WhatsApp might soon let you migrate chat history between iOS and Android

There's no word on when the new feature is coming.
There's no word on when the new feature is coming.
Image: nurphoto/gettyimages
By Stan Schroeder

WhatsApp users switching from Android to iPhone currently have to endure a pretty annoying issue: there's no official way to transfer your chat history to the new device. 

This might change soon. According to WABetaInfo, a future WhatsApp update for iOS and Android will bring the possibility to migrate chat histories from iOS to Android and vice versa. 

The outlet supplied a screenshot of the reportedly upcoming feature without providing further details on functionality. There's also no word on when the new feature might arrive.

Currently, WhatsApp's official documentation says that "you can't transfer your chat history" if you're moving from one mobile platform to another, though you do get to keep your account information, such as profile name, photo, and settings. 

SEE ALSO: WhatsApp's desktop app is finally getting voice and video calls. There's just one catch.

The ability to migrate your chats from one platform to another may not be useful many times in your life (unless you're a tech reviewer and you switch between phones all the time), but when you do need it, it's a life saver. 

Right now, there are a few third-party tools that say they can transfer your chat history between WhatsApp on Android and iOS, but they may be unreliable, and using them violates WhatsApp's terms of service. On the other hand, WhatsApp competitors such as Signal and Viber do offer this functionality, so WhatsApp might want to hurry up with this one.