The tool could help deal with an influx of WhatsApp converts.
Telegram is still dealing with a influx of WhatsApp users upset over a new privacy policy, and it’s making sure those converts will feel more at home. WABetaInfo has noticed that the latest version of Telegram for iOS (Android users had to wait as of this writing — see update below) adds a tool to import your chat history from rival messaging apps, including WhatsApp as well as Line and KakaoTalk.
You just have to export a conversation from WhatsApp, choose Telegram from the iOS share sheet and choose where to import the messages.
The import includes media if you chose to save that content, and any converted messages are labeled as “imported.”
The addition comes just a couple of weeks after WhatsApp unveiled a surprise policy change that let the service share info with parent company Facebook. WhatsApp rushed to reassure users that Facebook wouldn’t read their messages, but by that point the damage was already done. Millions of WhatsApp users left for rival services, including Telegram and Signal.
Update 1:28PM ET: After publication, Telegram posted the full details of moving chat history from WhatsApp and other apps. It’s available for both iOS and Android, so this post has been edited to reflect this information.
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