You can finally move your WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS

By Ayush Chourasia Published June 14, 2022

Moving WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS has been a painful task for years. But not anymore, as Apple and WhatsApp have made the process a whole lot easier. Starting today, Apple is adding a feature that allows you to move chats between the two platforms. The feature is a part of Apple’s existing “Move to iOS” Android application. It’s worth noting that the feature is currently available for beta users only, so non-beta users might have to wait for a week or two as it’s rolled out in phases.

This is a big move since 2 million people use WhatsApp and, until now, there wasn’t an official method to move conversations between Android and iOS. There have been third-party solutions here and there, but nothing officially backed by Apple or WhatsApp. With the feature becoming available, users will be able to move their chats swiftly from Android to iOS.

image of a WhatsApp feature — Apple

In addition to needing the Move to iOS app, there are a few other requirements users need to be aware of. Your iPhone must be running iOS 15.5 or later, and your Android phone needs Android 5.0 or above. You also need the latest version of the Move to iOS app, the most recent version of WhatsApp on your Android phone, and both your Android and iOS devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Recommended Videos

Once you’re sorted with these minimum requirements, head over to the Move to iOS app on your Android device. Along with giving you prompts to transfer calls, texts, etc., you should see a new option for WhatsApp. The transfer process may take a while depending on how many conversations you have, but the steps are now there to bring your chats with you.

While it is annoying that it took so long for iPhone users to have this option, we are happy to see it arrive. WhatsApp remains one of the biggest chatting apps on the market, and now, you don’t have to worry about upending your conversations just because you want to switch smartphones.

Ayush Chourasia

Mobile Writer

Ayush works as an independent tech journalist. He has been writing since 2018 and has worked with publications like India…

Topics

Mobile

You can now use an external webcam with Microsoft Teams on your iPad. Here’s how

Home screen layout of the 2024 iPad mini.

For a lot of people, the iPad is the device they choose to work with, which may include taking video calls. Though the front-facing camera on iPads has gotten better over time, many still prefer external webcams because they’re often much better than the built-in webcam on your tablet or even laptop. And now, if you use Microsoft Teams on iPad, you’re finally able to use external cameras, as Microsoft has announced via a blog post.

When we say "finally," it’s because Apple has included support for external USB-C cameras on the iPad since iPadOS 17. So technically, Microsoft is a little late to the party with this feature. But if you have to use Microsoft Teams for work and you tend to use the iPad most of the time, then this is certainly welcome news.

Mobile

The YouTube mobile app is getting a small redesign. Here’s what’s changing

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 playing a YouTube video.

How do you feel about the YouTube app on iOS and Android? Most of us use the app and don't think twice about it, but YouTube announced a lot of changes in October. Some of these planned updates have begun to roll out, and they're worth paying attention to — especially because one of them is difficult to notice. The updated bottom bar is a subtle change, but it adds a bit of flair.

The updated bottom bar is part of a server-side update, which means you don't have to download a new version of YouTube to see it. However, you should ensure you're using the latest version of the YouTube app. For Android, that's 19.47, and it's 19.49 for iOS. The update hasn't reached all devices yet — I still don't see it on my own phone — but it should be applied by the end of the day.

Mobile

WhatsApp will soon save you from the horrors of missed texts

Reminders feature in WhatsApp.

Just over a month ago, WhatsApp introduced a new feature that would occasionally nudge users about status story updates from their contacts list. Now, the company has made a subtle change to it and added messages into the fold, as well.

The feature, which is currently rolling out in the test channel with the v2.24.25.29 build on Android, was first spotted by update tracker WABetaInfo. DigitalTrends can confirm that the feature is now live in the latest beta version available via the Google Play Store.