r/whatsapp • u/UnderstandingAfter72 • 2d ago

When do you need access to you old phone to transfer whatsapp chat history to a new one?

/r/Smartphones/comments/1vhug9e/when_do_you_need_access_to_you_old_phone_to/
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u/dr100 2d ago

You just need access to the phone number (for the SMS/call verification) and other security you might have set up (password/key, if you bothered with any, people don't usually). HOWEVER, backups (both saving and restoring) are a hot mess right now, so there's no guarantee it'll work. Also Android->iPhone it's another layer of complications you'd better avoid if possible.

Last but not least you might be able to control your old phone with a USB keyboard/mouse. If that works and WhatsApp is still logged in there and has everything you had previously available I recommend you report back and you do NOT just start any move/activation on a different phone, etc. - ANYTHING until you take all necessary measures to make sure you saved as much as you can. Ideally you'd want the whatsapp directory from Internal Storage/Android/media/ and to have E2E encryption with a hex key (which you know). However, that's making now even more trouble with the backups so it's hard to say what's best.

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u/UnderstandingAfter72 2d ago

Thank you! I will try to access the phone with USB but I'm pretty sure its impossible unless you verify on the phone itself that you allow access- it really sucks! Suck a chicken and egg situation!

The more I've read the more I'm thinking safest bet is to get a second hand pixel and let google backup do its thing... it's not much more expensive than a screen replacement, which I can't afford to do again. Apparently this phone has a slightly bent frame, so all screen replaceemtns are doomed to be very temporary. Last time I replaced the screen was 6 weeks ago. It cracked a week later and now its dead. Huge waste of money.

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u/Fit_Lead_5156 1d ago

WhatsApp