WhatsApp is one of the leading chat apps available. What makes it popular is its user-friendly structure and its ability to work in all conditions. Even if you have a weak internet connection, WhatsApp will work like a charm. Moreover, when an account is created on WhatsApp using a mobile number, it will work smoothly. But many WhatsApp users wonder what happens to WhatsApp when they change their phone.
We gave the same answer in this article.
The query is not as simple as it seems. There are different situations according to the SIM card and the phone. We divided the post into four sections on how each status affects WhatsApp. These include removing the SIM card, new SIM in the same phone, old SIM in a different phone, and new SIM in a new phone. We also covered what happens to WhatsApp when you format your phone.
Let’s get started and see the results of switching phones on WhatsApp.
What Happens to WhatsApp When You Remove the SIM Card?
Removing the SIM card to troubleshoot your phone or for any other purpose will not affect the existing WhatsApp account on your phone. Provided you have a working Wi-Fi connection, you can still use WhatsApp even if your phone does not have a SIM card.
Pro Tip: Learn what eSIM is and how it works.
What Happens To WhatsApp When You Change SIM Card On The Same Phone?
If you buy a new SIM card that you want to use on your existing Android or iPhone, it will not affect your existing WhatsApp account. You can continue to use WhatsApp registered with your old number.
Two things need attention. If the transition is temporary, that is, if you are going to use your old SIM card again after a while, there is no problem using WhatsApp with the old number. But if you are planning to dispose of your old number, it is highly recommended to register your WhatsApp with the new number. This is because the cell phone company recycles your old number and gives it to someone else. If that person creates a WhatsApp account with the number, you will lose your WhatsApp account as there is no way to verify it.
You don’t need to delete or uninstall WhatsApp to sign up with your new number. You can use the Change number feature of WhatsApp to switch without any hassle. This feature is found in WhatsApp Settings > Account > Change number.
All your chats and groups remain untouched using the change number feature. However, you will need to notify others that you have changed your number to receive messages about the new number. Fortunately, your number is automatically changed in your groups. So you don’t have to ask the group admin to add you again. Learn in detail how to change WhatsApp number and what happens when the number is changed.
What Happens To WhatsApp When You Use Old SIM On Different Phone?
As mentioned earlier, when you register WhatsApp using a SIM card, your WhatsApp account has little to do with the SIM. So if you have two mobile phones, you can switch SIM cards between them. For example, if you have the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Pixel 4 with SIM 1 and SIM 2, you can register the WhatsApp account using SIM 2 on the Note 20 even if it is kept on the Pixel 4.
Another scenario occurs if you buy a new phone and use the existing WhatsApp account on a new phone using the old number. In this case, you need to transfer your chat history to the new phone. Fortunately, this is pretty easy as long as you’re on the same platform.
If you switch from an old Android phone to a new Android phone, you need to enable the Google Drive Backup feature of WhatsApp. That way, you can easily migrate your chats, provided you use the same Google account and number on both phones. To enable Google Drive backup, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup. Tap on Back up to Google Drive and select Backup Only when I tap. Then go back and tap on Backup.
Sign up with the same number on the new phone. You will be asked if you want to restore the Google Drive backup. Approve.
Pro Tip: Learn how to restore WhatsApp messages without Google Drive backup.
Similarly, when switching from an old iPhone to a new iPhone, you need to use iCloud backup function in iPhone Settings. To enable it, go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up Now. Make sure your iCloud account is signed in on your phone.
Note: Your WhatsApp will stop working on the old phone when you save it on the new phone.
Unfortunately, if you switch from Android to iPhone or vice versa, there is no easy or direct way to transfer chats. You will need help from third-party apps, most of which are paid.
What Happens To WhatsApp When You Use New SIM On Different Phone?
If you want to use a new SIM on a different phone, you can start over and sign up with a new WhatsApp account.
But if you want to keep your current chat history intact, you will first need to back up using Google Drive or iCloud and your old number as mentioned above. When your chats are on the new phone, you should use the Change number feature of WhatsApp to switch the number to the new SIM card.
What Happens to WhatsApp When You Format the Phone?
Formatting your phone deletes all files on your phone and is difficult to recover if you haven’t created a backup for them. So if you format your Android or iPhone you will lose your WhatsApp chat history. But if you have enabled Google Drive backup (Android) or iCloud backup (iPhone), you can easily get chat history using them after formatting your phone.
Use WhatsApp on Different Devices
As long as you’re on the same platform, changing the phone won’t affect WhatsApp much. We hope that WhatsApp will offer a better way to switch from iPhone to Android and vice versa. WhatsApp is also working on multi-device support. It will be easier to use WhatsApp this way.
Next: Thinking of uninstalling WhatsApp from your phone? Find out what happens when you remove WhatsApp from your phone from the next link.
