Transfer WhatsApp to a New iPhone Without iCloud (Business Too)

The short version

If you only read one part, read this.

• Do not delete WhatsApp on the old iPhone, and do not reset it, until you have checked your chats on the new one. WhatsApp says your data stays on the old phone until you do.
• For normal WhatsApp, use Transfer Chats to iPhone on the old phone and scan the QR code on the new one. No iCloud backup is needed.
• For WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp's Help Center still says chat transfer is not possible. In our test it did work once the new phone stopped finding an old iCloud backup (details below).
• Delete media from big groups you do not need before you start. It made our transfer much faster.
• Keep both phones unlocked, plugged in, side by side, on the same Wi-Fi, with WhatsApp open on both.
• If nothing works, a full encrypted iPhone backup on a computer is the fallback, but restoring it replaces everything on the new iPhone.

Before you start

WhatsApp's Chat Transfer page lists what you need: the latest iOS on both iPhones, the latest WhatsApp from the App Store, the same phone number on the new phone, both phones close together, both connected to power and to Wi-Fi, and local network permission for WhatsApp on both.

One requirement trips people up: the new phone must not be registered on WhatsApp until you have started the transfer on the old phone. If you already set WhatsApp up on the new phone and started chatting, WhatsApp's restore page says new and old history cannot be merged.

WhatsApp also says Chat Transfer moves your messages, photos, videos and documents, but not peer-to-peer payment messages, call history, or media received over Channels.

• Turn Bluetooth on as well. WhatsApp does not list it, but we kept it on and it does no harm.
• Set Auto-Lock to Never on both phones (Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock) so neither screen locks halfway. This is our tip, not WhatsApp's.
• If you use both apps, do normal WhatsApp first, then WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp says each app needs its own phone number.

How to transfer WhatsApp to a new iPhone without iCloud

These are WhatsApp's own steps. On the old iPhone, open WhatsApp and tap Settings (or your profile picture) > Chats > Transfer Chats to iPhone > Start. Allow camera access if asked; the old phone's camera scans the code on the new phone.

On the new iPhone, open WhatsApp, tap Agree & continue, verify your number, then tap Continue on Transfer chat history to iPhone and accept local network permission. Scan the QR code on the new phone with the old phone. A percentage bar shows progress, and messaging is paused until it ends. When you see Transfer completed, tap Next and finish your profile.

In our test this went smoothly and we were not asked for an SMS code; the account was confirmed through the old phone and a passkey. WhatsApp does not promise you will skip the SMS, so keep your SIM where it can receive texts just in case.

Can you transfer WhatsApp Business to a new iPhone?

Officially, no. As of 19 October 2026, WhatsApp's iPhone Chat Transfer page still ends with: "It's currently not possible to transfer chats on the WhatsApp Business app." WhatsApp's official ways to move Business chats to a new iPhone are an iCloud backup and restore.

In our test, it worked anyway. The old phone offered Transfer Chats to iPhone in WhatsApp Business, and after the fix below the new phone showed the transfer screen and QR code, and the full chat history came across. We tried it once, on one pair of iPhones, so treat it as worth trying, not as guaranteed. Keep the old phone untouched until you have checked the result.

WhatsApp transfer not showing or stuck: only Restore chat history or Skip

This was our problem with WhatsApp Business. The old phone had the transfer scanner open, but the new phone only offered Restore chat history (from an old iCloud backup) or Skip. We restored that backup once; it only brought back older messages, because WhatsApp can only restore what was in the last backup. Skip gave an empty account.

What fixed it for us was hiding the old iCloud backup from the new phone. This is a troubleshooting step from our own experience, not an instruction from WhatsApp:

• On the new iPhone, delete WhatsApp Business.
• Open iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud, open the list of apps using iCloud, and turn off WhatsApp Business. Only that app; leave normal WhatsApp alone. Menu names can vary a little between iOS versions.
• Reinstall WhatsApp Business and verify your number. With the old phone next to it showing the scanner, the new phone offered the transfer and a QR code. Scan it with the old phone.
• If a transfer gets stuck or shows an error, WhatsApp's own advice is to restart both phones (turn them off, wait 30 seconds, turn them on) and try again. Your data stays on the old phone meanwhile.
• When the transfer has finished and your chats are there, turn iCloud for WhatsApp Business back on and make a fresh backup in Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.

Make the transfer faster: delete media you do not need

Ten years of chats is a lot of data, and most of it is photos and videos from big groups. Before transferring, we deleted large groups we no longer needed and cleared media in WhatsApp's Settings > Storage and Data > Manage Storage. The transfer was noticeably faster afterwards.

Clearing media in Manage Storage removes the files, not the text of your important chats. Check what you are deleting first; anything you remove will not come across.

