Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

You can now move WhatsApp messages between Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Pixels

By

Switching between iPhones and Android phones has never been easier, with both operating systems offering tools to move your apps and as much data as you can between devices. Now, Google just made the switch even more painless as it now lets you transfer WhatsApp chats between iPhones and Pixels with a new update.

Despite SMS and iMessage’s popularity in the U.S., WhatsApp remains a widely used messaging app in every other country. While the service makes moving to new phones in the same ecosystem seamless, it’s often been impossible to switch between devices running on different operating systems. A switch between an iPhone 8 to an iPhone 13 might work fine, but trying to move your WhatsApp account to a Pixel 6 would mean leaving all your messages behind.

Recommended Videos

Now, Google has worked with WhatsApp to make it possible to transfer chats between iPhones and Androids phones. All users need is a USB-C-to-Lightning cable and both phones on hand to initiate the process. It’s not yet able to transfer your messages from an Android phone to a new iPhone just yet, but we expect that’ll be coming soon.

Related

Google announced the update this week, alongside a new Android 12 feature that will help you bring your SMS and iMessage history to your new Pixel, as well as automatically install all of your iOS apps with their Google Play counterparts. The feature first debuted with Samsung phones alongside the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 and is now available on all Pixels. Google says that phones launching with Android 12 will have the feature too and other Android phone makers can choose to implement it on their pre-Android 12 devices if they want.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Michael Allison
Michael Allison
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16
Someone holding the iPhone 16.

Apple’s iPhone 16 has arrived, and it’s quite an impressive offering this year. Not only does it come in some of the best colors we’ve seen in a while, but it closes the gap between the base and Pro models even more.

That's all to say the iPhone 16 is a fantastic phone, but if you’re thinking about buying it as your next smartphone purchase, you should also consider some of these alternatives.
iPhone 16 Plus

Read more
I was wrong about the iPhone 16
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

The iPhone 16 is a little over a month old, and I've been using it almost nonstop since it was announced last month. I reviewed the phone for Digital Trends and bought one with my own money as my personal phone of choice.

Not long after its unveiling, I wrote an op-ed complaining about the iPhone 16's lack of a 120Hz display. I said it was the "one thing holding back the iPhone 16" and that its 60Hz screen was "an unreasonable spec." I'd still like to see the refresh rate addressed with the iPhone 17, but after living with the iPhone 16 for over a month now, I've found that it's not nearly as big of an issue as I believed it would be.
A 60Hz screen matters, until it doesn't

Read more
This iPhone 16 Pro accessory proves less is more
WaterField Designs CitySlicker Pouch for iPhone in white leather.

Now that we’re approaching the end of the year, hot tech summer and flagship phone season are winding down, too. That means I’ve been looking for fun little accessories to help me carry around all my phones and gadgets.

One of my trusted brands for tech accessories is Waterfield Designs. I’ve been using its bags and other accessories for the past decade, and they’re some of the finest bags I own. They’re built to last, as my first messenger bag is still looking fantastic.

Read more