Guide · WhatsApp Business app · For the owner changing phones or numbers

New phone, new number or a lost phone: keeping your WhatsApp Business app chats, from WhatsApp's own Help Center

The phone that holds your business number breaks, gets replaced, or goes missing, or the business moves to a new number. WhatsApp's Help Center explains what it can and cannot do for your chats, that chat transfer, which a personal account can use, is not available on the WhatsApp Business app, the restore mistakes that lose chats for good, the order to follow when you change number, and what to do first when the phone is lost or stolen. Here is what those pages say.

Published 13 October 2026

WhatsApp cannot restore your chats for you

WhatsApp says it cannot restore your chats for you, because your chat history is not stored on its servers. To restore a backup you need the same phone number and the same cloud storage account that made it, and WhatsApp recommends making a backup before you uninstall WhatsApp or move to a new device.

The restore page goes further: WhatsApp says it cannot restore, transfer or delete your chats, contacts or media files for you.

The Business app cannot use chat transfer

WhatsApp offers a Chat Transfer feature that moves chat history straight from an old phone to a new one, and separate routes from Android to iPhone (with Apple's Move to iOS app) and from iPhone to Android. Each of those pages carries the same exception:

Android to Android, or iPhone to iPhone: WhatsApp says it is currently not possible to transfer chats on the WhatsApp Business app.
Android to iPhone: It is currently not possible to transfer chats from an Android device to an iPhone on the WhatsApp Business app. WhatsApp's troubleshooting page adds that you cannot move chats to or from the WhatsApp Business app using this feature.
iPhone to Android: It is currently not possible to transfer chats from an iPhone to an Android device on the WhatsApp Business app.

WhatsApp's restore page also says a backup made on Android cannot be restored on an iPhone, and a backup made on an iPhone cannot be restored on Android.

Our reading: plan on a backup

For a business number on the WhatsApp Business app, a backup is the route these pages leave open, since the backup and restore pages carry no Business app exception, and only between two phones of the same type. A separate account-transfer page (scan a QR code with both phones present) says nothing either way about the Business app, so we would not count on it. Between Android and iPhone, none of these pages describes a way to bring Business app chat history across.

Where a backup can go

On Android: WhatsApp cloud storage, or your Google Account. You can switch the backup provider at any time from Settings, then Chats, then Chat backup.
On iPhone: WhatsApp cloud storage, or iCloud. WhatsApp says that if you choose WhatsApp cloud storage, you cannot also create an iCloud backup.
WhatsApp cloud storage: WhatsApp calls it a new feature it is building and testing, and says it may not be available to you yet. It recommends keeping WhatsApp updated so you get it when it is.
How often: Automatic backups can run daily, weekly or monthly, and you can also back up at any time by tapping Back up (Back up now on iPhone) in Chat backup.
What goes in: Videos are backed up only if Include videos in chats is on, and archived status photos and videos only if the status archive switch is on. On Android, Back up using cellular lets a backup run when you are not on Wi-Fi.

Before backing up, WhatsApp says you need enough space on the phone for the backup and a strong, stable internet connection. For a Google Account backup, you also need a Google Account on the phone, Google Play services and enough space in that Google Account.

Encrypted backups and the key you must not lose

WhatsApp says a backup in WhatsApp cloud storage is always end-to-end encrypted, so no one, not even WhatsApp or Meta, can access it. A Google Account backup (Android) or iCloud backup (iPhone) can be end-to-end encrypted too, if you turn that on in Chat backup. Either way, the backup is locked with one of three things: a passkey, a password you create, or a 64-digit encryption key that WhatsApp generates.

WhatsApp's warning

If you lose access to your WhatsApp account and forget your password or encryption key, you cannot restore your backup. WhatsApp says it cannot send you a copy, reset it, or restore your backup for you.

Storage at no charge: WhatsApp says every WhatsApp user gets 2 GB of WhatsApp cloud storage at no charge. More space needs a paid subscription.
At the limit: WhatsApp notifies you as you approach the limit. New automatic backups then pause until you make room or upgrade, and your most recent backup stays available to restore.
One number only: Backups from more than one phone number cannot be stored in WhatsApp cloud storage.
Deleting the account: If you delete your WhatsApp account, the backup in WhatsApp cloud storage is deleted too.
What WhatsApp collects: Whichever provider you use, WhatsApp says it collects your backup size and technical information such as troubleshooting data, storage metrics and system events.

