WhatsApp tests migrating chats from Android devices to iPhones

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WhatsApp logo
WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / iMore)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp is testing the ability to migrate chats from Android to iOS.
  • New screens showing the feature are in the WhatsApp beta builds available via TestFlight.
  • The migration process will require that people use the Move to iOS app in some way.

WhatsApp, one of the most popular cross-platform messaging apps available today, is testing a feature that will make it easier for people to migrate their chats from an Android device to an iPhone.

The feature, which is the reverse of one that has steadily been making it easier for people to move from iPhones to Android phones, was first spotted by WABetaInfo and is part of recent TestFlight beta builds of WhatsApp. The feature isn't yet live, but screenshots show the feature.

Whatsapp Android To Ios Migration

Whatsapp Android To Ios Migration (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp will ask for your permission to import the chat history before starting the process.Note that, in [another article] we explained that the Move to iOS app will be needed to migrate your chat history. Further details will be available when the feature is enabled in a future update.Unfortunately, this feature is not available right now, and supported operating systems are unknown. We don't have details about the release of the feature, but we're following the development and we will inform you when there is news.

The Move to iOS app is available for download from the Google Play Store and is designed to help people migrate from their Android devices to a brand new iPhone.

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps around for people who need to be able to communicate with people on Android but migrating chats from Android devices to iPhones has always been an issue. WhatsApp's move to fix that problem are most welcome and can't come to fruition soon enough.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.