WhatsApp has become an indispensable communication tool for billions of people around the world. It allows users to send messages, make voice and video calls, share photos and videos, and more. One of the most useful features of WhatsApp is the ability to backup and restore your chat history and media when switching to a new phone.
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to login to your WhatsApp account on a new phone without losing any of your existing chats, media, and other data. We will cover creating a backup on your old phone, transferring the backup to your new phone, and successfully restoring your WhatsApp account.
Requirements
Before starting the process, make sure you have the following:
- Your old phone with the WhatsApp account you want to transfer
- Your new phone where you want to login to your WhatsApp account
- A Google Drive account (recommended for backup)
- Reliable internet connection on both phones
- WhatsApp installed on both phones
- Your phones should have the same country/region set in Settings
Backing Up WhatsApp Data on Old Phone
The first step is to backup your WhatsApp data on your old phone before uninstalling the app. This preserves your chat history, media, settings etc. Here are the steps to backup on Android and iPhone:
Android Phone
- Open WhatsApp on your Android phone
- Tap on the 3-dot menu in top right
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Tap on Back Up to Google Drive and select a backup frequency (daily, weekly etc)
- Tap Back Up to create an updated backup on Google Drive
If you don’t have Google Drive setup, you can also backup locally to your phone’s storage:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Tap Backup to device storage and select a backup frequency
- Tap Back Up to create a local backup on your Android phone
iPhone
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap on Back Up Now to backup your chats to iCloud
- You can also enable auto backup by tapping on Auto Backup
The backup contains your messages, photos, videos, voice messages, and other data. It may take some time depending on the size of your WhatsApp data.
Transferring WhatsApp Backup to New Phone
Once the backup is completed on your old phone, you need to transfer it to your new phone:
For Google Drive Backup (Android)
- Install WhatsApp on your new Android phone
- Enter your phone number and verify it
- When prompted, tap on “Restore from Google Drive backup”
- Select the backup date you want to restore
- The backup data will be retrieved from Google Drive and restored on your device
For Local Backup (Android)
- Copy the WhatsApp backup folder from your old Android phone to your computer
- The folder is located at WhatsApp > Databases on your phone’s storage
- Connect your new phone to the computer and transfer the backup folder
- Install WhatsApp on your new phone and verify your number
- Tap on “Restore from device storage backup” and select the backup file
For iPhone (iCloud Backup)
- Make sure you are logged into the same iCloud account on your new iPhone
- Install WhatsApp from the App Store and enter your phone number
- Tap on the option to restore chat history from iCloud backup
- Select the latest backup date and the data will be restored
This will complete the backup transfer from your old phone to your new phone. You will now see your WhatsApp chats, media, and settings on the new device.
Logging in to WhatsApp on New Phone
Once your backup data is restored, you can now login to WhatsApp properly on your new phone:
- Open WhatsApp on your new phone
- Enter your phone number and tap Next
- Enter the SMS/text verification code you receive
- On the Restore Chat History page, tap on “Restore” to complete restoration
- WhatsApp will load all your chats, groups, media from the backup
And you’re done! You have successfully logged into your WhatsApp account on your new phone while retaining all your chat history, media files and settings. You can now start using WhatsApp on the new phone.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips in case you face issues restoring your WhatsApp backup on the new phone:
- Make sure your old phone and new phone are set to the same country in Settings
- Double check if auto backup is enabled in WhatsApp settings
- Your phones should be on stable WiFi connections during backup and restore
- There should be enough storage space on both devices
- Try reinstalling WhatsApp if restore is not working
- Ensure date/time is accurate on both phones
- Check if you are logged into the correct Google/iCloud account
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp backup save all my data?
Yes, the WhatsApp backup includes your chat history, media files, contact names and numbers, groups, chat wallpapers and other settings. It basically saves a copy of your WhatsApp account which can be restored later.
Is my chat history still on my old phone after transferring?
Even after transferring your WhatsApp data to a new phone, your old phone will still have the WhatsApp chat history stored locally. You can choose to delete it manually after confirmation of successful backup transfer.
Can I backup WhatsApp without Google Drive or iCloud?
On Android phones, you can backup WhatsApp chats locally to your phone’s internal storage without Google Drive. For iPhones, you need iCloud to be able to backup WhatsApp.
How often should I backup my WhatsApp chats?
It’s recommended to enable daily auto backups for WhatsApp on both Android and iPhone. This ensures your backup is always recent in case you lose your phone or need to transfer to a new device.
Will my messages and calls still work during transfer?
While your chat history and media is being transferred from one device to another, you won’t be able to send or receive any new messages until the restore is complete.
Do I have to uninstall WhatsApp from my old phone?
You don’t need to uninstall WhatsApp from your old phone after transferring the backup. You can login to the same account on both phones as long as only one device has an active internet connection at a time.
Conclusion
Migrating your WhatsApp data to a new phone doesn’t have to be a difficult or daunting process. Simply create a timely backup on your old device, transfer it to the new phone, and restore during WhatsApp setup. This will bring over your chats, media, groups and settings without any loss of data. With the tips and steps outlined in this guide, you can seamlessly continue using WhatsApp on your new phone.