Our reading: write down who holds the key

For a business number, decide who holds the backup password or key, and keep it somewhere the business controls, not only in one employee's head or on the phone being replaced.

Restore traps that lose chats for good

To restore, WhatsApp says you uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp and tap Restore when prompted (Restore Chat History on iPhone). You can check that a backup exists first: in Settings, tap Chats, then Chat Backup, and you see the time and size of your last backup. The restore page then lists what goes wrong:

Do not tap Skip: If you skip the restore and another backup runs, the old backup is replaced with only the chats received since skipping. WhatsApp says your old chat history cannot be recovered.
One backup only: You can only store one backup per account. Each new backup replaces the old one, so older backups cannot be restored. Do not create a new backup while you are trying to restore an older one.
120 days: If your most recent backup is more than 120 days old, restoring it may not be possible, even if your account is still active.
Space on the phone: The phone needs more space than the backup you want to restore. WhatsApp says a partial backup can occur if the phone does not have enough storage.
After the last backup: Messages sent and received after the latest backup cannot be restored.
Same number: The phone number used to back up and the one used to restore must be the same.

If chats are already missing

WhatsApp says not to create a new backup, delete your existing backup or factory reset the phone while you are trying to recover chats that are already missing, because a new backup permanently replaces the one that holds them.

Same number, new phone

To keep your number on a new phone, WhatsApp says you install WhatsApp on the new phone and register the same number. As soon as re-registration is complete, the old phone is logged out. On Android, WhatsApp asks you to check the old phone for a 6-digit code and enter it on the new one, and you may get a notification on the old phone asking you to confirm the move. If two-step verification is on, you complete that step too.

Sometimes WhatsApp makes you wait for the verification code while it checks the account is secure, and it says it cannot speed up that wait.

Before you give the old phone away

WhatsApp says to wipe all your data from the old phone before you give it away or return it, including any SD card, so your chat history does not fall into someone else's hands.

Changing number: the order matters

WhatsApp says you change number from the primary phone: in Settings, tap Account, then Change number, then Next, and enter the old number and the new number in full international format. You cannot change number on WhatsApp Web or desktop. The new number must be able to receive a text or a call, and the old number must be the one currently registered.

New number and new phone: Change the number on the old phone first, then make a backup with the new number, then install WhatsApp on the new phone, register the new number and restore. WhatsApp says that if you register a new number on a new phone without first changing number on the old one, you lose your chat history.
Old backups stop working: Cloud backups are linked to the number used when they were made, so backups made with the old number can no longer restore your data. WhatsApp strongly recommends a new backup straight after the change.
Landlines: WhatsApp says landlines are only accepted on the WhatsApp Business app.
No undo: If you change your number by mistake, WhatsApp says there is no way to revert the change.

What moves with the number, and who to tell

When you change number, WhatsApp moves your account information and settings to the new number: profile photo, username, display name, privacy settings, WhatsApp contacts, individual chats and group chats. It deletes the account on the old number, so contacts no longer see the old number in their WhatsApp contact lists.

Group chats: Your group chats are notified when you change number, whether or not you choose to notify your contacts. Notify contacts lets you tell all contacts, only the ones you have chats with, or a custom list.
Broadcast lists: Only recipients who have saved your new number in their phone's contacts receive your broadcast messages. WhatsApp recommends telling them before you change.
Blocked contacts: Blocked contacts stay blocked and are not told your new number.

Our reading: tell customers first

For a business, the broadcast rule is the one that costs sales. Before the change, ask customers who receive your broadcasts to save the new number, because WhatsApp says the others will not receive them.

If the phone is lost or stolen

WhatsApp's recovery steps start with your mobile provider, not with WhatsApp:

1. Block the SIM: Call your mobile provider as soon as possible and ask them to block the SIM card.
2. Same number, new SIM: Ask for a new SIM card with the same phone number, activate it and put it in a phone.
3. Re-register: Open WhatsApp and register the number again. WhatsApp says the lost or stolen phone is then logged out of your account automatically.

WhatsApp says an account cannot be recovered without a SIM card with the same phone number. It cannot deactivate your account for you, because it has no way to verify that you own the number. It cannot help you locate the phone, remote deactivation from another device is not possible, and you cannot log out of the account from WhatsApp Web or desktop. If you backed up to a Google Account (Android) or iCloud (iPhone), WhatsApp says you might be able to restore your chat history.

