WhatsApp users who are switching to an iPhone from an Android-powered device can now take their message history with them.
Until now, it has only been possible to transfer WhatsApp data when moving in the other direction — from an iPhone to Google's Android platform — and this feature was only introduced last year.
Apple said its Move to iOS app, which can be downloaded to Android phones, has now been updated to securely transfer WhatsApp data. The app is already used to switching over other phone data including contact details, photos and videos.
WhatsApp said the transfer will take place while remaining fully encrypted and that it will begin to roll out on Tuesday, but will take about a week to reach all users.
"We're adding to WhatsApp the ability to securely switch between phones and transfer your chat history, photos, videos and voice messages between Android and iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption," Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta, of which WhatsApp is a part, posted on Facebook.
"This is a top requested feature. We launched the ability to switch from iPhone to Android last year, and now adding Android to iPhone as well."
The new feature comes a month after WhatsApp launched a function that enabled users to react to WhatsApp messages with a simple emoji, rather than having to type a response.
The feature was introduced so that "people can quickly share their opinion without flooding chats with new messages", according to a blog post announcing the move.
How to transfer WhatsApp data from Android to iOS
- Make sure your iPhone's software is updated to iOS 15.5 or above.
- Wipe the iPhone and set it to factory settings.
- Your Android phone needs to be on version 5.0 or above.
- Make sure your WhatsApp is updated to the latest version on the Android device.
- On the Android phone, download the Move to iOS app and follow the instructions.
— Additional reporting by PA News
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
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Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
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Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
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Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Results
Stage 4
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5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
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5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
