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Not one of lifes bigger issues but has anyone successfully transferred old WhatsApp messages from an iPhone to Android?
WhatsApp FAQ says it can't be done: https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/account-and-profile/about-changing-phones
But online sources recommend a laborious method of downloading each chat (as a .zip containing a .txt) and then getting at these via a new install of WhatsApp on Android and using restore. As described here: https://www.androidcentral.com/how-restore-your-whatsapp-chats-iphone-android
But I tried that and whilst it said it worked I couldn't see the old chat messages. I wondered since there where so many individual .zip and .txt files if I needed to bind them together somehow but my motivation to try was dented by how many conversations there were!
So before I give up I just wondered if anyone had done this with ease, can spot my mistake or recommend a 3rd party download to do the job (accepting it is a bit iffy to let someone else have access to all the messages but that they probably aren't that valuable military intel)?
Basically you can't. I tried the same migrating from Windows and gave up.
There is (paid) software that claims to be able to do it...
? android to android is easy - set whatsapp to back up to your google drive (or other cloud storage) then when you start u ponthe new phone, it downloads everything. I've just done it for my new phone and then for Mrs NBTs. As long as the iPhone lets you backup whatsapp to the same storage loaction that you can access in android, that's all you need
@Squirrelking I'm heading in the giving up direction but as @zilog6128 says I wonder if one of the free or paid options from a third party might be worth a go, there seem to be a few.
@nbt yes I have done Android to Android a few times via Google Drive but iPhone only has iCloud back up and from what I have read there is no way of restoring between the two.
back up to iCloud - copy iCloud backup folder to Google drive (perhaps via local hard drive if needed) - restore from google drive? Assuming that the backup format is the same, of course
Hmm, that is an interesting thought thank you. The file format I downloaded was pretty simple (and readable) text files so may be worth a go but I think iCloud likes to hide stuff so not too hopeful.
As long as the iPhone lets you backup whatsapp to the same storage loaction that you can access in android, that’s all you need
As noted its not the same location and there is no custom save or load option.
copy iCloud backup folder to Google drive (perhaps via local hard drive if needed) – restore from google drive? Assuming that the backup format is the same, of course
I don't think they are, that certainly wasn't an option from Onedrive to Google Drive. I hope I'm wrong but there may be a hack.
wazzapp on the google play store worked well for me, it costs a fiver, and needs a specific version loaded onto the phone, and you need a laptop with an iphone backup on it. It's easier than coming the other way when I realised that the iPhone worked better for me...
Wazzapp migrator worked for me also. It was a bit of a faff with the version number but it worked in the end. One complication I had was that the file I was working with was massive, something like 48Gb, and so I had to do the transfer without the images and videos.