Lost the SIM and moved to a new number?

WhatsApp says you might stay logged in for a short time on a new SIM, but you must use Change number to move the account to the new number. If you do not, and you lose access to the old SIM or number, you permanently lose access to that WhatsApp account.

After re-registering, WhatsApp recommends turning on its security features and reviewing the devices linked to the account. How those protect a business number is in our guide to the two-step password, passkeys and linked-device warnings.

When Change number will not work

WhatsApp's troubleshooting page lists what to check:

Old number registered: The old number you enter must be the one currently registered. Check it in WhatsApp Settings by tapping your profile photo, and register it first if it is not.
A banned number: A banned number sees a message offering a review, saying most reviews are completed within 24 hours. Tap Request review if you think the ban is a mistake; no review option means the ban is final.
The SIM: You need an active, working SIM card for the new number, and a strong, stable cellular connection.
Storage: The phone needs enough internal storage.
Number type: WhatsApp lists number types it does not register, among them VoIP numbers, paid premium numbers, universal access numbers (UAN) and what it calls personal numbers. Landlines are accepted only on the WhatsApp Business app.
Primary phone: Change number is greyed out on a linked or companion device. You can only change number on the primary phone.
Already registered: If the new number is already registered on WhatsApp, the previous owner of that number may have used WhatsApp. WhatsApp calls these recycled numbers.

A team that answers from linked devices should know that only the primary phone can change number; how linked devices work on the Business app is in our guide to a team on one WhatsApp Business app number. For a ban on a Business app number, see our guide to getting help for your business number.

What to settle in your business

Our reading, for the owner

These steps follow from WhatsApp's pages above. They are our suggestions, not WhatsApp's rules.

Turn backups on now: Check Chat backup on the business phone today: when the last backup ran, how often it runs, and whether videos are included. A backup more than 120 days old may not restore.
Keep the key with the business: If the backup is end-to-end encrypted, store the password or key where the business can reach it. If you lose access to the account and forget it, WhatsApp says it cannot reset it for you.
Change number on the old phone: If the business is moving to a new number, change number on the old phone before anything else, then back up with the new number.
Know the SIM owner: Know whose name the business SIM is registered in with the mobile provider, since recovering a lost phone starts with a replacement SIM on the same number.

Moving a personal WhatsApp number onto the Business app, rather than changing phones, is a different process; it is in our guide to moving your number to the WhatsApp Business app and back.

Questions

Can WhatsApp get our old chats back?

No. WhatsApp says it cannot restore your chats for you, because chat history is not stored on its servers. To restore from a backup, WhatsApp says you need the same phone number and cloud storage account that made it.

Can we move Business app chats from the old phone to the new one directly?

Not with chat transfer. WhatsApp says it is currently not possible to transfer chats on the WhatsApp Business app, whether between two Android phones, two iPhones, or Android and iPhone. Use a backup on the old phone and restore it on the new one of the same type.

We are getting a new number and a new phone. What comes first?

Change number on the old phone first, then back up with the new number, then set up the new phone and restore. Registering the new number on the new phone first loses your chat history.

Can WhatsApp switch off our account on a stolen phone?

No. WhatsApp says it cannot deactivate the account for you and remote deactivation is not possible. Get a new SIM with the same number from your mobile provider and register it again; that logs the stolen phone out.

Who is BitByteCore?

BitByteCore is a verified Meta Tech Provider (since 9 September 2026). This guide repeats WhatsApp's own Help Center steps; the backups, restores and number changes it describes are done in the WhatsApp Business app on your own phone.

Sources

WhatsApp Help Center: Back Up or Restore Your Chats, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to back up your chat history (Android and iPhone), read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to use WhatsApp cloud storage, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About end-to-end encrypted backup, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to restore your chat history, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to transfer your chat history, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to move chats from an Android device to an iPhone, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to move chats from an iPhone to an Android device, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: Can't move chats from an Android device to an iPhone, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About changing phones, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to transfer your WhatsApp account to a new phone, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to change your phone number, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: About changing phone numbers, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: Can't change phone number, read 13 October 2026.
WhatsApp Help Center: How to recover a WhatsApp account from a lost or stolen device, read 13 October 2026.

This guide describes WhatsApp's pages as we read them. More plain-language notes like this one are on the guides page.

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