How to recover contacts in WhatsApp when changing phones?

How to recover contacts in WhatsApp when changing phones - briefly?

To recover your contacts in WhatsApp while switching phones, you can either backup and restore from Google Drive or transfer data using the official WhatsApp Transfer feature if both devices are on the same platform.

How to recover contacts in WhatsApp when changing phones - in detail?

To recover contacts in WhatsApp when changing phones, follow these detailed steps:

  1. Backup Your Contacts:

    Before switching phones, ensure you have a backup of your contacts. On an Android device, go to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Automatic Restore. For iOS devices, use iCloud by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Contacts.

  2. Backup WhatsApp Data:

    WhatsApp allows you to backup your chats and media to Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iOS). This process saves your messages, photos, videos, and documents but does not include contacts. To do this:

  3. Transfer Your Contacts:

    There are several methods to transfer contacts from one phone to another:

    • Using Google Account (for Android): Sign in to your Google account on both phones. Ensure that contacts syncing is enabled on the old phone by going to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Google Account. On the new phone, go to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Google Account and ensure contacts are synced.
    • Using iCloud (for iOS): Sign in to your iCloud account on both phones. Ensure that contacts syncing is enabled on the old iPhone by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Contacts. On the new iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and ensure contacts are synced.
    • Using a SIM Card: If your contacts are stored on your SIM card, simply insert the SIM card into the new phone. However, this method is less common nowadays as most users store their contacts in the cloud.

  4. Restore WhatsApp Data:

    After setting up your new phone and transferring your contacts, install WhatsApp from the app store. During the setup process, you will be prompted to restore your chat history from the backup. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restoration.

  5. Verify Your Contacts:

    Once the restoration is complete, open WhatsApp and check if all your contacts have been transferred successfully. If any contact is missing, ensure that they are saved in your phone's address book or cloud account.

By following these steps, you should be able to recover your contacts and chat history in WhatsApp when changing phones.