WhatsApp backup taking too long on iPhone? Why Include Videos did not help

Our WhatsApp Business backup to iCloud was about 22 GB and would have taken many hours. Turning off Include Videos did not shrink it much. WhatsApp's backup page explains the setting is a choice to include or exclude videos, and its restore page says videos are only restored if Include videos was on for the latest backup. In our experience it did not make the existing backup noticeably smaller; deleting group media did.

Storage is the other catch. WhatsApp says your free iCloud space and iPhone storage should each be at least 2.05 times the size of the backup, and that a partial restore can happen if the iPhone runs short of space. For a 22 GB backup that means roughly 45 GB free on each side.

Fallback: an encrypted iPhone backup on a computer

If the transfer will not start, Apple's computer backup copies almost all of the iPhone's data and does not depend on your internet speed. On Windows use the Apple Devices app; on a Mac use the Finder.

Apple's steps: connect the old iPhone with a cable, select it, open General, choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this computer, tick Encrypt local backup, set a password, and click Back Up Now. Apple warns there is no way to use an encrypted backup if you forget the password, so write it down.

To restore, connect the new iPhone, select it, click Restore Backup, pick the newest backup, enter the password and keep the phone connected until it restarts and syncs.

Two warnings. Restoring a backup replaces what is on the new iPhone, so anything only on the new phone (for example chats received there after an earlier transfer) will be lost unless you back it up first. And WhatsApp says that if you use its end-to-end encrypted in-app backup, it is not possible to use the iPhone backup for WhatsApp too. We did not need this route in the end, so we have not tested it ourselves.

Can you move WhatsApp without a verification code when you are abroad?

Sometimes. WhatsApp sends registration codes by SMS or phone call. If you are logging in to an existing account, it can also send the code by email, but only if you added an email address to the account beforehand. If you created a passkey, WhatsApp says you can use it to log back in with your face, fingerprint or screen lock. In our case the personal account was confirmed through the old phone and a passkey, with no SMS.

If a code is needed: WhatsApp says registration may not work if you are roaming or have a bad connection, so use a working Wi-Fi or data connection. Enter the number in full international format, wait for the timer (up to 10 minutes), then choose Call me if the SMS does not arrive. Do not guess the code, or you will be locked out for a while.

One confusing moment: while setting up WhatsApp Business, the new iPhone showed a Face ID passkey prompt that belonged to the personal WhatsApp account. We cancelled it and Business carried on. If you see a passkey prompt during Business setup, check which account it is for before you approve it.

After the transfer: checklist

Before you touch the old phone, go through this on the new one.

• Open your most important chats and scroll back to check that old messages, photos and documents are there.
• Send and receive a test message on each account.
• Turn iCloud for WhatsApp Business back on if you turned it off, then run Chat Backup > Back Up Now on both apps.
• Create a passkey (Settings > Account > Passkeys) and add an email address to your account, so a future move is easier.
• Only then decide what to do with the old phone. If you plan to sell it, our used-phone guides explain what buyers check.

• Sell your old iPhone on Mobile Market

Can I transfer WhatsApp to a new iPhone without an iCloud backup?

Yes. WhatsApp's Chat Transfer moves your full chat history directly from the old iPhone to the new one by QR code, with no iCloud backup. Both phones must be nearby, on power and Wi-Fi, and the new phone must not already be registered on WhatsApp.

Can I transfer WhatsApp Business chats to a new iPhone?

WhatsApp's Help Center says chat transfer is not currently possible on WhatsApp Business, and points to iCloud backup and restore. In our single test on 19 October 2026 the transfer did work after we turned off iCloud for WhatsApp Business on the new phone and reinstalled it.

Why does my new iPhone only show Restore chat history or Skip?

In our experience the new phone found an old iCloud backup and offered that instead of the transfer. Deleting the app, turning off iCloud for that app in iPhone Settings, and reinstalling made the transfer option appear. This is our tip, not an official WhatsApp step.

Will I lose chats if I delete WhatsApp on my old phone?

Yes, if they have not reached the new phone or a backup. WhatsApp says not to delete WhatsApp, reset or wipe the old phone until you confirm the transfer worked; until then your data is still on the old phone.

How much iCloud space do I need for a WhatsApp backup?

WhatsApp says your available iCloud and iPhone storage should each be at least 2.05 times the size of the backup. A 10 GB backup needs about 20.5 GB free on both.

Can I restore WhatsApp without an OTP or verification code?

Sometimes. WhatsApp can verify you with a passkey if you created one, or send a code by email if you added an email to your account earlier. Otherwise the code comes by SMS or phone call, so keep your SIM able to receive them.

Does WhatsApp transfer my call history?

No. WhatsApp says Chat Transfer does not move call history, peer-to-peer payment messages or media received over Channels.