Move WhatsApp Chats From Android To iPhone (2026 Official Method)

Until a few months ago, moving WhatsApp chats from an Android to an iPhone — or the other way around — was a headache. Most people ended up emailing a chat to themselves or giving up on their old messages entirely.

That changed in April 2026. WhatsApp quietly rolled out its official cross-platform transfer globally, and it now works on both directions — Android to iPhone, and iPhone to Android. If you are switching phones (or helping a family member switch), this is the right time to do it properly.

This guide walks through the exact steps, what actually transfers, and the one error at the QR-code step that stops most people.

Before you start — check both phones

Both phones must meet these requirements:

Android phone: running Android 5.1 or newer, with the latest WhatsApp from the Play Store.
iPhone: a brand-new iPhone, or an iPhone that has just been factory-reset (we will explain why in a moment), running iOS 15.5 or newer.
The same phone number must be used on both phones during the transfer. If you are also changing phone number, do that separately afterwards.
Both phones plugged into chargers. The transfer can take 15–40 minutes depending on how much media you have, and neither phone should run out of battery.
Both phones on the same Wi-Fi network. This is important — mobile data will not work for this transfer.

One thing surprises people every time: the iPhone side of the transfer only works during the initial setup of the iPhone. If your iPhone is already set up and in use, you cannot simply open WhatsApp and pull chats across. You must either set up a new iPhone, or erase the current one first (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings).

What transfers, and what does not

Transfers across:

All individual and group chat history
Photos, videos, documents sent through WhatsApp
Voice notes
Contact names within WhatsApp
Starred messages and settings

Does NOT transfer:

Call history (the list of who called you on WhatsApp)
WhatsApp Payments history (in countries where that exists)
Display name — you may need to set it again on the new phone
Chats with people who have blocked you (they will not come across)

If the call history matters to you, take a screenshot of it before you start.

Android → iPhone — the main walkthrough

This is the direction most people ask about. Apple and WhatsApp built this around the Move to iOS app, which runs on Android and talks to your new iPhone during its first setup.

Step 1 — Install Move to iOS on your Android

On your Android phone, open the Play Store and search for Move to iOS. The publisher should read Apple Inc. Install it. Do not open it yet.

Step 2 — Start setup on the new iPhone

Turn on the iPhone. Follow the on-screen setup until you reach a screen titled Apps & Data or Transfer Your Apps & Data. Tap From Android.

Step 3 — Open Move to iOS on your Android

The iPhone will show a 6- or 10-digit code. Open Move to iOS on your Android, tap Continue, agree to the terms, then tap Continue until you reach a box asking for the code. Type in the code the iPhone is showing.

The two phones now connect over a private Wi-Fi network they create between them. The Android will show a list of what to transfer — chats, photos, contacts and so on. Tick WhatsApp along with anything else you want to move.

Step 4 — The QR-code screen (this is where people get stuck)

When you tick WhatsApp, Move to iOS hands control to the WhatsApp app on your Android. WhatsApp will show a QR code.

On the iPhone, do not open WhatsApp yet. Keep following the Move to iOS flow on both phones.

The QR code is meant to be scanned by the iPhone later, after basic iPhone setup finishes. Move to iOS will prompt the iPhone to install WhatsApp automatically from the App Store, and then open it. When WhatsApp on the iPhone asks to scan the QR code, point the iPhone camera at the Android screen.

If you get stuck at step 4 and the QR code has expired (common if setup takes too long): tap Start again on the Android's WhatsApp transfer screen. A fresh code will appear. The transfer can be restarted up to three times without losing data.

Step 5 — Wait

Once scanned, both screens show a progress bar. A typical transfer with 2–3 GB of WhatsApp media takes about 20–30 minutes. Do not close either app, and do not let either phone sleep. When the iPhone says Transfer Complete, you are done.

Step 6 — Verify your number on the iPhone

Open WhatsApp on the iPhone. It will ask you to verify your phone number (a one-time SMS code). Enter it. Your chats, media and voice notes now appear exactly as they did on the Android.

The old Android still has a copy until you manually clear it — useful as a safety net for a couple of weeks.

iPhone → Android — the reverse

The process is almost the mirror image, but with Samsung's Smart Switch app (or Google's Switch to Android app for non-Samsung Android phones) instead of Move to iOS. The QR-code step works the same way: the iPhone shows a QR code inside WhatsApp's settings (Settings → Chats → Move Chats to Android), and the new Android phone scans it during setup.

Common errors and the fix

"Unable to connect": both phones are not on the same Wi-Fi. Disable mobile data on both for the duration of the transfer.
"QR code expired": restart the transfer from the Android side.
"Not enough space": the iPhone needs at least as much free storage as the total WhatsApp data plus 1 GB buffer.
Transfer keeps restarting: older Android phones (below Android 7) sometimes struggle. Try moving WhatsApp media off first to reduce the transfer size.

Accessibility tip

If the setup text on the new iPhone is too small to read, you can still increase text size during the first-run setup. On the Hello screen, triple-tap the side button and choose Zoom, or finish setup and immediately go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size and drag the slider to the right.

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✅ Reviewed by Eleanor Shaw — techfor60s editorial desk, last verified 2026-04-18.