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WhatsApp added a native cross-platform transfer that moves chat history directly between an Android phone and an iPhone over a local Wi-Fi connection. It is free, it is end-to-end encrypted in transit, and it is more reliable than any tool that copies backup databases.
Use the official transfer first
Requirements: the same phone number on both devices, both phones on the same Wi-Fi, current WhatsApp versions, and both phones physically present. It is one migration per number, and the target phone must not already have WhatsApp set up with that number.
The sequence:
- Update WhatsApp on both phones. On the old phone, open Settings → Chats → Transfer chats (Android) or Settings → Chats → Move chats to Android (iPhone).
- Allow the camera permission it asks for, then scan the QR code shown on the new phone.
- Keep both phones unlocked, on power, and on the same network until it completes. A 5 GB chat store takes about 15–25 minutes.
- On the new phone, sign in with the same number after the transfer finishes. Do not open WhatsApp before the transfer completes.
What breaks it: a different number, a VPN, a guest Wi-Fi network with client isolation, or a new phone that already finished WhatsApp setup. If any of those apply, you are back to backup-file routes.
Why backup files fail across platforms
Android WhatsApp backs up to Google Drive. iPhone backs up to iCloud. The backup is encrypted with a key tied to the platform's account, and the file layouts differ. So "restore from Google Drive on iPhone" is not a supported operation, no matter what a tool promises.
Third-party tools work around this by reading the local msgstore.db (Android) or extracting from an iOS backup, then writing a database the other platform's WhatsApp will accept. It works — sometimes — and it requires the target phone to be freshly installed with WhatsApp, with the old data removed first.
If your chats matter, keep a plain-text export as insurance: WhatsApp → Chats → Export chat. It is readable forever, even if the database route fails.
Media is the slow part
Chat text is small. The 3 GB of photos and voice notes inside the chats are not. Both the official transfer and third-party tools move media, but expect the transfer time to be dominated by it. Free up space on the target phone before starting: WhatsApp needs roughly the size of your chat store plus 20%.
When to pay for a tool
Only in these situations:
- The official transfer is unavailable (old WhatsApp version, different numbers, or a phone that has already been set up).
- You are migrating Android to Android and want app data beyond WhatsApp in the same pass.
- You need WhatsApp Business as well, which some tools handle as a separate dataset.
Tools that document WhatsApp explicitly: Wondershare MobileTrans (WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business), and dedicated WhatsApp modules sold by iReaShare and FonePaw as add-ons. Tools that do not: Coolmuster Mobile Transfer, MobiKin Transfer for Mobile, EaseUS MobiMover. Do not buy those expecting chat migration.
After the transfer
- Open WhatsApp on the new phone and check that group chats and media are present.
- Re-enable any chat backups — the schedule does not carry over.
- Keep the old phone's WhatsApp installed but offline for a week. If the transfer half-failed, you still have the source.
- Delete the local backup files on the old phone only after you are sure. They are the last copy.
FAQ
Does the official transfer move deleted messages?
No. It moves the current chat store, not a historical archive.
Can I transfer WhatsApp without the old phone?
Only from a backup, and only within the same platform. Cross-platform recovery without the source device is not realistic.
Will my WhatsApp Business chats come too?
They are a separate app with a separate store. Transfer them separately, and check before assuming a tool covers both.
Paid tools, if the free route fails
If the in-app transfer does not work for your combination, four products exist specifically for chat migration. We compare them, with prices and what each one actually moves, on the WhatsApp transfer tools page.