How to Transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone Without a Computer

The short version: you can move WhatsApp from Android to iPhone without touching a computer, using either the Move to iOS app during your iPhone's initial setup, or the newer QR code transfer built directly into WhatsApp Settings, Chats, Transfer chats. Both work phone to phone over Wi-Fi, and both need your old Android phone switched on and nearby.

This is one of those jobs that sounds like it needs a laptop, a cable and half an afternoon. It doesn't. WhatsApp built a proper phone to phone transfer for exactly this move, and I've walked several people through it recently without a computer in sight.

Two ways to transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone, and which to pick

If you're setting up the iPhone for the first time out of the box, use Move to iOS, since it transfers your contacts, photos and messages generally, with WhatsApp coming along as part of that. If your iPhone is already your daily phone and you just want your WhatsApp history moved across, use the newer QR transfer instead, it's quicker and more direct.

Before you start

A little prep saves a failed transfer halfway through. Do these three things first.

1. Make sure both phones are charged, or plugged in, since this can take a while for a large chat history.
2. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network. This will not work over mobile data.
3. Update WhatsApp to the latest version on the Android phone before you begin.

Method 1: transfer using Move to iOS

This is the route to use if the iPhone is brand new, or you've reset it and are going through Apple's setup screens for the first time.

1. On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store, search for "Move to iOS" and install the free app made by Apple.
2. On your new iPhone, go through setup until you reach the "Apps and Data" screen, then choose "Move Data from Android".
3. Your iPhone will show a code. Open Move to iOS on the Android phone, tap Continue, accept the terms, and enter that code when asked.
4. Once connected, both phones will show a "Move to iOS" or "Transfer Data" loading screen. Keep them near each other and connected to Wi-Fi throughout.
5. On the data selection screen on Android, make sure WhatsApp is ticked, along with anything else you want to bring over, such as contacts and photos.
6. Let the transfer run fully before touching either phone. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to well over an hour depending on how much WhatsApp history you have.
7. Once it finishes, continue setting up the iPhone as normal, then open WhatsApp on the iPhone. It should detect the transferred chats and offer to restore them, verify your phone number to complete it.

Method 2: transfer using the WhatsApp QR code tool

This is built directly into WhatsApp itself and doesn't need the iPhone to be brand new. It's the quickest route if your iPhone is already set up and you just want the WhatsApp history moved across.

1. On your iPhone, install WhatsApp if you haven't already, but do not verify or set it up with your number yet.
2. Open WhatsApp on the iPhone and, when prompted, choose "Transfer your chat history from Android" or find it under Settings, Chats, Transfer chats if you're re-doing this after initial setup.
3. The iPhone will display a QR code.
4. On your Android phone, open WhatsApp, go to Settings, Chats, Transfer chats, choose "I have an iPhone", and scan the QR code shown on the iPhone.
5. Confirm the phone number matches on both devices.
6. Keep both phones on and near each other, connected to the same Wi-Fi, while the chats transfer across. Don't lock the Android phone's screen or close WhatsApp on it during this stage.
7. Once complete, WhatsApp will open on the iPhone with your full chat history, groups, photos and voice notes in place.

What in fact gets transferred

Both methods bring across your chat history, group chats, photos, videos and voice notes sent in WhatsApp. Your WhatsApp settings, such as notification preferences and chat wallpapers, generally reset to iPhone defaults, since Android and iPhone versions of WhatsApp don't share every setting. Your contacts will show correctly as long as they're also saved in your phone's normal contacts list, not just inside WhatsApp.

If the transfer stalls or fails partway through

This is the single most common complaint, and it's almost always one of the same three causes.

1. Weak or dropped Wi-Fi: move both phones closer to the router, or closer to each other, and avoid switching to mobile data partway through.
2. Low storage on the iPhone: check Settings, General, iPhone Storage before you start. A large WhatsApp history with lots of photos and videos needs real space to land.
3. Android phone locks or WhatsApp closes: keep the Android phone's screen on and WhatsApp open in the foreground for the whole transfer, not just the first few minutes.

If it fails, don't panic, your old Android phone still has the original chats untouched. Fix whichever of the above caused the problem, and start the transfer again from scratch.

What to do with your old chats once you're on iPhone

Once everything has landed on the iPhone and you've checked your groups and recent chats are all there, it's worth turning on iCloud backup for WhatsApp so you have a proper ongoing backup going forward, since you'll now be on Apple's system rather than Google Drive. Go to WhatsApp Settings, Chats, Chat Backup, and set it to back up automatically. Only then would I consider signing out of WhatsApp on the old Android phone.

How to check the transfer landed correctly

Once WhatsApp opens on the iPhone with your history in place, don't just glance at the chat list and assume everything is fine. Do a quick check before you rely on it as your only copy.

1. Open a couple of your oldest chats and scroll back to confirm the full history is there, not just the last few weeks.
2. Check a group chat with photos or voice notes and tap one to confirm the media in fact opens rather than showing a broken or missing file icon.
3. Count your chat list roughly against what you remember from the Android phone, so a chat that failed to transfer stands out while you can still go back and retry it.

A note on eSIM and phone number changes

If you're also moving your phone number to a new SIM or eSIM as part of switching to iPhone, do that step separately from the WhatsApp transfer where you can. Mixing a number change and a WhatsApp transfer at the same time makes it much harder to work out which step caused a problem if something doesn't go to plan. Get the number working on the new phone first, confirm you can send and receive a normal text message, then run the WhatsApp transfer once that's settled.

If you're switching WhatsApp Business instead of a normal account

Both methods above work the same way for WhatsApp Business, with one extra thing worth checking: your business profile details, such as your business name, category and description, transfer along with your chats, but it's worth opening your Business Settings on the iPhone afterwards to confirm they've all come across correctly, since these live in a slightly different part of the app to your normal chat data.

I have written more around this on the site: How Do You Change Your WhatsApp Number To A Business Account, WhatsApp Help: 43 Guides to Transfers, Backups, Business and Privacy, How Do You Download And Set Up WhatsApp Business (A Straight Walkthrough).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need both phones switched on at the same time?

Yes. Both the Android phone and the iPhone need to be on, unlocked, and connected to the same Wi-Fi network for the full length of the transfer. You cannot start it on one phone and finish it later on the other.

Will I lose my WhatsApp chats from the Android phone once I transfer them?

No, the transfer copies your chats across, it doesn't remove them from the Android phone. Your old phone keeps its chat history until you personally delete WhatsApp or reset the device.

Can I do this if my Android phone is old or has a cracked screen?

As long as the phone switches on, connects to Wi-Fi and you can operate WhatsApp on it enough to reach the transfer screen, it will work. A cracked screen that still responds to touch is fine, a phone that won't turn on at all is not.

What happens to my WhatsApp voice notes and status updates?

Voice notes sent or received in chats transfer across as part of your chat history. Status updates are temporary by design on WhatsApp and disappear after 24 hours regardless of which phone you're using, so there's nothing to transfer there.

Is the QR code method safe to use on a shared or public Wi-Fi network?

It's best avoided. Use a home or trusted Wi-Fi network for this transfer, since it involves your full chat history moving between devices, and a private network removes any unnecessary risk.

Further reading

• WhatsApp's own Help Centre