Users Have Been Waiting for This for a Long Time: A Practical New Whatsapp Feature Is Coming Soon

This long-awaited WhatsApp feature should be released in the coming weeks. Here's what you can expect.

Upgrading to a new phone is exciting, but transferring data—contacts, photos, apps, and messages—can be daunting. Fortunately WhatsApp is improving their data transfer feature, giving users more options and flexibility. 

WhatsApp developers have been working on a new feature that will allow users to transfer their chat history from their old devices to a new one. WABetaInfo explains that whilst chat history can be exchanged between one iOS device and another, and similarly for Android.

The new feature will allow users to transfer data from old to new devices, regardless on whether or not they are Android or iOS. This will allow users who are moving from either an iPhone to Android phone, or the other way around, the possibility to transfer their WhatsApp chat history to their new device, instead of having to start fresh. 

The feature has appeared in the new WhatsApp Beta 2.24.13.6 for Android. Soon, users will be able to see a QR code that will allow the chat history to be transferred from an old device. With the new device, users can then display the QR code and have it scanned by the old device, after which the transfer should begin. The feature is currently only accessible to beta testers of the messenger and will be rolled out to more users in a future update.

For Android users, back up your WhatsApp data by opening WhatsApp, going to Settings > Chats > Chat backup, and tapping "Back Up." On your new phone, install WhatsApp, verify your number, and choose to restore your chat history from Google Drive during the setup process. Additionally, WhatsApp is introducing a feature where you can scan a QR code on your new device with your old device to transfer chat history seamlessly. 

For iPhone users, back up WhatsApp data by going to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tapping "Back Up Now." On your new iPhone, install WhatsApp, verify your number, and restore your chat history from iCloud. The new WhatsApp feature allowing QR code-based transfer will also support iPhones, making the process even easier.