How to quickly transfer your WhatsApp chats to a new phone (without a backup)

 Transferring your account data and WhatsApp messages from one phone to another has never been simpler thanks to Meta. This is the method.

Transferring from an old phone to a new one was previously extremely challenging using WhatsApp. Initially, you were limited to using your account on a single device.

Things became really complex when you factored in a difficult chat transfer process that needed you to export a backup using a certain cloud storage provider and then import this backup onto the new device. Since then, it has developed a simple local transfer technique, but it is only compatible with transfers between iPhones and Android smartphones.

How to quickly transfer your WhatsApp messages to a new phone

For the longest time, depending on whether you used an iPhone or an Android device, the only method to move all the data on your WhatsApp account from one device to another was to export and then import a backup to and from your iCloud or Google Drive account. Not only is it a rather inefficient method of transferring your talks, but it also requires an internet connection on both ends. Fortunately, a quicker local account transfer option is provided by parent company Meta.

Local WhatsApp data transfer method

There are several methods for transferring the data from your WhatsApp account, each specific to the type of phone you're switching to and from. The Verge has learned from WhatsApp that its local data transfer mechanism functions between two devices running the same OS—iPhone to iPhone and Android to Android. Unfortunately, the cloud export and import approach will still be your only option if you're switching between operating systems.

Make sure your new phone is turned on, set up, and that WhatsApp is downloaded and ready to use before continuing. Next, on your previous phone:

1. Open WhatsApp, hit the three-dot icon (⋮), then navigate to Settings > Chats > Transfer chats
2. Hit Start. You may need to grant WhatsApp permission to reach out to nearby devices. You'll then be taken to a camera view.
3. On your new phone, open WhatsApp and sign in with the account currently on your old phone.
4. The app will then prompt you if you'd like to transfer your account. Select Start. It will generate a QR code.
5. Use your old phone to scan the QR code and initiate the transfer. You may need to confirm the connection on your new device by pressing OK. You may also need to give permissions for WhatsApp to interact with your location and local storage.

After that, all you have to do is wait for both phones' processes to finish. After that, your old phone's account will be closed, and you should be able to use your new phone to pick up where you left off on WhatsApp, including all of the conversations you've had.