WhatsApp will soon allow its users to switch from one smartphone to another even more simply than before thanks to local conversation transfers, rather than having to go through the Internet.
If WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging platforms in the world, it is above all for its ease of use, its end-to-end encrypted messages and its ability to transfer conversations from one device to another. It is on this last feature that Meta will focus in an upcoming update, to make it easier than ever to switch from one device to another. Note also that WhatsApp now allows you to connect several smartphones to a single account.
Until now, users were forced to back up their chat history to Google Drive in order to migrate their conversations to a new Android device. However, that is about to change, as WhatsApp has been spotted testing a local chat transfer option that allows users to transfer their chat history without the need for Google Drive.
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WhatsApp will simplify the transfer of your conversations
According to WABetaInfo, the local chat transfer option has started appearing for some users who are using the latest WhatsApp for Android beta version v2.23.9.19. The tool will allow users to locally migrate their WhatsApp conversations from one Android device to another without using Google Drive.
Once selected, users will need to scan a QR code from their new device to initiate the migration process. The transfer should then take place via a local connection using Wi-Fi Direct, which makes it much faster than backing up chat history to Google Drive and then restoring to another device.
Local chat migration will be a handy addition for WhatsApp, especially for users who live in areas with poor or spotty internet connectivity. This option will make the migration process faster and easier, without the need for an internet connection. Still, it is likely to impact how users transfer WhatsApp messages from Android to iOS or vice versa, as it only seems to work between two Android devices.
WhatsApp has rolled out the local chat transfer tool to a few beta testers, but as usual it will likely take several weeks or even months. before the feature rolls out to all users.
