Switching to Samsung or Pixel? How to move WhatsApp after the phone is set up

Switching from iPhone to Android is more common than it used to be, and it’s mostly painless now. Contacts, photos and calendars come across without much fuss. WhatsApp is the exception people trip over.

If your new Galaxy or Pixel is already set up and your WhatsApp is empty, here’s what you can do.

How the official iPhone-to-Android transfer works

WhatsApp has a built-in option for this. On the iPhone it lives under Settings › Chats › Transfer chats to Android. You scan a QR code (or connect a cable) from the Android phone, and the history comes across directly. No Google Drive or iCloud involved.

The catch is when the Android phone accepts that transfer. As of November 2026, WhatsApp’s help pages list these conditions:

• The same phone number on both phones.
• An Android phone that is new or factory reset. WhatsApp’s troubleshooting page asks for Android 10 or later.
• iOS 15.5 or later on the iPhone, and the latest WhatsApp on both phones.
• WhatsApp not yet activated on the Android phone.

Google adds that the exact process varies by phone, and that it can require a factory reset on a phone that’s already set up. On Pixel and Samsung phones the transfer is typically offered during the Copy apps & data step of first setup.

What if you skipped that step?

You have two options that actually put your chats inside WhatsApp on the Android phone.

Option 1: Factory reset and use the official transfer

1. Back up anything on the Android phone you don’t want to lose (photos to Google Photos, for example).
2. Factory reset: Settings › General management › Reset › Factory data reset on Samsung, or Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data on Pixel.
3. Go through setup again. At Copy apps & data, connect the iPhone with a USB-C to Lightning (or USB-C to USB-C) cable and follow the prompts.
4. When prompted, open WhatsApp on the iPhone and scan the QR code shown on the Android phone, or follow the on-screen steps.
5. Finish setup, open WhatsApp on Android, and sign in with the same number.

It’s free, and when the conditions line up, it works well. The downside is obvious: everything you set up on the Android phone gets wiped.

Option 2: Move the chats with a desktop tool

A desktop tool connects both phones to a computer and moves the data outside the phone’s setup process. That’s why it works with a phone you’ve already been using.

With WaMover:

1. Install WaMover on a Windows 10 or 11 PC.
2. Plug in the iPhone and the Android phone. Tap Trust on the iPhone; on Android, allow the USB connection (choose File transfer if asked).
3. Choose iPhone to Android and start the move.
4. Follow the prompts on each phone and keep both unlocked and connected.
5. Open WhatsApp on Android and sign in with the same number.

What doesn’t come across, whichever method you use

According to WhatsApp, a few things stay behind on any iPhone-to-Android move with the official tools: your display name (you set it again), status updates, peer-to-peer payment messages, and media received through WhatsApp Channels. Call history is also handled differently across platforms. Plan to set your profile again after the move.

A few Android-switcher tips that save headaches

• Turn off iMessage before you move your SIM. Otherwise, texts from iPhone users can keep going to iMessage instead of your new phone. On the iPhone: Settings › Apps › Messages, then switch off iMessage. If you no longer have the iPhone, Apple has a web page to deregister your number.
• Use a cable that carries data. The USB-C cable in the Samsung or Pixel box is a safe choice. Some cheap cables only charge, and the computer won’t see the phone.
• Keep the iPhone for a week. Don’t reset or trade it in until you’ve checked that the conversations you care about made it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Samsung without a factory reset?

Not with the official method in most cases, since WhatsApp asks for a new or reset Android phone. A desktop tool like WaMover moves the chats to a Samsung Galaxy that’s already set up.

Can I restore my iCloud WhatsApp backup on Android?

No. WhatsApp restores iCloud backups only on iPhone and Google Drive backups only on Android. To go across, the transfer has to be phone to phone. More on this in why backups don’t cross platforms.

Does Smart Switch move WhatsApp?

Samsung Smart Switch can hand off to WhatsApp’s own transfer during setup on supported Galaxy phones, so the same new-or-reset conditions apply. It doesn’t move WhatsApp chats on a Galaxy that’s already set up.

My Android phone already has WhatsApp chats on it. What happens to them?

With the official method, WhatsApp needs to be fresh on the Android phone, so existing chats there would be replaced. If you use a desktop tool, check its instructions before you start, and back up any chats on the new phone you want to keep.