media and files also get transferred over by default.
If you don’t want to transfer the large media files like photos and videos to your new phone, WhatsApp provides an option to move your chats history without the media attached. This allows you to save storage space on your new phone.
Why Transfer WhatsApp without Media?
Here are some common reasons you may want to transfer your WhatsApp chats history without transferring the media:
- Save storage space on your new phone. Media like photos and videos can take up a lot of storage.
- Faster transfer. Moving chats without media will be much quicker.
- Don’t want to see old media. If you have deleted media on your old phone, it will get restored when you transfer.
- Privacy reasons. You may not want to transfer personal photos or videos.
Requirements for Transferring Without Media
To transfer your WhatsApp chats history without media, here is what you need:
- Old phone with WhatsApp account and backup enabled.
- New phone where you want to transfer the WhatsApp account.
- WhatsApp account on old phone should not be deleted.
- Both old and new phones need to be connected to the internet.
- Google Drive or iCloud backup enabled on old phone, depending on your device.
How to Transfer WhatsApp without Media on Android
Follow these steps to transfer WhatsApp from an old Android phone to a new Android phone without media:
- On your old Android phone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap on Chats > Chat backup and turn on backup to Google Drive.
- Under ‘Include’, uncheck Media auto-download and tap Back up.
- This will now backup your chats without media to Google Drive.
- Install WhatsApp on your new Android phone and verify your number.
- On the ‘Restore chats’ screen, tap Restore.
- WhatsApp will now restore your chat history from Google Drive without transferring media.
That’s it! Your WhatsApp account is now transferred to the new phone with just your chat history and no media files.
How to Transfer WhatsApp without Media on iPhone
To move your WhatsApp from an old iPhone to a new iPhone without transferring media files, follow these steps:
- On your old iPhone, open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap on Chats > Chat Backup and turn on backup to iCloud.
- Under ‘Include’, toggle off Media to exclude media from backup.
- Tap Back Up Now to backup chats without media to iCloud.
- Install WhatsApp on your new iPhone and verify your number.
- Tap Restore when prompted and authenticate with your Apple ID.
- WhatsApp will restore your chat history from iCloud backup without media.
This will smoothly transfer your WhatsApp account with just chat history to your new iPhone, saving storage space.
Tips for Transferring WhatsApp without Media
Here are some useful tips to follow when transferring your WhatsApp chats without media:
- Take a full WhatsApp backup with media on old phone before transferring.
- Transfer any important media you need to your phone storage before moving.
- Connect both phones to a power source during transfer to avoid interruptions.
- Use a stable WiFi connection for uninterrupted transfer.
- Double check that media auto-download is disabled in backup settings.
- Be patient and wait for the backup and transfer to complete.
- Check chat history on new phone to ensure successful transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my WhatsApp chat history deleted when I transfer without media?
No, your WhatsApp chat history is not deleted when you transfer without media. Only the media like photos, videos, audio files, documents etc. will not be transferred from your old phone. Your entire chat history will remain intact.
Can I transfer WhatsApp without media between different OS platforms?
Yes, you can transfer WhatsApp without media from an Android phone to an iPhone, or vice versa. Simply disable media backup before transferring your account to the new phone with a different OS.
Will my chat history transfer quickly without media?
Yes, transferring only your WhatsApp chat history without large media files will be significantly faster compared to moving your chats with media.
Can I re-download media after transferring WhatsApp without it?
The media will not be present on your new phone after transferring WhatsApp without media. However, if you had taken a full backup with media on your old phone, you can restore that to re-download media.
Do I have to keep my old phone after transferring WhatsApp without media?
No, you can safely reset or sell your old phone after transferring your WhatsApp account without media to your new phone. Your chat backup would be on your Google Drive or iCloud.
Conclusion
Transferring WhatsApp without media allows you to smoothly move your chat history to a new phone without taking up storage with large media files. Simply disable media backup before restoring your chat backup on the new phone.
Following the steps outlined for Android and iPhone allows seamless WhatsApp account transfer with just your valuable chat history. Backup your chats with media beforehand in case you need to restore any files later.
With cloud backups and WhatsApp’s transfer options, you can easily use the same WhatsApp account on a new phone without losing your chat history. So go ahead and make the switch to your new device without worrying about losing your WhatsApp data and media!