Switching phones across operating systems used to mean losing your WhatsApp chat history. WhatsApp stores backups inGoogle Drive on Android and iCloud on iPhone, and until 2021 there was no bridge between them. Since then, official cross-platform migration works — but it's finicky and loses some content silently if you skip a step.
Android → iPhone: the official path
Apple's "Move to iOS" app now includes WhatsApp support. The catch: you have to do the transfer during the initial iPhone setup, not after.
- On the old Android phone, install the free Move to iOS app from Play Store.
- On the new iPhone (during setup), on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, pick From Android.
- A one-time code appears on the iPhone. Type it into the Move to iOS app on Android. The phones connect over a temporary Wi-Fi network.
- On the Android app, tick WhatsApp among the data types to migrate. It'll ask you to open WhatsApp and confirm.
- The Move process copies your chat history plus media to the iPhone. When done, install WhatsApp from the App Store on the iPhone, sign in with the same number, and it detects the migrated data and asks to import.
iPhone → Android: the reverse
For a while this only worked on Samsung and Pixel devices, but as of 2026 Meta's official iPhone-to-Android transfer works on most Android 12+ phones.
- Charge both phones and connect them via a USB-C to Lightning cable.
- During Android setup, choose Restore from iPhone.
- When prompted, open Move to Android QR flow on the iPhone and scan.
- Confirm WhatsApp among the apps to transfer.
- Install WhatsApp on the new Android and sign in with the same number to trigger import.
Common failures and how to fix them
- "You skipped setup" — Both directions require the transfer step during first-boot setup. If you already finished setup, factory reset the destination phone and start over.
- Missing media — WhatsApp backups don't always include every photo. Before switching, open WhatsApp Settings → Chats → Chat Backup → Include Videos and run a fresh backup. On Android also verify the Google Drive account has enough free space.
- Group chats vanish — Groups you're in should come across, but view-once and disappearing messages don't migrate. That's a feature, not a bug.
- Different phone number — Cross-platform transfer works only if the same WhatsApp number is used on both sides. If you're switching to a new number, use Change Number in WhatsApp Settings before the transfer.
What about WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business has its own backup namespace and its own migration flow. If you use Business, back it up separately from within the Business app before switching. On the new phone, install WhatsApp Business first (not the regular one) and let it import.
Backups: iCloud vs Google Drive
- iCloud (iPhone) — encrypted with a key Apple holds unless you enable Advanced Data Protection, in which case the key is device-only. WhatsApp also offers end-to-end encrypted backup on top of iCloud, which further seals content.
- Google Drive (Android) — backups are stored in a dedicated app folder that doesn't count against Google One quota. Same optional E2E backup layer available.
Enable End-to-end encrypted backup in WhatsApp Settings → Chats → Chat Backup regardless of platform. It adds a 64-digit key or password you'll need if you ever restore from that backup — write it down, do not lose it.
What Ringlink has to do with this
Nothing, directly — this is a WhatsApp-side migration. But after moving, your on-device address book may or may not have come with you. If some old chat threads now show a raw phone number instead of a name, and you don't want to save each stranger back, Ringlink is designed for exactly that: message by number without adding to contacts.