GoKawiilWhatsApp is announcing a batch of features on Thursday that should make it easier to bring your chat history to your next phone, free up storage and manage multiple accounts on an iPhone. There are also several new AI features. The update is currently rolling out, and some features may already be available.
The most helpful announcement, in my opinion, is an updated chat transfer feature that simplifies moving your WhatsApp history from an iPhone to an Android phone. The process will now take place entirely within WhatsApp and won't require third-party apps or physically connecting an iPhone and an Android device via cable. The transfer will instead happen wirelessly over a local Wi-Fi connection. WhatsApp warns that it could take some time, depending on how much data needs to be transferred.
This should be a much more direct way to move your WhatsApp history between devices. I recently attempted to move my WhatsApp account from an iPhone to a Google Pixel 10A using the old method of connecting the two phones via cable during the Android setup process, and it failed repeatedly. Samsung's Smart Switch app also offers a feature for transferring WhatsApp data from an iPhone to a Galaxy phone, but WhatsApp's built-in feature should make this more accessible.
As for moving your WhatsApp chat history from an Android device to an iPhone, for now, the process still involves using the Move to iOS app alongside WhatsApp.
The iOS version of WhatsApp is also gaining the ability to manage two accounts on one device, a feature already available on Android. This could be beneficial for someone who manages both a personal and business WhatsApp account.
The rest of the features are coming to WhatsApp on both iOS and Android, including easier access to deleting large media files from your chat history while preserving everything else. WhatsApp is also adding the ability to edit photos using Meta's AI tools before sending -- including removing objects, changing backgrounds or applying styles.
An AI Writing Help option is also being added to suggest responses based on your conversation, which is similar to writing assistance tools we're seeing powered by Apple Intelligence on supported iPhone devices and Galaxy AI on Samsung phones. And WhatsApp will suggest stickers as you search for emoji, providing that as an option for adding to chats.