Switching between iPhones and Android phones has never been easier, with both operating systems offering tools to move your apps and as much data as you can between devices. Now, Google just made the switch even more painless as it now lets you transfer WhatsApp chats between iPhones and Pixels with a new update.
Despite SMS and iMessage’s popularity in the U.S., WhatsApp remains a widely used messaging app in every other country. While the service makes moving to new phones in the same ecosystem seamless, it’s often been impossible to switch between devices running on different operating systems. A switch between an iPhone 8 to an iPhone 13 might work fine, but trying to move your WhatsApp account to a Pixel 6 would mean leaving all your messages behind.
Now, Google has worked with WhatsApp to make it possible to transfer chats between iPhones and Androids phones. All users need is a USB-C-to-Lightning cable and both phones on hand to initiate the process. It’s not yet able to transfer your messages from an Android phone to a new iPhone just yet, but we expect that’ll be coming soon.
Google announced the update this week, alongside a new Android 12 feature that will help you bring your SMS and iMessage history to your new Pixel, as well as automatically install all of your iOS apps with their Google Play counterparts. The feature first debuted with Samsung phones alongside the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 and is now available on all Pixels. Google says that phones launching with Android 12 will have the feature too and other Android phone makers can choose to implement it on their pre-Android 12 devices if they want.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.