To transfer WhatsApp from your old phone to your new phone:

1. On your old phone, open WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat Backup
   • Android: Choose a Google account and tap Back Up Now (use end-to-end encrypted backup if possible)
   • iPhone: Make sure iCloud is signed in, then tap Back Up Now
2. On your new phone:
   • Install WhatsApp from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone)
   • Open WhatsApp, agree to terms, and enter your same phone number
   • Wait for WhatsApp to detect a backup (Google Drive for Android, iCloud for iPhone)
   • Tap Restore and wait for it to download all your chats and media

If WhatsApp doesn’t show a backup, double-check that you’re using the same phone number and the same Google/iCloud account.

No, WhatsApp cannot restore your old chat history on a new phone without a backup made on the old phone.

• If a backup was created (Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iPhone), you can restore it during setup on the new phone.
• If no backup exists, WhatsApp will create a new blank account on the new phone, and your old chats will only exist on the old phone.

Workarounds:

• Keep using the old phone to manually forward important messages to a contact or group.
• Use WhatsApp’s “Export Chat” feature (chat → Export Chat → Without Media) to email key conversations to yourself.
• Save important photos/videos from WhatsApp to your phone’s gallery first, then move them to the new device.

Important: Copying WhatsApp folders manually will not make old chats appear in the new app. WhatsApp only restores chat history from official Google Drive or iCloud backups.

You cannot run WhatsApp on two phones at the same time with the same number. WhatsApp only allows one primary phone per account.

However, you can link devices for secondary access:

• WhatsApp Web: Open web.whatsapp.com on your computer, scan the QR code, and use WhatsApp there while your phone stays active.
• WhatsApp Desktop: Install WhatsApp Desktop on Windows/Mac, scan the QR code, and use it alongside your phone.
• WhatsApp on iPad: Install WhatsApp on iPad, tap “Link to phone”, and scan the QR code from your iPhone.

If you want to move WhatsApp completely to a new phone:

• Back up WhatsApp on your old phone.
• Set up WhatsApp on the new phone with the same number.
• When prompted, restore from backup.
• WhatsApp will then log you out of the old phone automatically.

To get your old chats back on WhatsApp, follow this:

1. Make sure you’re using the same phone number that had the old chats.
2. Ensure you’re signed in to the same backup account:
   • Android: Same Google account used for Google Drive backup.
   • iPhone: Same Apple ID and iCloud account used for iCloud backup.
3. Open WhatsApp on the new/new-setup phone and verify the same number.
4. When WhatsApp detects a backup, tap Restore (it may show “Restore chats and media” or “Restore from Google Drive/iCloud”).
5. Wait for WhatsApp to download all chats and media (this can take minutes to hours, depending on your internet and backup size).

If WhatsApp says “No backup found”:

• Check that you’re using the same phone number and Google/iCloud account.
• On Android: Try reinstalling WhatsApp and restoring again.
• On iPhone: In Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Drive, make sure WhatsApp is toggled on.

If you already deleted WhatsApp without a backup:

• Your old chats are permanently lost from WhatsApp, but they may still exist on the old phone (if it’s not wiped or reset). Use that phone to export or forward important messages.