Transferring your WhatsApp account from an old phone to a new phone while keeping your same phone number and all your messages, media, and settings intact can seem daunting. However, with some preparation and by following the right steps, it’s actually a straightforward process. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to seamlessly move your WhatsApp account to a new phone.
Requirements
Before starting the transfer process, make sure you have the following:
- The old phone which currently has WhatsApp installed and set up
- The new phone you want to transfer WhatsApp to
- A Wi-Fi or mobile data internet connection on both phones
- Your phone number – this is essential as your WhatsApp account is tied to your number
- Your WhatsApp account’s verification PIN if enabled
- Google Drive backup enabled on the old phone (recommended)
- The SIM card from the old phone – you can use the same SIM on the new phone
Back Up WhatsApp Data
To ensure you don’t lose any important WhatsApp data during the transfer process, first complete a manual backup on the old phone:
- Open WhatsApp on your old phone
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Back Up and wait for the backup to complete
This will save a copy of your WhatsApp messages, media, and settings to your phone’s internal storage. For extra redundancy, you can also backup to Google Drive by enabling it in WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
Copy WhatsApp Data to New Phone
Once your WhatsApp data is backed up, it’s time to transfer it to the new phone. There are two main methods to do this – using a local backup or Google Drive:
Transfer Using Local Backup
- On the new phone, install WhatsApp but don’t open it
- Copy the WhatsApp /backup folder from your old phone’s internal storage to the new phone. Connect both phones to a computer to transfer the folder.
- Open WhatsApp on the new phone and verify your number
- On the prompt to restore chat history, tap Restore to restore chats from the local backup
Transfer Using Google Drive
- Open WhatsApp on the new phone and verify your number
- On the prompt to restore chats, tap Restore to restore from Google Drive backup
- Select the backup you want to restore
Using Google Drive eliminates the need to manually transfer backup files between devices.
Activate Same Number on New Phone
Activating your existing phone number on the new device is crucial for transferring your WhatsApp account seamlessly. There are two ways to do this:
Method 1 – Use Same SIM Card
- Turn off the old phone and take out the SIM card
- Insert the SIM card into the new phone
- Turn on the new phone and verify your number on WhatsApp
Method 2 – SIM Change/Number Transfer
- Contact your mobile carrier and request a SIM change or phone number transfer to the new device
- Follow carrier instructions to activate the existing number on the new phone
- Verify the number transfer was successful and your number is active on the new phone
- Open WhatsApp and verify your number
Consult your carrier for the exact steps to transfer your number to a new SIM or device.
Set Up WhatsApp on New Phone
Once you have activated your number and restored your chats on the new device, follow these steps to finish setting up WhatsApp:
- On the new phone, open WhatsApp and select your profile icon > Settings
- Tap Chats and verify all previous chats and media were restored properly
- Go through all WhatsApp settings and make sure they match your old phone’s configurations
- Set up call, security, and other preferences again
- If you have WhatsApp linked devices like WhatsApp Web, reconnect them on the new phone
- Delete WhatsApp from your old phone if you won’t be using it anymore
You can also tweak notifications, themes, privacy settings and other preferences to your liking on the new device.
Troubleshooting
In some cases, you may encounter issues while trying to transfer your WhatsApp account to a new phone. Here are some common problems and solutions:
Chats not restoring
- Check date of most recent backup – chats after that won’t transfer
- Backup file may be corrupted – redo backup and try again
- Not enough storage space on new phone – clear space
- Restore got interrupted – start over and don’t interrupt restore
Missing media files
- Media often saves to phone storage rather than backups
- Manually transfer media files from old phone storage
- Check backup settings – enable include media in backup
Can’t verify number
- Use same SIM card in new phone to automatically verify
- Contact carrier if number transfer not completed
- Use SMS or call verification on new device
Features missing
- Manually check all WhatsApp settings after transfer
- Re-enable disabled features like media auto-download
- Unlink and re-add linked devices like WhatsApp Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp transfer also move groups?
Yes, when you transfer WhatsApp to a new phone, all your groups, group members, and group info are also moved over. The entire chat history of each group will be restored on the new phone.
Can I transfer WhatsApp without the SIM card?
Technically yes, but you won’t be able to verify your number and use WhatsApp properly on the new phone then. Your WhatsApp account is tied to your phone number, so the same number has to be active on the new phone.
Will my WhatsApp Web remain linked after transfer?
No, you will have to unlink WhatsApp Web from the old device and scan the QR code to link the new phone. All other linked devices will also have to be reconnected.
Can I transfer from iPhone to Android?
While you can backup your iPhone WhatsApp to iCloud or locally, restoring that backup to an Android device is not officially supported. You will likely lose some data in this process.
Does WhatsApp backup transfer all media?
WhatsApp backups contain your chat history and many settings, but not your media by default. You’ll need to manually transfer over photo, video and voice message files.
Is my chat history safe when transferring WhatsApp?
Yes, your entire WhatsApp chat history including text messages, calls, groups etc. will be safely transferred to your new phone as long as you complete the backup and restore steps correctly.
Can I transfer WhatsApp without Google Drive?
Yes, you can transfer WhatsApp by using a local backup file instead of Google Drive backup. Simply copy the backup folder manually from the old phone to the new phone via USB or wireless file transfer.
How do I restore my WhatsApp backup from Google Drive?
On the new device, install and open WhatsApp using your old number. On the prompt to restore chat history, select Google Drive restore. Pick the backup you want to restore from the list of available backups.
How long does it take to transfer WhatsApp to new phone?
If you have a good internet connection, are using Google Drive backup, and don’t have any interruptions, it should only take a few minutes to complete the WhatsApp transfer to a new phone.
Conclusion
Transferring WhatsApp to a new phone while retaining your number, chats, media, and settings is easy enough if you follow the right backup, restore and activation steps. Be sure to properly backup your messages, transfer media files, use the same SIM card or number on the new phone, and correctly restore your backup. With Google Drive integration, the process is faster and prevents data loss. If you encounter any problems, try the troubleshooting tips outlined.