It happens. You see an enticing ad for the iPhone 12 or are taken in by the latest Samsung Galaxy and make a decision to switch. While ecosystem switching is more common than not, switching from one ecosystem to another is not the easiest task, especially if you’re moving from iPhone to Android or vice versa. There is an incompatibility on an almost fundamental level because both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android run on entirely different codes and don’t want users to switch in the first place.

While ecosystems are not necessarily super accommodating, individual apps that run on both can make the switch easier and that’s exactly what the new WhatsApp feature is hoping to do. What is the new feature that allows the transfer of chat history between WhatsApp on Android and WhatsApp on iPhone? Here’s everything you need to know.  

What is this new WhatsApp feature?

Image Credit: WABetainfo

According to WABetainfo, a new feature is under development to allow for multi-device usage, i.e allow WhatsApp to be used on multiple devices and more importantly, allow WhatsApp to be linked between iOS and Android mobile devices. A future update will also enable the migration of chat history between iOS and Android.

Up until now, only a few third-party apps like WhatsApp Plus and GB WhatsApp were able to allow this kind of migration, however, such apps are unofficial and consequently, in violation of WhatsApp’s Terms of Service. In the future, the update which is currently in development will automatically be able to do the chat migration from WhatsApp itself. 

When is the WhatsApp migration feature releasing?

There is no confirmation regarding the release date of this feature. It’s still in development and will be released when it’s ready. But we expect it to be available in the new few weeks to a maximum of a couple of months.

Who will get the migration feature first?

The feature will be released in stages, with the Beta users getting access first so that they can test it out and report any sort of bugs or issues they may face with the feature. Once the feature has passed the beta phase, it will have a mass roll-out. 

Get WhatsApp beta:

What do you need for this feature? 

You need to make sure that you are on the latest updated version of WhatsApp on whichever device you’re migrating whether it’s iOS or Android. There is no other specific requirement. 

We hope you found this article helpful! Do let us know in the comments in case of queries. Take care and stay safe.