Warning: Don't use SmartSwitch to migrate WhatsApp

[Members_KAc7TOB]

I've lost a bunch of messages and photos due to how #SmartSwitch transfers WhatsApp between phones

When I used SmartSwitch to migrate between S22+ and S23+, WhatApp seemed to not only migrate fine, but also was automatically registered on my new phone. But then the problems started

• While using the S23+ as my primary phone, I kept my S22+ on for a few days as I discovered things that didn't migrate (eg Google Authenticator codes). Weirdly, some Whatsapps would go the S23+, some to the S22+. Any that went through to my S22+, I've effectively lost forever because there is no way to transfer them.
• Almost a week after getting the S23+, scrolling through chat history, I could see images and videos that people had send to me, but any image that I had sent was blurred out. When I clicked on it, I got an error "Sorry, this media does not exist on your local storage". So all media I had sent has been lost.

I contacted Samsung support and they were not helpful.

Eventually, I took the decision to restore from Google Drive Backup. But this means I've lost a week of data that I'll never get back.

What's most frustrating is that on SmartSwitch for Windows, Samsung warns that migration should be done with the Google Drive Backup, not SmartSwitch. So they knew SmartSwitch would not work, yet allowed SmartSwitch to migrate some WhatsApp data, make it look like it's worked, only to force a loss of data later. Whoever thought that was a good idea? I expect better from you Samsung.

[Daviek28]

Should always back what's app up as smart switch doesn't copy your chats

[Glenntech]

You need to go into WhatsApp settings and back up your chats.
On the new phone you restore from WhatsApp backup.
Chats are not going to be transferred via Smartswitch as they are encrypted
This is nothing that Samsung Support can do anything about

[PaulC59]

I backed up my S22 via Samsung first, transferred to S23 via smart switch after that I restored backup I did earlier onto my S23 and got everything bar a few shortcuts and a couple of apps restored, I think WhatsApp restores its own backup too but you have to make sure it's set up to do so in settings, however WhatsApp will only install its own backup after a new app installation, I don't think you can do it once it's been set up. Hope this helps

[davehorne]

Without reading the entire post, I'll comment anyway.   

I always make it a point to backup WhatsApp within WhatsApp before transferring information to a new phone. 

I remember once having several days worth of messages simply vanish. 

It's not intuitive, but to backup WhatsApp you click on the three dots, Settings, and then Chats / backup.  

[ᴶᵒʰⁿⁿʸ-ᴮᵒʸᶻ]

Make sure yiubhave checked back up videos as well of you want those as well or once swapped you won't bow able to view them.