Telegram users will now be able to import their chat history from Whatsapp, the company announced yesterday. In a blog post on their website, Telegram said that videos and documents can be included in the export for both groups and individual chats.
The function was already available for iOS users, but now the company has also made it possible for Android users to import their chats from Whatsapp.
To move your chats from iOS, open the Contact info or Group info page in Whatsapp, tap Export Chat and select Telegram from the Share menu.
Read: Telegram Users Spike Following Whatsapp Data Sharing Update
For Android users, open a Whatsapp chat, tap the three dots on the top right-hand side, tap More and then Export Chat, then select Telegram from the Share Menu.
Telegram also said that messages will be imported into the current day on, but will include their original timestamps.
The messaging app also said that users can also save up on space.
“The best part is that the messages and media you move don’t need to occupy extra space. Older apps make you store all data on your device – but Telegram can take up virtually no space while letting you access all your messages, photos and videos anytime you need them.”
Read also: Telegram Launches Video Calls on Android and iOS
Telegram has seen a surge in users following Whatsapp’s intended privacy update on March 15,2021. Telegram has grown by at least 100 million users in January alone.
The messaging app also reassured users of their safety, saying that messages can be deleted on both sides forever. Unlike Whatsapp where deleting messages is up to the particular user, Telegram allows you to delete messages in a chat or Group and leave no digital footprint.
“Your data is your business, which is why Telegram users can not only export their chats, but also delete messages they send and receive for both sides – without a trace.” the blog post read.
Read also: A Petitioner in India Challenges Whatsapp’s New Terms at the High Court
“With this update, you get even more control: secret chats, groups you created and call history can now also be deleted for all sides at any time.” The blog further read.
“Telegram servers don’t store information about deleted chats and call logs, so the data will disappear completely, forever”
More Kenyans seem to have joined Telegram, but the mass exodus from Whatsapp being experienced globally does not seem to have caught up yet.
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