How to move the WhatsApp backup from the old Android smartphone to the new device? With Google Drive ! What if you can’t use it? You can do the same, but the procedure is a little longer: we show you how. Of course, this guide only refers to moving chats between two Android smartphones.
How to copy WhatsApp chats with Google Drive
It goes without saying that using Google Drive greatly simplifies the process of transferring chats from an old Android to a new one. All you need to do is:
- take the smartphone from which you want to pass the chats;
- open WhatsApp and then: settings – chat – chat backup – make a backup on Google Drive (so as to have the most recent available);
- take the smartphone on which you want to pass the new chats;
- make sure it is configured with the same Google account as the smartphone of origin (otherwise the backup will not be found);
- install WhatsApp;
- enter your phone number;
- complete the verification procedure;
- accept the restoration of chats from Google Drive;
- wait for the time necessary to complete the operation.
But what if you don’t have an internet connection or you don’t have a Google Drive backup? Nothing, chats can still be transferred, but it will take a little longer. We explain how to do it.
How to copy WhatsApp backups without Google Drive
If you come from an Android smartphone with Google Mobile Services on board, it is very likely that up to now you have referred to Google Drive for daily WhatsApp backups. However, what you may not know is that – regardless of the use of cloud services – every day the application of the messaging platform also backs up your conversations locally , that is, directly in the memory of your smartphone. It is this save file that you will need to successfully move your WhatsApp account to a new Android smartphone.
To run our quick guide to moving the WhatsApp backup between an old Android and a new device, you will need:
- a computer (preferably a Windows PC);
- the old Android terminal, on some there is the WhatsApp account you want to move;
- your new Android smartphone.
NB: you could also do without a PC , but to move files from one smartphone to another, the most convenient solution is certainly the one that involves switching from a computer.
Move WhatsApp from an old Android to a new one
Now that you have everything at your fingertips, take a few minutes to take your time through all the steps. First, run a backup of the chats on your Android smartphone with on board the WhatsApp account you want to move , so as to have the most recent on board:
- open WhatsApp;
- access settings – chat – backup – backup;
- wait for the operation to complete.
Next, follow these steps:
- connect the Android smartphone with WhatsApp on board to the PC;
- you have to connect it in ” file transfer ” mode , in order to access the memory;
- access the device memory from the PC;
- copy the entire WhatsApp folder , which you will momentarily place on your computer. (NB: it is usually a very heavy folder, which contains other folders, so it is better that you fill in one folder at a time to avoid blocks during the procedure);
- when you have copied the entire folder, do not delete it (as a precaution) from the smartphone of origin;
- install WhatsApp on the new Android smartphone , but do not set up any account for the moment;
- connect the new smartphone to the PC, in “file transfer” mode;
- copy the WhatsApp folder that you previously created on the PC in the main directory of the new smartphone memory: there will already be a WhatsApp folder, overwrite it;
- when the procedure is finished on the new smartphone enter your phone number and proceed with the usual verification of the WhatsApp account;
- if everything went well, the app will recognize the presence of a local backup and will ask you if you want to restore it: confirm the operation;
- wait the necessary time: finished!
In this way, you can transfer all your chats without necessarily having to rely on Google Drive and the Internet connection, which is not always available unfortunately. If you do not have a PC available, the easiest way to pass the WhatsApp folder from one device to another is to use smartphone keys (you can find them on Amazon at low prices, both USB C and micro USB ) in combination with a document manager app : choose the one you prefer, you can also use the system one of smartphones, if performing enough.