Move WhatsApp Chats to Signal or Telegram

This guide shows you how to transfer your chat history from WhatsApp to either Signal or Telegram. You will learn the exact steps for both apps, what gets moved and what does not, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that lead to lost messages. Before you start, make sure both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network, fully charged, and that you have the latest version of WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram installed on both devices.

What You’ll Need

• Your current phone with WhatsApp installed and your chat history intact.
• The destination phone (or the same phone, if you are moving to Telegram) with Signal or Telegram installed.
• A USB cable if you are moving chats between an Android phone and an iPhone.
• Sufficient free storage on the destination device for the transferred media.
• Both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Step-by-Step

Moving Chats to Signal

1. Install Signal on both phones. Download Signal from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) on both your old and new devices. Register your phone number on the new device first, then on the old device.
2. On your old phone, open WhatsApp. Go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup and tap Back up now. This creates a fresh backup file that includes your latest messages.
3. Connect the two phones with a USB cable. This step is required for Android-to-Android and Android-to-iPhone transfers. If you are moving from an iPhone to an Android phone, you will need the Lightning-to-USB-C cable that came with your new phone.
4. On the new phone, open Signal. When you first set up Signal, it will detect the USB connection and ask if you want to transfer your chat history from WhatsApp. Tap Transfer from WhatsApp.
5. On the old phone, open Signal. You will see a prompt asking you to confirm the transfer. Tap Continue and then Allow if asked for permission to access the USB connection.
6. Wait for the transfer to complete. Signal will copy over your chat history, including text messages, photos, videos, and voice notes. The time it takes depends on the size of your backup. Do not disconnect the cable or close either app during this process.
7. Check your chats. Once the transfer finishes, open a few conversations in Signal to confirm your messages and media are there. Note that group chats are moved as read-only archives; you will need to create new groups in Signal if you want to keep participating.

Moving Chats to Telegram

1. Install Telegram on your phone. Download it from the Play Store or App Store and log in with your phone number.
2. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat you want to move. Telegram does not have a bulk transfer tool, so you must move chats one at a time.
3. Tap the contact or group name at the top. This opens the chat info screen.
4. Scroll down and tap Export chat. You will be asked whether to include media. Choose Include media if you want photos and videos, or Without media for text only.
5. Select Telegram from the share sheet. WhatsApp will generate a file and open the Telegram share menu. Choose the contact or group where you want the chat to appear.
6. Send the exported file. Telegram will upload the chat history as a file. The recipient (or you, if sending to yourself) can open it to read the conversation. This is a static export, not a live chat.
7. Repeat for each chat you want to move. There is no way to automate this for multiple chats, so plan to do it for the conversations that matter most.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to back up WhatsApp first. Signal uses your WhatsApp backup file to transfer data. If you skip the backup step, the transfer will fail or only move partial data.
• Using the wrong cable. For iPhone-to-Android transfers, you need the cable that came with the new Android phone. A standard USB-C cable will not work.
• Opening WhatsApp on the new phone before the transfer. If you open WhatsApp on the new device, it will overwrite the backup and Signal will have nothing to import.
• Expecting Telegram to import chats automatically. Telegram does not have a direct import feature. You must manually export each chat from WhatsApp and send it as a file.
• Assuming group chats transfer as active groups. In Signal, imported groups are read-only. In Telegram, the exported file is just a document; the group itself does not exist in Telegram.

Tips

• Do the transfer when you have time. Large backups can take 30 minutes or more. Do not start it right before you need to leave the house.
• Trim your WhatsApp backup first. Delete large videos or old media you do not need before backing up. This will make the transfer faster and use less storage on the new phone.
• Use Telegram’s Saved Messages. To move a chat to yourself, export it from WhatsApp and send it to Saved Messages in Telegram. This keeps everything in one place.
• For Telegram, export the most important chats only. Since the process is manual, prioritize work chats, family groups, and conversations you reference often.
• Tell your contacts you are moving. After you switch, let people know to message you on the new app so you do not miss important conversations.

Troubleshooting

Signal says “No backup found” or “Transfer failed.” This usually means the WhatsApp backup was not created or is incomplete. Go back to WhatsApp, create a fresh backup, and try again. Also make sure both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network and the USB cable is firmly connected.

The transfer starts but stops halfway. Check that both phones have enough battery (plug them in if possible) and that the screen on the old phone does not lock. If it stops, restart the process from step 2. The transfer is not resumable, so you will need to start over.

Photos and videos are missing after the transfer. This happens when the WhatsApp backup was set to exclude media. Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat backup and make sure Include videos is checked, then back up again.

Telegram export file is too large to send. WhatsApp exports can exceed Telegram’s file size limit (2 GB for premium users, 1.5 GB for free). Try exporting without media, or split the chat by date range if WhatsApp offers that option.

Group chat appears empty in Signal. Imported groups are read-only archives. The messages are there, but you cannot send new messages in them. Create a new group in Signal and add the same members.

The export option is greyed out in WhatsApp. This can happen if the chat contains unsupported content or if the chat is too large. Try exporting a single message first to test, then export the full chat in smaller chunks if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my WhatsApp chats to Signal without a USB cable? No. Signal requires a physical cable connection between the two phones for the transfer. There is no wireless option.

Does the Signal transfer work from iPhone to Android? Yes, but you need the Lightning-to-USB-C cable that came with your new Android phone. The process is the same as Android-to-Android.

Will my WhatsApp group chats become active groups in Signal? No. Imported groups are read-only archives. You will need to create new groups manually and add members.

Can I move multiple WhatsApp chats to Telegram at once? No. Telegram does not have a bulk import feature. You must export each chat individually from WhatsApp and send it to Telegram.

Are voice messages included in the transfer to Signal? Yes, voice messages are included in the WhatsApp backup and will appear in Signal after the transfer.

Does moving to Telegram delete my WhatsApp chats? No. Exporting a chat from WhatsApp creates a copy. Your original WhatsApp chats remain untouched until you delete them yourself.

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