How to Transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone 13

Moving WhatsApp from an Android phone to an iPhone 13 used to mean losing your chat history, but Apple’s official Move to iOS app now transfers your messages, photos, and voice notes directly. This guide walks you through the entire process, from backing up on Android to verifying the transfer on your new iPhone, and covers what to do if something goes wrong.

What You’ll Need

Your Android phone with WhatsApp installed and logged in
Your iPhone 13, fully charged or plugged in
A USB-C to Lightning cable (or the cable that came with your iPhone)
A stable Wi-Fi connection for both devices
Your SIM card (or eSIM) ready to activate on the iPhone
The Move to iOS app installed on your Android phone (free from the Google Play Store)
Your iPhone’s current iOS version should be 15.5 or later for the smoothest transfer

Step-by-Step

Update WhatsApp on Android. Open the Google Play Store, search for WhatsApp, and tap Update if available. The transfer feature requires a recent version of the app.
Back up your WhatsApp data on Android (optional but recommended). Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup, and tap Back up. This creates a local backup on your phone’s storage, which the Move to iOS app will use during the transfer.
Turn off iMessage and FaceTime on your iPhone (if already set up). If your iPhone 13 is new, skip this. If it’s been used, go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage off, then Settings > FaceTime and toggle it off. This prevents SMS/MMS conflicts during the transfer.
Start the iPhone setup process. Power on your iPhone 13. You’ll see a “Hello” screen. Follow the on-screen prompts until you reach the “Apps & Data” screen.
Choose “Move Data from Android.” On the Apps & Data screen, tap this option. The iPhone will display a six- or ten-digit code.
Open Move to iOS on your Android phone. Install and launch the app. Tap Continue, read the terms, and tap Agree. When prompted, tap “Continue” again to grant the app permission to access your location (required for the connection).
Enter the code. On your Android phone, type the code shown on your iPhone. Both devices will now establish a secure connection.
Select WhatsApp on the transfer screen. After the connection is established, Move to iOS will show a list of data types (Contacts, Message History, etc.). Make sure WhatsApp is toggled on. If you don’t see it, your Android phone may need a newer version of WhatsApp or Move to iOS.
Connect the two phones with a cable (recommended). Plug the USB-C end into your Android phone and the Lightning end into your iPhone. This speeds up the transfer significantly, especially for large chat histories. If you don’t have the right cable, the transfer can still work over Wi-Fi, but it will be slower.
Wait for the transfer to complete. The Move to iOS app will show a progress bar. Do not disconnect the phones or close the app. The transfer time depends on the size of your WhatsApp data; it can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour.
Finish setting up your iPhone. Once the transfer is done, tap Done on the Android phone and continue with the iPhone setup (Face ID, passcode, Apple ID, etc.).
Install WhatsApp on your iPhone. After setup is complete, go to the App Store and download WhatsApp.
Verify your phone number. Open WhatsApp, agree to the terms, and enter your phone number. You’ll receive a verification code via SMS or a phone call.
Wait for the migration prompt. After verification, WhatsApp will detect the transferred data and show a message like “Importing your chat history.” Wait for this to finish. Do not force-close the app during this step.
Check your chats. Once the import is complete, you’ll see all your conversations, media, and voice notes. Your profile photo and status updates are not transferred; you’ll need to set those again.

Common Mistakes

Skipping the cable. Many users try to transfer over Wi-Fi only, which is slow and more prone to dropping the connection. Use the USB-C to Lightning cable whenever possible.
Starting the iPhone setup before preparing Android. Ensure WhatsApp is updated and backed up on Android before you begin the iPhone setup process.
Turning off the Android screen. If the screen locks or the phone goes to sleep, the transfer may pause or fail. Keep both screens on and unlocked.
Using WhatsApp on Android during the transfer. Opening chats or sending messages while the transfer is running can corrupt the data being copied.
Forgetting to turn off iMessage. If you’re moving from an Android but the iPhone was previously used with iMessage, incoming SMS from iPhone users may not arrive until you disable iMessage.
Installing WhatsApp on iPhone before the transfer. If you install and open WhatsApp on the iPhone before the Move to iOS transfer completes, it may create a new empty account and overwrite the incoming data.

Tips

Free up space on both devices. WhatsApp transfers can be large (several gigabytes). Delete unnecessary photos or videos from Android before starting, and ensure your iPhone has enough storage.
Keep both devices plugged in. A low battery can interrupt the transfer. Plug both phones into power if possible.
Use a quiet Wi-Fi network. Avoid transferring during peak hours or on a network with many connected devices. The cable connection helps, but Wi-Fi is still used for the initial handshake.
Be patient after verification. The “Importing chat history” step on the iPhone can take a while. The app may look frozen, but it’s working. Leave it alone.
Set your profile after the transfer. Your profile photo, “About” text, and status won’t move over. Update them in WhatsApp Settings once the import is complete.
Check for missing media. After the transfer, open a few chats and verify that photos and videos play correctly. If some are missing, they may have been too large or corrupted; you can re-download them from a cloud backup if you had one.

Troubleshooting

The Move to iOS app doesn’t show WhatsApp. Make sure both apps (Move to iOS and WhatsApp) are updated to their latest versions. Restart both phones and try again. If it still doesn’t appear, your Android phone may not meet the minimum requirements (Android 5.0 or later).

The transfer fails or disconnects midway. Check that the cable is properly connected and both screens are on. Restart both devices and try again. If it fails repeatedly, skip the cable and try over Wi-Fi, or vice versa. Also, ensure your Android phone has enough free storage for the backup file.

WhatsApp on iPhone asks for a new account instead of importing. This usually means the transfer didn’t complete or you opened WhatsApp before the Move to iOS process finished. Uninstall WhatsApp from the iPhone, erase the iPhone (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings), and redo the setup, making sure to select “Move Data from Android” and wait for the full import.

The verification code never arrives. Check that your SIM card is active in the iPhone and that you have cellular signal. If you’re using Wi-Fi calling, temporarily disable it. You can also request a voice call instead of an SMS code.

The import shows “Cannot Complete” at the end. This often happens with very large chat histories. Try the transfer again, but this time, on Android, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat backup and exclude videos (uncheck “Include videos”). The transfer will be smaller and more likely to succeed. You can re-download videos later from a Google Drive backup if you had one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I transfer WhatsApp from Android to iPhone 13 without a cable?
A: Yes, Move to iOS can transfer over Wi-Fi, but it’s slower and less reliable. A USB-C to Lightning cable is strongly recommended for large chat histories.

Q: Will my group chats and media transfer?
A: Yes, all your chats, including group chats, along with photos, videos, voice messages, and documents, will be transferred. Your profile photo and status updates will not.

Q: What if I already set up my iPhone 13?
A: You’ll need to erase the iPhone and start over. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Then follow the setup steps above and choose “Move Data from Android.”

Q: Do I need a Google Drive backup for this to work?
A: No. Move to iOS uses a local backup that it creates on your Android device. A Google Drive backup is not required, though it’s a good safety net if something goes wrong.

Q: How long does the transfer take?
A: It depends on the size of your WhatsApp data. A small chat history (a few hundred MB) can take 5-10 minutes. A multi-gigabyte history with many videos can take over an hour. The cable speeds things up considerably.

Q: After the transfer, can I still use WhatsApp on my Android phone?
A: No. WhatsApp only allows one active account per phone number. Once you verify your number on the iPhone, the Android version will be deactivated. Your chat history will remain on the Android phone, but you won’t be able to send or receive messages there.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →