WhatsApp Introduces QR Code-Based Method for Quicker Chat Transfer

WhatsApp today announced a new and quicker way to transfer chat from your old phone to a new phone through a QR code-based method.

The company said that users migrating to another phone with the same operating system will be able to transfer WhatsApp data using a local Wi-Fi connection.

How to Transfer Your Chat History

To transfer your chat history, make sure both devices are turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

• First, open WhatsApp on the old device and go to Settings > Chats > Chat transfer.
• On completion of this step, you will see a QR code.
• Scan the QR code from the new phone to complete the transfer process.

The company said this method is more secure than third-party solutions as the data is encrypted and only shared between the two devices over your local network.

This local transfer method is a new addition to WhatsApp’s existing options for transferring data between devices. Until now, WhatsApp relied on cloud backups to transfer data from one device to another device that runs the same operating system — iOS or Android. This innovation simplifies the process for users.

WhatsApp already supports iOS to Android and Android to iOS migration. However, both methods are slightly more complicated than scanning a QR code.

In addition to chat transfer, WhatsApp also offers a multidevice feature for a single account, allowing users to sync messages sent and received with a single phone number on various devices. In April, the company updated this feature to support multiple phones.