Is my whatsapp number the same as my phone number

WhatsApp says that you can migrate all your information, media using the Change Number Feature. This will help you transfer all your information and groups to the number in use.

By India Today Tech: Stressing about changing your number but don’t want to lose your good old WhatsApp chats and media? Don’t worry. Just follow the simple steps given by WhatsApp's FAQ and you are good to go.

WhatsApp says that you can migrate all your information, media using the Change Number Feature. This will help you transfer all your information and groups to the number in use.

Following are the steps you should keep in mind while using the Change Number feature. It is also to be kept in mind that the feature will work only when the user is changing numbers for the same phone.

For android;

It is to be kept in mind that the phone number associated with your WhatsApp account is on the same phone. The Change Number feature in Android is to be used before you verify your own number.

WhatsApp has said that when you use the feature in WhatsApp, it will migrate your account information, groups and settings from your old phone number to your new phone number.

It further said that the account associated with your old phone number will also get deleted so the contacts which you have will no longer see your old phone number in their lists of WhatsApp contacts.

According to WhatsApp, even if you have changed your number, you will still be able to access your chat history as long as you continue using the same phone.

The messaging app also has advised its users to notify the people in their address book that your number has been changed for a seamless experience’

Things to be kept in mind:

You must make sure that you have an active data connection.

For android:

You must also make sure that your phone number is verified. How to verify a phone number? This can be achieved by going to WhatsApp > More options > Settings and tapping on your profile photo.

After you have made sure that the above mentioned things are in place, you can change the number by following these steps:

1. Insert the new SIM card in your same phone.
2. Open WhatsApp
3. Check if your old phone number is verified
4. Go to WhatsApp > more options > settings > account > Change number
5. Enter your old phone number in the top box
6. Enter your new phone number in the bottom box.
7. Tap Next
8. You can choose the contacts which you want to get notified. If you turn on notify contacts, you can choose if you want to notify all contacts, contacts who you have chats with or custom contacts.
9. After choosing the preferred option, click on done.
10. You will be prompted to verify your new number.

For iPhone:

Make sure that you have a good data connection and that your old number is verified. Then follow these steps.

1. Go to Settings > Account. This should be followed by clicking on Change number and then Next.
2. Insert current phone number in the first box in full international format.
3. Insert new phone number in full international format.
4. After clicking on Next, you will get an option to choose if you wants to notify all his contacts or selected contacts.
5. Once this decided, click on Done.
6. Click on yes to confirm the phone number
7. The last step is to verify the new phone number.

Published On:

Feb 18, 2020

• You can change your WhatsApp number if you're using the same phone, or if you got a new phone and still have access to the old one.
• If you no longer have access to your old phone, you'll need to set up an entirely new WhatsApp account. 
• When you change your number, you won't be able to access your account using your old number anymore.
• This story is a part of Insider's Guide to WhatsApp.

Getting a new phone often means transferring over all of your data to the new one. If you have WhatsApp, you'll need to update your phone number so that you can get into your account with your new phone.

Here's what happens when you change your WhatsApp number, and how to do it. 

How to change your phone number on WhatsApp

There are two ways to change your phone number on WhatsApp: from the same phone or from a new phone.

On the same phone 

When you change your phone number in WhatsApp on the same phone, your account will retain all your contacts, profile information, and message history. 

Here's how to do it: 

1. Open WhatsApp.

2. If you have an Android, tap the three-dot icon. (iPhone users can skip to the next step.)

3. Select Settings.

4. Choose Account.

5. Tap Change number. 

6. Hit Next.

7. Add your old phone number to the first field, followed by your new phone number in the next field.

8. Select Next.

9. You can choose if you want all your contacts, only contacts you have chats with, or custom contacts to be notified of your number change. However, WhatsApp will automatically tell your group chats about your new number. 

10. Tap Done.

11. Follow the prompts to register your new phone number.

On a new phone

If you use your new phone to change your WhatsApp number and want to transfer your chat history, you'll have to make a backup in Google Drive or iCloud. Here's how to make a manual backup:

1. Open WhatsApp.

2. If you have an Android, tap the three-dot icon. (iPhone users can skip to the next step.)

3. Go to Settings.

4. Tap Chats.

5. Choose Chat backup.

6. Hit Back Up.

If you still have access to your old phone, you'll need to go through the steps above to change your number on your old phone. Or, if you still have your old phone, you can simply delete your account associated with that number on that phone. 

Then, follow the steps below to set up WhatsApp on your new phone. 

1. Install WhatsApp on your new phone.

2. Register the new phone number you want to be associated with your WhatsApp account.

3. Restore your account backup.

Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.

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