WhatsApp Testing Ability to Transfer Chats Between iOS and Android

[Steve121178]

Still no iPad app.

 

[Joan2787]

Why wait WhatsApp, Dr.Fone, MobileTrans, Wutsapper all work on transferring whatsapp chats between iOS and Android.

​

 

[MacBH928]

People who disagree with comments like this have clearly never traveled before.

WhatsApp is king is a majority of places. I spend a lot of time in guatemala. Nobody uses imessage or SMS. It's all WhatsApp. As soon as you get someone's number, you're communicating throughr WhatsApp.

In the UK, WhatsApp is a monolith. I tried to sway friends and family (A mix of iPhones and Androids, but mostly iPhones) over to Signal but that didn’t last long.

And I want to use iMessage more, but the network effect and pervasiveness of WhatsApp is too compelling for 97% of the population (outside this forum) to be more critical of mass aggregated data collection and targeted advertising.

I hope Apple will make iMessage cross-platform in the future because then I might actually be able to use it meaningfully.

You are correct but the only thing that making people stuck with Whatsapp is that they choose to use it. All they have to do is download Signal fore free and start using it. People choose to suffer seriously.

 

[davcole]

Still no iPad app.

Exactly!

 

[digger10]

The reason why WhatsApp became so popular is in part because it is free, but also because it is so easy to use. You don't need special contact details as it's all done through your telephone number. As soon as someone in your contact list installs it they will show up in your contact list and vice versa. Signal is using the same approach.

I remember using iMessage quite a bit more after it was introduced, but very slowly WhatsApp became the dominant platform in the parts of Europe I know better. I still prefer iMessage, but even with friends and family who have iPhones the default often is WhatsApp because that's what people use. I've been pushing Signal lately because it's also available on Android, where it also works as an SMS app, but it's an uphill battle.

My wife's from Latin America and like I said it's even more extreme there, with WhatsApp often just being the standard.

Frankly, despite the rise of Signal and Telegram, I think it's unlikely that WhatsApp will lose its dominance anytime soon. The US may stick with iMessage and Asia has its own regional messengers, but Facebook/WhatsApp will be difficult to dethrone.

Same is true in large parts of Africa. Businesses, billboards, advertising etc will have WhatsApp contact details highly visible. A lot of phone plans make it more expensive to call/SMS other networks so most will use WhatsApp by default.


I'm in the UK too. Quite recently my elderly technophobe dad broke his iPhone gardening. Normally I'd sort it out for him but due to lockdown I wasn't going to see him for a while. I told him to call the network but he hates phone tech support. Then he remembered he was also covered by some Seniors Barclays account perk so off he went to the local branch - banks being one of the few things open at the time.

Sure enough 48 hrs later they'd sorted a replacement, helped him restore the basics, got his banking apps going (naturally) and WhatsApp. I asked about it. Turns out staff nationwide are instructed to offer help with these two things as a matter of policy. Clearly the UK's largest bank think what its elderly customers want to do most on their phones is banking and WhatsApp. That's pretty much correct in my experience. It's embedded.

 

[d686546s]

Same is true in large parts of Africa. Businesses, billboards, advertising etc will have WhatsApp contact details highly visible. A lot of phone plans make it more expensive to call/SMS other networks so most will use WhatsApp by default.


I'm in the UK too. Quite recently my elderly technophobe dad broke his iPhone gardening. Normally I'd sort it out for him but due to lockdown I wasn't going to see him for a while. I told him to call the network but he hates phone tech support. Then he remembered he was also covered by some Seniors Barclays account perk so off he went to the local branch - banks being one of the few things open at the time.

Sure enough 48 hrs later they'd sorted a replacement, helped him restore the basics, got his banking apps going (naturally) and WhatsApp. I asked about it. Turns out staff nationwide are instructed to offer help with these two things as a matter of policy. Clearly the UK's largest bank think what its elderly customers want to do most on their phones is banking and WhatsApp. That's pretty much correct in my experience. It's embedded.

Yes that sounds about right to me. I'm primarily using iMessage with my mother and one day she suddenly reached out on WhatsApp. I didn't prompt or promote it so I'm pretty sure she installed it because that's just what she happens to use with friends and others in the family.

You are correct but the only thing that making people stuck with Whatsapp is that they choose to use it. All they have to do is download Signal fore free and start using it. People choose to suffer seriously.

Don't get this the wrong way because I personally use iMessage or Signal where I can, but very few people suffer because of WhatsApp. It's a good messenger and in terms of usability Signal is at best equal, although I do think WhatsApp is more polished. It doesn't sync across multiple devices anymore than WhatsApp does, you can't transfer chats between iOS and Android and it's not easier to use. It doesn't offer the ecosystem integration like iMessage (if you're on a Mac) or the versatility of Telegram.

