Move WhatsApp Chats From Android to iPhone With Move to iOS

Moving WhatsApp from Android to iPhone takes one important decision before you start: the iPhone must be new or factory reset. Apple’s Move to iOS app handles the migration during iPhone setup, so this method won’t work on an iPhone that’s already been set up and used. If you’ve activated WhatsApp on the new phone, restoring the old history means wiping the iPhone and starting again; the old and new chat histories can’t be merged.

The transfer can bring over your WhatsApp account details, profile picture, personal and group conversations, communities, Channel updates, chat history, photos, videos, other media and settings. There are limits: WhatsApp call history, your display name, media received through WhatsApp Channels and peer-to-peer payment messages don’t transfer. Personal messages do.

Check the requirements first

Both phones need to be ready before you begin. The Android device must run Android 5 or later, or Android Lollipop with SDK 21 or above. The iPhone needs iOS 15.5 or later. Install Move to iOS on Android, along with the latest WhatsApp versions available in the Google Play Store and App Store.

Use the same phone number for WhatsApp on the iPhone that you used on Android. Both devices must be connected to power and to the same Wi-Fi network. If that isn’t possible, connect the Android phone to the iPhone’s hotspot.

Move to iOS is the supported route described for this migration. Using another data-transfer app can cause problems. And don’t try to move the WhatsApp folder by opening Files and selecting it inside Move to iOS; that approach isn’t supported.

Move the chats during iPhone setup

Start Move to iOS on the Android phone and follow its prompts while setting up the iPhone. When a code appears on the iPhone, enter it on Android. Continue through the setup screens until you reach Transfer Data, then select WhatsApp.

On Android, tap Start and let WhatsApp prepare the data for export. WhatsApp will sign out on the Android phone once preparation is complete. Tap Next to return to Move to iOS, then tap Continue to begin sending the data to the iPhone. Keep both phones connected to power and wait for Move to iOS to confirm the transfer has finished.

Next, install the latest WhatsApp version from the App Store. Open it and sign in with the same phone number used on Android. When WhatsApp prompts you, tap Start and let the process complete. Finish activating the iPhone; your transferred chats should then appear.

What the transfer means for your data

The migration doesn’t place the transferred data in cloud storage. It will be included in iCloud only after you create an iCloud backup. WhatsApp can’t see the data being transferred. Your Android phone also keeps its data unless you delete WhatsApp or wipe the device, so completing the move doesn’t itself erase the original chats.

That distinction matters if you’re treating the transfer as a backup: the Android copy remains on the old phone, while the iPhone copy won’t be stored in iCloud until you make a backup there. Call history remains outside the migration, and payment messages won’t come across with personal conversations and media.

If WhatsApp is already active on the iPhone

WhatsApp history must be restored before you activate WhatsApp on the new device. If activation has already happened and you want the old message history, the stated route is to wipe the iPhone and repeat setup from the beginning. There’s no option to combine the two histories, so check the setup state before proceeding.

The practical takeaway: prepare a new or reset iPhone, update both WhatsApp apps, connect the phones to power and Wi-Fi, and keep the same phone number. That gives Move to iOS the conditions it needs to bring across the supported chats and media.

Also see: iPhone 18 Pro Burgundy Red Models Reportedly Showing Discolouration: Here’s What Users Claim

Topics: Tech, Android, Facebook, WhatsApp, iOS

By Mashable News Staff · Oct. 7, 2026