To move WhatsApp from Android to iPhone, use Apple’s free Move to iOS app while you set up the new iPhone. It carries your chats, photos and voice notes across, and you don’t need any paid tool. The catch: it only works on a new iPhone or one that has been reset.
What you need before you start
- Android 5 or newer with Apple’s Move to iOS app installed from Google Play.
- iPhone on iOS 15.5 or newer, brand new or reset to factory settings.
- The same phone number on the new iPhone. Put your Safaricom or Airtel SIM in it so the WhatsApp verification SMS arrives.
- The latest WhatsApp on Android, and enough free space on the iPhone for your chats and media.
- Both phones plugged in and charging, side by side, with Wi-Fi on. Big chat histories can take a while.
Step by step with Move to iOS
- Start setting up the iPhone. On the Apps & Data screen, choose Move Data from Android.
- Open Move to iOS on the Android phone and enter the code shown on the iPhone.
- On the Transfer Data screen, tick WhatsApp.
- Tap Start on Android. WhatsApp prepares your data and signs you out on the Android phone.
- Go back to Move to iOS and finish the transfer. Don’t use either phone until it’s done.
- Finish iPhone setup and install WhatsApp from the App Store.
- Open WhatsApp, log in with the same number, and tap Start when it offers to import your chats.
Your chats stay on the old Android phone until you delete WhatsApp or wipe the phone, so don’t sell it until you’ve checked everything arrived.
What transfers and what does not
| Moves across | Stays behind |
|---|---|
| Individual and group chats | Call history |
| Photos, videos, voice notes | Display name (set it again) |
| Profile photo and settings |
After the move, turn on iCloud backup in WhatsApp (Settings > Chats > Chat Backup), because your old Google Drive backup can’t be used on iPhone.
Going the other way later? See WhatsApp from iPhone to Android. Moving between two Androids is covered in WhatsApp to a new phone.
If the WhatsApp transfer fails
- WhatsApp not on the list: update WhatsApp on Android, then restart the transfer.
- Transfer stops halfway: turn off Android features that switch between networks (often called Smart Network Switch or Wi-Fi assistant), keep both screens awake and the phones close together.
- iPhone already set up: you must back up the iPhone, then go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, and start again.
- Different number on the iPhone: the move only works with the same number. Change it afterwards with WhatsApp’s change number feature.
Skip paid “WhatsApp transfer” programs. The official route is free, and those tools want full access to your messages.
Quick answers
Use Apple’s Move to iOS app during iPhone setup, tick WhatsApp on the Transfer Data screen, then log in to WhatsApp on the iPhone with the same number and import.
Not with the official method. You have to erase the iPhone and set it up again with Move to iOS.
No. Move to iOS is free, and it’s the safest way to move your chats.