Signal's selling point is privacy and that's why I use it. If you don't care about privacy, and many people don't, there isn't really a strong argument to push people away from WhatsApp, especially if all your friends and family are there.

 

[edgonzalez32]

You are correct but the only thing that making people stuck with Whatsapp is that they choose to use it. All they have to do is download Signal fore free and start using it. People choose to suffer seriously.

Stop with the choosing to suffer crap. It works. We are talking about countries full of people and businesses who have been using whatsapp for years.

I cannot stand this one sided mindset.

 

[edgonzalez32]

That's not true. I have never traveled out of the United States but I know for a fact that is false. If you buy an iPhone lets say in Albert Canada and it's an XR. They have their own cell phone towers to communicate regularly through iMessages. But the only thing that's true on your part is if you bring an iPhone XR from New York to Toronto, then that will be a different story.

Ok. Your second sentence "I have never traveled out of the US" just proved my point even more.

I studied abroad in guatemala and then lived there for 2 years. I studied abroad in italy in as well. Whatsapp is what is used internationally.

Do not tell me that's false when you literally have zero experience around that.

 

[edgonzalez32]

In the UK, WhatsApp is a monolith. I tried to sway friends and family (A mix of iPhones and Androids, but mostly iPhones) over to Signal but that didn’t last long.

And I want to use iMessage more, but the network effect and pervasiveness of WhatsApp is too compelling for 97% of the population (outside this forum) to be more critical of mass aggregated data collection and targeted advertising.

I hope Apple will make iMessage cross-platform in the future because then I might actually be able to use it meaningfully.

I think in the way that imessage is monolith in the US, it would be hard to flip people to whatsapp or any other messaging platform.

I WISH apple would make imessage crossplatform. I would gladly pay 10/month to have it on android.

 

[edgonzalez32]

The only reason why I really care for WhatsApp is because for example, if you have a family member in the UK and your in the US, you don't have to pay to text internationally with WhatsApp. But if iMessages had that feature, iMessages would be better in some ways.

Ok. Well you're not representing people that live in countries where whatsapp has been the standard for years.

 

[edgonzalez32]

That's not true. I have never traveled out of the United States but I know for a fact that is false. If you buy an iPhone lets say in Albert Canada and it's an XR. They have their own cell phone towers to communicate regularly through iMessages. But the only thing that's true on your part is if you bring an iPhone XR from New York to Toronto, then that will be a different story.

Just need to follow up here. But I think it's incredibly important to point out not only how tone-deaf you are, but the ignorance you display with your opinion. Especially when presented with facts from people who actually see something different from what you want to be true.

Honestly completely ****ing ridiculous and just another example of how people like you are annoying as **** in these forums.

 

[MacBH928]

Yes that sounds about right to me. I'm primarily using iMessage with my mother and one day she suddenly reached out on WhatsApp. I didn't prompt or promote it so I'm pretty sure she installed it because that's just what she happens to use with friends and others in the family.



Don't get this the wrong way because I personally use iMessage or Signal where I can, but very few people suffer because of WhatsApp. It's a good messenger and in terms of usability Signal is at best equal, although I do think WhatsApp is more polished. It doesn't sync across multiple devices anymore than WhatsApp does, you can't transfer chats between iOS and Android and it's not easier to use. It doesn't offer the ecosystem integration like iMessage (if you're on a Mac) or the versatility of Telegram.

Signal's selling point is privacy and that's why I use it. If you don't care about privacy, and many people don't, there isn't really a strong argument to push people away from WhatsApp, especially if all your friends and family are there.

It works, but who benefits more? The citizen or Facebook? FB paid like $19B for this and its free for all. Doesn't that make you think a little bit?

Stop with the choosing to suffer crap. It works. We are talking about countries full of people and businesses who have been using whatsapp for years.

I cannot stand this one sided mindset.

To each his own. I would rather live in a society where Facebook does not control the communication infrastructure and expose the privacy of each citizen world wide. Then again, some people have no problem making love,recording it, then publishing it for free online.

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

Just need to follow up here. But I think it's incredibly important to point out not only how tone-deaf you are, but the ignorance you display with your opinion. Especially when presented with facts from people who actually see something different from what you want to be true.

Honestly completely ****ing ridiculous and just another example of how people like you are annoying as **** in these forums.

