WhatsApp’s versatility has made it one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. It supports voice and video calls, voice chats, and messaging and is available on a variety of platforms including Android, iOS, and desktop, making it a wonderful means of communication for different types of people.

However, there may be times when you need to switch from an Android to an iPhone. Unfortunately, backup files of Android version of WhatsApp are not compatible with iOS version of WhatsApp.

But do not worry ! That’s what we’re here for. This tutorial will provide you with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions on how to backup and restore WhatsApp from Google Drive to iPhone.

Backup and restore from Google Drive

The first thing you need to do is backup your WhatsApp data to Google Drive. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it.

Once you are done backing up your WhatsApp data, you can now restore it to any device you want, anytime, including iPhones. However, although restoring WhatsApp from Google Drive to iPhone is possible, it will not be a one-step process.

Problems while restoring Google Drive to iPhone

Before starting the restore process, it is important to learn why transferring backup files from Android to iPhone is such a big deal complicated.

When you change devices, it is normal to want to keep all your old WhatsApp chats during the transition. Even though there are several ways to do this, in the end, you can only backup your Android data to Google Drive.

And although a Google Drive backup is very useful in many ways, including recovering deleted data, using it to restore data to iOS device is not one of them.

Indeed, the iOS version of WhatsApp is only compatible with iCloud, which means that you cannot directly transfer your WhatsApp information stored on Google Drive to your new iPhone.

Having Google Drive installed on your iPhone does not solve this problem either. The encryption protocols used to back up your WhatsApp data are not compatible with iOS. Although your iPhone may recognize the existence of an encrypted file, it will not be able to make sense of it.

So, if you want to restore Google Drive backup data to your iPhone, the first thing you need to do is to restore data to somewhere else first.

Restoring WhatsApp from your Google Drive to your iPhone

Generally, this process has two parts. First, you will need to restore the backup files to a third party. Then we will ask this third party to export the data to our iPhone.

You will need the following for this process:

  • An Android phone with enough space to accommodate your saved WhatsApp data.
  • Your WhatsApp data saved in Google Drive
  • The iPhone or iPad you are going to export the data to.

Keep in mind that you must have WhatsApp installed on both devices for this process to work.

Part 1: Restoring Backup Files to Third-Party Android Device

For the data to be usable by your iOS device, it must be backed up to something other than Google Drive. Therefore, we will restore backup data to Android device first. Follow the steps below.

  1. If WhatsApp is already installed, delete it and reinstall it to delete all existing data on the device.
  2. Before continuing, make sure you are logged into your Google Drive account.
  3. Then open WhatsApp and enter your number. Make sure the number you use to check in to WhatsApp is the same number you used to back up your files to Google Drive.
  4. WhatsApp will automatically detect the backup file in your Google Drive account after the verification process. It will prompt you to restore your information. Click Continue.
  5. Click Allow on all permissions that appear.
  6. WhatsApp automatically chooses the latest backup file in your Google Drive. Confirm that the information is correct, then tap Restore.
  7. Wait for the data to be restored to the device.
  8. Once the messages have been restored, click Next to complete the installation and verification process.

Part 2: Export WhatsApp data from your Android device to your iPhone

The next step is to export the WhatsApp data you have on your third-party Android phone to your iPhone. There are two methods to do this, which I will detail one by one.

Method 1: Exporting WhatsApp data via email

This method is free, and it is also the official method approved by WhatsApp. Unfortunately, it has many limitations.

First of all, you can only export the last 40,000 messages (10,000 if there are media files), one chat at a time. Then the file is not transferred from one application to another. Instead, it turns your chats into documents that you can read through a file reader on your iPhone.

Now follow the steps below:

  1. Open WhatsApp on your Android phone.
  2. Tap on the conversation you want to export.
  3. At the top right of the screen you will see the kebab icon. Tap on it to access the chat settings.
  4. Click on More to expand the options.
  5. Tap on “Export chat” to see all your export options.
  6. Tap on “Gmail” to send the file to an email address.
  7. Enter the e-mail address to which you wish to receive the file, then click on Send.
  8. Open the email on your iPhone and download the file. Now you can read your previous conversations as a text document at your convenience.

Method 2: Exporting WhatsApp information via a third-party application

Using a third-party application, such as MobileTrans or iTransor for WhatsApp is a convenient way and quick to export WhatsApp data from Google Drive to iPhone.

If you transfer your data using these apps, it will be readable by the WhatsApp app on your iPhone, and you can interact with chats as usual. Both options I mentioned have free versions, but keep in mind that the free versions are limited.

Conclusion

And that’s it, it’s done! Now you know how to restore WhatsApp from Google Drive to iPhone, albeit indirectly.

Again, to transfer your backup data from Google Drive to iPhone, you must first download the data to an Android device and then have that device export it to your new iPhone.

This process can be quite cumbersome, but fortunately we have third-party applications, such as iTransor for WhatsApp and MobileTrans, to facilitate this process.

FAQ

Can iPhone restore WhatsApp from Google Drive?

iPhone can restore WhatsApp from Google Drive if you use email export method or third-party apps to convert the backup file. However, this is not a simple procedure.

How can I transfer my WhatsApp backup from Android to iPhone for free?

You can transfer your WhatsApp backup from Android to iPhone for free using the Export Chat feature in Settings. Go to Settings > Export Chat, choose your email provider, and type in the email address. On iPhone, open the email containing the exported file and transfer the WhatsApp backup.