WhatsApp to finally allow iOS to Android migration but not for everyone –
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- WhatsApp will finally enable chat history and media transfer between iOS and Android.
- Only Samsung’s foldable phones will use the feature for now.
- It will be rolled out to other Samsung phones in the coming weeks.
WhatsApp could finally enable a feature that would make the jump from iOS to Android a little easier for its users. First reported in April, WhatsApp’s iOS to Android chat migration tool is now live. However, not every WhatsApp user will benefit from it.
At the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, Samsung demonstrated how users coming from an iPhone can transfer their WhatsApp chats and media to the new foldable phones via USB cables. This is a first for every Android smartphone, Samsung stated in its presentation.
WhatsApp was later confirmed The edge that it actually gives iOS users the ability to move all voice memos, photos and conversations to Android phones, starting with the Samsung foldables. The function will also be available on other Samsung phones with Android 10 in the coming weeks.
If you want to save your iPhone for another Android device, unfortunately you cannot use the new transfer tool yet.
The WhatsApp migration function from iOS to Android will land on all Android phones “sometime”, although it is unclear exactly when that will happen.
When you backup your WhatsApp history on iOS, your information is saved in iCloud. To transfer it to Android, you will need a Google Drive backup. The new tool overcomes this limitation and enables transfer between the two operating systems using a Lightning to USB-C cable.
According to WhatsApp, if you migrate your iOS chat history using this method and backup it to Android, you will lose any existing backups that you may have on Google Drive.
