Following the infamous WhatsApp privacy policy amendment, many people have done switch from WhatsApp to Telegram. There’s good news for you if you’re one of them. Telegram recently released an upgrade that allows you to import your WhatsApp chat history. So there’s one less thing to worry about if you’ve been considering switching to Telegram. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting you started.
Why Switch to Telegram
We’ve previously discussed the differences between WhatsApp and Signal. But now we are going to discuss the more growing social media platform that is Telegram. Even if we ignore the contentious WhatsApp privacy policy, there are other compelling reasons to switch to Telegram.
Telegram, for example, offered ephemeral messages, numerous group moderators, and public group features long before WhatsApp.
To name a few more, here are some Telegram highlights:
- Personal and group chats are 256-bit encrypted (not end-to-end encrypted)
- There is a 1 GB file transfer limit.
- Bots on Telegram
- Send confidential communications with a self-destructing timer for up to 1 second to 1 week.
- Channels are public groups with a limit of 2,000 members.
- Group and channel members have a variety of permissions and options.
Things to Keep in Mind
As long as each WhatsApp user has a Telegram account, you can switch single and group chats to Telegram and continue the conversation there. If a WhatsApp user does not have a Telegram account, their phone number will appear instead of their name.
You must move each chat separately (per-chat basis). There is currently no method to transfer all of your WhatsApp conversations to Telegram at once.
You can choose to move WhatsApp chat history with or without photographs while moving the chat. By default, all text, links, and emojis are transferred. Media files consume more storage space and bandwidth.
1. Sign Up for Telegram
If you already have the Telegram app on your phone, make sure to check for updates, as this feature was added only a few days ago. This feature is only available on iOS versions 7.4 and up. The Telegram version for Android varies depending on the device, so make sure to check the Play Store for the most recent version.
You must first join up for Telegram if you do not already have it. Also, don’t worry about deleting your WhatsApp account just yet; we’ll take care of it later. Telegram is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, among other platforms. Any of these platforms allow you to sign up and create an account. We recommend sticking to the following because you can only move chat history on Telegram’s mobile app, and you need a mobile number to sign up. You can download Telegram using the below buttons for Android & iOS.
Open the Telegram app once it has been downloaded. An introduction will be on the first page. Please ignore that and proceed to the next screen to enter your phone number. Telegram will email you a one-time passcode to validate your phone number.
You’re ready to import your WhatsApp messages once you’ve done the other formalities, such as providing your first and last names and selecting a unique username.
2a. Move Your Chats From WhatsApp to Telegram on Android
Open WhatsApp and locate the chat you wish to transfer to Telegram, then tap on it to open it. Then, in the top-right of the chat you wish to export, hit the three-dot button and seek the “Export Chat” option, then pick “More.” This will bring up the Android Share Sheet at the bottom of the screen; select Telegram from there.
On your phone, this operation will launch the Telegram app. Choose the conversation into which you wish to import the messages from here. Tap the “Import” button on the pop-up message. When you’re finished, you’ll see a completion prompt. Select “Done” from the drop-down menu. You’ll have to go through the same steps for each chat you want to transfer from WhatsApp to Telegram. A little “Imported” label will appear on all imported messages.
2b. Move Your Chats From WhatsApp to Telegram on iOS
Open the appropriate WhatsApp conversation you’d like to transfer to Telegram and press the group or contact name at the top of the screen to bring up the chat’s details screen. The “Export Chat” option takes you to the iOS Share Sheet, where you can choose Telegram. To import the messages, decide on a Telegram chat.
3. Delete Your WhatsApp Account
After you’ve transferred all of your chats to Telegram, you’ll need to delete your WhatsApp account. To delete your account, open WhatsApp and go to More options > Settings > Account > Delete my account. It’s also worth noting that you can back up your WhatsApp conversations and groups, which is a good idea just in case.
After you’ve transferred all of your chats to Telegram, you’ll need to delete your WhatsApp account. To delete your account, open WhatsApp and go to More options > Settings > Account > Delete my account. It’s also worth noting that you can back up your WhatsApp conversations and groups, which is a good idea just in case.
When you cancel your WhatsApp account, all of your communications are immediately deleted, and you no longer have access to your account. As a result, I propose delaying the deletion of your WhatsApp account until all of your contacts have switched to Telegram.
Closing Words: Switch from WhatsApp to Telegram
Before you say your final goodbyes, here’s a quick guide on how to move your WhatsApp chat history to Telegram. If you still need to persuade your pals to abandon WhatsApp, here’s an excellent post comparing WhatsApp versus Telegram: Which Should You Use? If you want to Switch WhatsApp to Telegram and having any trouble, don’t worry, we are here to help. Contact us via the comments section below are using the contact us page.
