WhatsApp has introduced a new method to transfer your chat history to a new phone, but for now, it comes with a lot of caveats. The new method uses a QR code to locally transfer your data from your current device to another through Wi-Fi instead of first going through the cloud.
First of all, this isn’t being rolled out widely yet. The feature is currently available only for select WhatsApp beta users but given the announcement from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself, it’s safe to say that a general release date isn’t too far away. Moreover, it can only work if you’re transferring between two devices using the same operating system, as in Android or iOS.
Up until now, chat transfers were done through cloud backups, meaning that you had to back up all your data to iCloud or Google Drive and then download it to the new device. With a fully encrypted local data transfer, it should be a lot faster and simpler. It would also allow you to bypass any cloud storage limits and migrate any large media files and attachments.
To use it, you simply need to go into the WhatsApp settings on your old phone, select Chats > Chat transfer, and then scan the QR code from your new phone. As an added security measure, you’ll have to click “Accept” on your old device to authenticate the transfer.
(Source: The Verge)
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