How to Transfer WhatsApp Chats from Android to iPhone (and Vice Versa)

Switching operating systems used to mean sacrificing your years of personal WhatsApp message history. Today, Meta officially supports encrypted direct chat transfers from Android to iPhone and iPhone to Android without requiring paid third-party software.

Here is the exact step-by-step walkthrough to transfer your complete WhatsApp conversations, photos, videos, and voice memos between devices.

What You Need Before You Start

• Both Phones Powered On and Charged: Keep both phones plugged into power or above 70% battery.
• Same Phone Number: Both devices must use the exact same registered phone number.
• Factory New or Reset Destination Phone: Official transfer workflows hook directly into the initial operating system setup screen.
• Direct Cable or Same Wi-Fi Network: A USB-C to Lightning or USB-C to USB-C cable makes the transfer 10x faster.

Method 1: How to Transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone

This method uses Apple's official Move to iOS tool on the Android device and requires an unconfigured or factory-reset iPhone.

Step 1: Prepare the iPhone Setup Assistant

1. Turn on your new or reset iPhone and place it next to your Android device.
2. Follow initial setup steps until you reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen.
3. Tap From Android.
4. A 6-digit or 10-digit code will appear on the iPhone screen.

Step 2: Run Move to iOS on Android

1. Open the Move to iOS app on your Android phone (download from Google Play Store).
2. Enter the one-time code shown on the iPhone.
3. On the Transfer Data selection screen, check WhatsApp.
4. WhatsApp will open and prepare your database for encrypted migration. Tap Start and wait for the packaging process to complete.
5. Tap Continue on Move to iOS to beam the encrypted data over Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Finish WhatsApp Activation on iPhone

1. Complete the rest of the iPhone setup.
2. Install WhatsApp Messenger from the Apple App Store.
3. Open WhatsApp and log in using the exact same phone number.
4. When prompted with Move Chats from Android, tap Start.
5. Once unpacking finishes, all your chats, group memberships, and media will appear in your inbox.

Method 2: How to Transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android

Transferring from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or Android 12+ device is equally streamlined.

Step 1: Connect Both Phones with a Cable

1. Connect a USB-C to Lightning cable between your iPhone and the new Android device.
2. On the iPhone, tap Trust when prompted.

Step 2: Initiate WhatsApp Migration

1. On your iPhone, open WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Move Chats to Android.
2. Tap Start.
3. On the new Android phone, open the camera or QR scanner and scan the QR code displayed on the iPhone screen.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts while the encrypted chat archive copies over.
5. Complete Android setup, launch WhatsApp, and verify your phone number to unlock your conversations.

Troubleshooting Common Transfer Errors

• 'Transfer Paused or Disconnected': Disable mobile data / cellular connection on both devices so they stay locked onto the local peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network.
• Call History Not Transferred: Note that WhatsApp does not migrate peer-to-peer VoIP call logs across OS platforms for security reasons; only chats and media are preserved.