WhatsApp is fairly popular messaging app that keeps itself up to date using new features. While some of these features are simple upgrades to the existing features, others are new features that bring new functionality to the mix. Now, a new report says that the Meta-owned messaging app has started working on a new feature that will make it easy for users to switch devices. Also Read - Google Maps navigation now works without a phone on Wear OS: How to use it
According to a report by WABetaInfo, the blog that chats developments in WhatsApp, the company is developing a new feature called ‘Chat Transfer’. This feature will allow users to transfer their data from one Android device to another without backing up their chats on Google Drive. Also Read - How to use Nearby Share feature in your Android smartphone: A step-by-step guide
The blog site says that the process of switching devices and transferring all chat data without using Google Drive is fairly simple. Once the feature is available, users will first have to download and install WhatsApp on their new Android smartphone, open WhatsApp on the new phone and then scan the provided QR code to initiate the chat history migration to the new Android device. Also Read - Android 14 to keep the devices connected to web even as they age
While the blog site doesn’t detail what method the messaging app will deploy in the background, it isn’t hard to guess that the feature will use some sort of local network for transferring data from one device to another device. Such a system will remove the requirement of Google Drive to be used as an intermediatory storage platform as it would ensure that the data transfer happens in real time. For understanding, the process will be somewhat similar to how you transfer photos stored in your smartphone to an external hard disk without using first storing those photos on your laptop, to which both the devices, that is, your phone and your external hard disk are connected.
As far as availability is concerned, the blog site says that at the moment, this feature is being developed for WhatsApp’s Android devices and that there is no word on the timeline of launch in the main app. While there is no word on the feature being in development for WhatsApp’s iOS app, it isn’t hard to guess that the company will also bring this feature to iPhones sometime in future.
