Facebook has almost a monopoly on chat applications, with two of the most popular in the world under its umbrella: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. If the former is easy to transfer from one platform to another, WhatsApp, which promises end-to-end encrypted discussions, is harder to “port” from one platform to another. For this reason, some users choose not to switch between iOS and Android or vice versa, as the process of transferring conversations is extremely complicated. But it seems that Facebook is working on a simpler method.
An update of the WhatsApp application will activate the transfer capability between operating systems
Anyone who tried to transfer between chats on the two mobile platforms probably hit the same wall: the fact that the iOS version keeps the backup encrypted in iCloud, while the Android version on Google Drive. Transferring this backup is virtually impossible and inaccessible to a regular user. Only by using complex applications such as Dr Fone, which, first of all, costs money, and, secondly, requires a PC and some knowledge in IT, can you make this transfer, after many complicated steps.
Fortunately, WhatsApp will soon allow transfer between operating systems through a proprietary system. It looks like a future version of the app will enable this transfer method. A screenshot of a beta version has hit the internet and suggests that to start the transfer from iOS to Android, you will need an update from the App Store and Google Play, to be on a new version of the application.
However, it is not clear how the transfer will take place. If both devices need to be present at the same time, or if a “neutral backup” can be made, which is not connected to any platform, which can then be downloaded to the other.
Of course, WhatsApp users will certainly appreciate the new functionality, but Facebook has long promised other equally important capabilities. For example, the ability to use the service on multiple devices simultaneously. At the moment, the only possibility to use WhatsApp on tablets is to access the service from the browser, a not very elegant solution.
