How to Import WhatsApp Chats to Signal?

Part 1: Why do we need to export chats from WhatsApp?

You have all valid reasons to transfer WhatsApp chat from Android to iPhone and vice-versa. If you’re keen on WhatsApp updates, then you must know a thing or six about the unpopular policy that became effective as of February 8, 2021. In the new terms and conditions, WhatsApp stipulates that it will share your account details with Facebook. This includes phone number, IP address, transaction data, etc.

Another apparent reason you may need to export WhatsApp chats is to backup and restore. After purchasing a new Android phone, you’ll want to export all your WhatsApp chats from your old phone. This saves you the stress of writing down phone numbers, jotting down reminders, and starting afresh on your new phone. So, if you want to continue from where you left, then backing up WhatsApp data is the way to go.

Part 2: What is "Chat Import" in Signal?

Chat import is a feature that allows users to import chats from other social apps like WhatsApp and continue where they left. In other words, it will enable you to import all data in a specific format to the target app without any restrictions. Just think of it as backing up bulk data using a hotel management system.

Unfortunately, Signal doesn’t offer a “Chat Import” function. That’s because this app uses end-to-end encryption, so you can’t share chats on a foreign messaging app. Even worse, the same policy applies to WhatsApp. Therefore, it’s virtually impossible to access your WhatsApp chats on Signal after importing them.

But with Wondershare MobileTrans, you can backup your WhatsApp data on PC or mobile phone before proceeding to restore them on Signal. This Mac/Windows program lets you backup WhatsApp data like group chats, individual chats, status updates, starred messages, documents, payment information, and so on. Simply put, you can backup up everything on WhatsApp with this software.

So, here is  how to backup WhatsApp chats on PC with MobileTrans:

Step 1. Install and run MobileTrans on PC and then connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2. Then, click Backup & Restore before tapping Backup app data.

Step 3. Now choose WhatsApp as the source app before enabling USB debugging to connect your phone to the program. You can also backup WhatsApp Business, WeChat, LINE, Kik, and Viber data.

Step 4. Last but not least, select the WhatsApp data that you want to backup on PC. Finally, click Start to transfer all WhatsApp data from mobile to PC. After the process, save the files on cloud storage like iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive and restore them on any device.

Part 3: Back up WhatsApp chats through 3 ways

Besides using MobileTrans, you can also transfer WhatsApp chats from Android to iPhone and vice-versa via three simple methods. Interestingly, all these methods are inbuilt WhatsApp features. Here we go:

Method 1. Backup WhatsApp using Email (Android/iPhone)

This is arguably the easiest method to transfer WhatsApp data between devices. In this case, you just need to identify the chat to export and then choose the destination emailing app. However, this method doesn’t support batch transfers.

Step 1. Launch the WhatsApp app and then open the chat you wish to export.

Step 2. If you’re using Android, click the Ellipsis button and then tap More. Then choose Export chat. For iPhone users, click the chat name and tap Export chat.

Step 3. Choose Email and then export your chat to a destination address.

Method 2. Backup WhatsApp using Google Drive (Android)

This method is specifically meant for Android users. You can backup and restore WhatsApp chats on Android using Google Drive. This way, you can continue with your old conversations on a new Android phone. Doing that is pretty simple. Follow me:

Step 1. Fire up WhatsApp and then click the Ellipsis button.

Step 2. Click Settings and then tap Chats.

Step 3. Tap Chat backup and then enter your Google Drive address.

Step 4. Click BACK UP to start saving your WhatsApp chats on Google Drive.

Step 5. Uninstall WhatsApp on your old phone and launch it on your new phone. Make sure the Google Drive account is active on the new phone.

Step 6. Finally, use the same login credentials on the new app and tap RESTORE. That’s it!

Method 3. Backup WhatsApp using iCloud (iPhone)

As expected, WhatsApp also allows users to backup and restore chats on iPhone using iCloud. This method is relatively similar to Google Drive on Android. That is, you can restore all conversations on your new iPhone and continue chatting. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Assuming the iCloud Drive is already active on your iPhone, launch WhatsApp and tap Settings.

Step 2. Find Chats and then tap Chat Backup.

Step 3. Now click Back Up Now to save your chats on iCloud.

Step 4. To restore WhatsApp on iPhone, uninstall the app and reinstall it on the new iPhone.

Step 5. Use the same account credentials to set up the WhatsApp account and tap Restore Chat History if prompted.

Part 4: FAQ about Signal data transfer

Q1. What is the Signal app?

Signal is a popular messaging app similar to WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and iMessage. This application is available on Android and iOS operating systems and uses end-to-end encryption to protect messages. For this reason, Signal is widely considered one of the safest messaging apps, even safer than WhatsApp. Give it a try!

Q2. Can I back up and restore WhatsApp from Android to iPhone?

With iPhones becoming more popular these days, you may look to switch from Android to iPhone. But doing that can lose all your app data, including WhatsApp conversations. That’s because WhatsApp Android doesn’t use the same backup destination as WhatsApp iPhone. So, no, you can’t directly backup WhatsApp from Android to iPhone. But with a program like MobileTrans, you can transfer WhatsApp chat from Android to iPhone and restore the chat history.

Q3. How can I hide the “last seen” update on WhatsApp?

Some WhatsApp users don’t want their contacts to monitor their presence on the app. Lucky enough, WhatsApp allows these users to disable the “last seen” update and keep their sessions private. To enable this handy feature, open WhatsApp Settings, click Account and then choose Privacy. Now set the last seen option as Nobody.

Final Words

I hope you can now import WhatsApp chat to Signal quickly and easily. Although both apps don’t have an inbuilt chat import function, you can easily import discussions using Wondershare MobileTrans. And don’t forget to always back up your WhatsApp chats on Google Drive or iCloud to avoid losing your conversations when you purchase a new phone.