WhatsApp had to postpone its controversial privacy policy update after facing a backlash from its users. Due to this situation, several WhatsApp users have been switching to Signal and Telegram. To help ensure a seamless transition, developers at Telegram have created a new chat import tool that lets you import chats from WhatsApp to Telegram.
Note: While this guide focuses on importing WhatsApp chats to Telegram, you can use Telegram’s import tool to import chats from other messaging apps like Line and KakaoTalk too.
Note: Conversations can only be imported one after the other and not in batch. You’ll have to move over individual chats from WhatsApp to Telegram.
Export WhatsApp Chats to Telegram
1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the chat you want to export.
2. Head into the contact info menu and select “Export chat”.
3. You’ll now see an option to “Attach Media” or “Without Media”.
4. Choose your preferred option.
5. Now choose Telegram from the sharing menu and select the contact you want to assign the imported chat to.
6. You’ll now see a prompt to import messages. Select “Import” and it will begin.
Export Group Chats from WhatsApp to Telegram
Coming to group chats, this is where the import tool can really help you. It automatically organizes and assigns the messages to contacts that are already in the Telegram group. If there’s a message from a person who’s not part of the Telegram group, Telegram will show the message with the phone number of the person. Here’s how you can import group chats to Telegram.
1. Open the group you want to import messages from and choose More -> Export chat from the vertical three dots menu in the top right corner. Just like personal chats, you can choose to import with or without media from a group.
2. Choose Telegram from the share sheet that pops up now. You can now pick where you want to import messages and tap on the Import button. Alternatively, you can create a new group for importing messages using the ‘Create a New Group to Import’ option.
3. Once the import process is complete, you’ll see a confirmation. After that, you can go through all the messages and media from the WhatsApp group (except WhatsApp stickers and documents) on Telegram.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I move all messages from WhatsApp to Telegram?
Yes, it is possible to move all WhatsApp messages to Telegram using Telegram’s new chat import tool. You will, however, have to manually export chats from individual personal chats and groups.
2. What kind of messages can you move to Telegram?
You can move text messages, emojis, images, GIFs, videos, voice notes, and location. The chat migration tool doesn’t support importing WhatsApp’s stickers, animated stickers, and documents. There’s partial support for contacts – you can view the phone number, but you can’t directly add it to the contact list.
3. Can you import messages to a different person’s chat?
You can technically import WhatsApp messages to a different person’s chat on Telegram. However, we won’t recommend doing that since it will create unwanted confusion for both you and the recipient.
4. Can I use this tool to import messages from other messaging apps?
Yes, you can. Apart from WhatsApp, Telegram has officially confirmed that the migration tool works with Line and KakaoTalk.
Move WhatsApp Chats to Telegram
While Signal has been working on expanding its infrastructure and bringing popular WhatsApp features, Telegram has added this neat import tool to help users make a smooth transition.