I’m sorry that I’m annoying to you. If you don’t like my comments put me on ignore. Because I could careless. Better yet, I think your comments are the worst comments. They are very argumentative and rude. And just because we have different opinions doesn't mean you can get bad at people about that. And if you continue to have a problem with it, you can talk to the owner about if we can share our opinion on this forum. Obviously this comment is get a lot of hate so I think I’ll delete it.

 

[d686546s]

It works, but who benefits more? The citizen or Facebook? FB paid like $19B for this and its free for all. Doesn't that make you think a little bit?

I think you missed the part where I said I wasn't really using it and you're slightly moving the goal posts there.

Yes there are very good reasons to use other products but few to none of them have an impact on whether many average users think they "benefit" from the service. My wife uses it every day to communicate extensively with her family an ocean away.

If you were to tell her that she "suffers" because of that she wouldn't have the slightest clue what you're talking about.

 

[edgonzalez32]

I’m sorry that I’m annoying to you. If you don’t like my comments put me on ignore. Because I could careless. Better yet, I think your comments are the worst comments. They are very argumentative and rude. And just because we have different opinions doesn't mean you can get bad at people about that. And if you continue to have a problem with it, you can talk to the owner about if we can share our opinion on this forum. Obviously this comment is get a lot of hate so I think I’ll delete it.

No. Yours are ignorant opinions. I literally lived in guatemala and you even admitted you have never left the US. Yet you're going to tell me what I experienced outside the states is wrong? **** out of here.

You know what man, since this is going to make you feel better, your ignorant ass is right. Keep yourself in your little bubble and keep reading the comment over and over to make yourself feel better about being right.

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

No. Yours are ignorant opinions. I literally lived in guatemala and you even admitted you have never left the US. Yet you're going to tell me what I experienced outside the states is wrong? **** out of here.

You know what man, since this is going to make you feel better, your ignorant ass is right. Keep yourself in your little bubble and keep reading the comment over and over to make yourself feel better about being right.

Okay and? What else do you have?

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

No. Yours are ignorant opinions. I literally lived in guatemala and you even admitted you have never left the US. Yet you're going to tell me what I experienced outside the states is wrong? **** out of here.

You know what man, since this is going to make you feel better, your ignorant ass is right. Keep yourself in your little bubble and keep reading the comment over and over to make yourself feel better about being right.

Because obviously, you have problems.

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

No. Yours are ignorant opinions. I literally lived in guatemala and you even admitted you have never left the US. Yet you're going to tell me what I experienced outside the states is wrong? **** out of here.

You know what man, since this is going to make you feel better, your ignorant ass is right. Keep yourself in your little bubble and keep reading the comment over and over to make yourself feel better about being right.

Oh and last thing. Don’t tell me that I’m ignorant when you are too. I don’t appreciate your rude and offensive comments. And you have only been to Guatemala. That is like 2 experience. I highly doubt you know anything about WhatsApp. So don’t say I’m an ignorant ass when you are the real one.

 

[edgonzalez32]

Oh and last thing. Don’t tell me that I’m ignorant when you are too. I don’t appreciate your rude and offensive comments. And you have only been to Guatemala. That is like 2 experience. I highly doubt you know anything about WhatsApp. So don’t say I’m an ignorant ass when you are the real one.

I studied abroad in italy. And spent a month in the UK. How would I not know anything about WhatsApp when that's the default messaging platform.

But yea, lmao, you're right.

 

[MacBH928]

I think you missed the part where I said I wasn't really using it and you're slightly moving the goal posts there.

Yes there are very good reasons to use other products but few to none of them have an impact on whether many average users think they "benefit" from the service. My wife uses it every day to communicate extensively with her family an ocean away.

If you were to tell her that she "suffers" because of that she wouldn't have the slightest clue what you're talking about.

I didn't criticise the performance or the reliability of the app. I said suffer, because we suffer on the privacy breaching side of things and having a monopoly. If those were not suffering we would not have privacy protecting activist, GDRP, or laws forbidding monopoly.

 

[d686546s]

I didn't criticise the performance or the reliability of the app. I said suffer, because we suffer on the privacy breaching side of things and having a monopoly. If those were not suffering we would not have privacy protecting activist, GDRP, or laws forbidding monopoly.

I know what you meant. What I am trying to say is that you are using language that reaches no one apart from those already on your side.

 

[Kimbie]

I have it on my current android phone as what some of my family use, but we also have our works team chat on there as it was simple, most people had it already, and we can't use teams without enrolling our phones on the words MDM platform.

But moving them over to my new iPhone would be helpful especially the family stuff, though need to talk to our cyber security guy about moving to Signal.