CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Meta has announced a new chat transfer feature for WhatsApp. This new feature will make it easier to transfer chat history and other large media files from one smartphone to another. However, both smartphones need to run on the same operating system. This feature eliminates the need to download chat backups from cloud storage. All you have to do is to scan a QR code on the old phone using the new smart phone.
The process involved in transferring WhatsApp chats to another device is very simple and straight forward. As soon as the user initiates the transfer, the app prompts them to scan a QR code on the old phone using the new phone. Scanning the QR code establishes a direct connection between both devices to make way for the transfer. WhatsApp assures users of the security of their data during this transfer process. The company says that the transfer happens solely between the two smartphones. This ensures that their privacy and security is protected from any thrid eye. To provide extra layer of protection, the transfer process is also fully encrypted.
The New WhatsApp Data Transfer Feature will be Part of the Setup Process
In explaining this feature, WhatsApp spokesperson Ellie Heatrick explains that the transfer happens during the setup process. As soon as the transfer process is complete, the WhatsApp account on the old device is automatically logged out.
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This new method of transferring WhatsApp data adds extra convenience to the usage of the app. This method is quicker than the previous method since the user had to backup data to cloud storage before downloading it back onto the new device. Another good side is that it takes away the issue of limitations on the cloud storage. For example, the free cloud storage on the iPhone is just 5GB. Whenever this storage gets full, backing up becomes impossible. Users may not have to worry about full cloud storages any more, thanks to this new feature. It is worth noting that, backing up WhatsApp content to cloud storage still remains possible.
This feature does not support cross-platform data transfer. This means, it does not support transferring data from an iOS device to Android device and a vice-versa. WhatsApp has provided a guide on their website to guide users who want to transfer data from iOS to Android. You can click this link if you want to transfer data from iOS to Android or the other way round.
Availability of the New WhatsApp Data Transfer Feature
According to Heatrick, the feature will be rolling out in the coming days. WABetaInfo has also reported that WhatsApp is already rolling out the new feature to some beta testers. This should also reach out to more beta testers in a few days’ time. Once the feature becomes available, users can be able to transfer WhatsApp data easily to their new devices quickly. You can easily do this by heading to Settings, Chats, and selecting “Chat transfer” on your old device.