Telegram lures away WhatsApp users with new chat migration tool
What's the story
Telegram is trying its best to capture users moving away from WhatsApp. Its latest effort involves a tool letting users import chats from WhatsApp, among other messaging services.
The new feature was accidentally released earlier today on the Apple App Store in the version 7.4 update. However, Telegram overrode it with a subsequent update removing all mention to the chat migration tool shortly thereafter.
Moving memories
Telegram's chat migration tool actually works
The feature was released inadvertently, indicating Telegram definitely has it in the pipeline pending public announcement.
This also wasn't a mere case of an update documentation oversight. The feature seems to be working since the good folks at 9to5Mac managed to try the feature out before it was pulled.
The tool allows importing chats from WhatsApp, Line, Kakao Talk, and potentially more unspecified apps.
Chat exodus
How to migrate chats from WhatsApp to Telegram
Migrating chats from WhatsApp is fairly straightforward. Open the chat to be exported and tap the menu button on the top right-hand side.
Select the "Export Chat" option from the "More" menu. You can now export the generated ZIP archive to Telegram using the iOS Share Sheet.
Telegram will ask you to associate the user or a group to the imported chats.
Strategic move
Breaking the hurdle preventing users from switching away from WhatsApp
Users' sizeable chat archives are one of the major factors preventing them from migrating to other messaging services. Telegram's tool to make this process easy is a genius move meant to incentivize disaffected WhatsApp users to consider switching over.
WhatsApp's much-reviled privacy policy update forced has prompted a large number of users to move away from the service. Telegram's migration tool makes that easier.
Luring away
Signal and Telegram: Courting ex-WhatsAppers one update at a time
Telegram isn't the only one courting ex-WhatsAppers with the lure of fancy features and updates. Signal had recently added a flurry of new and rather uncharacteristic features meant to make the service more accessible to WhatsApp users.
The non-profit messaging platform recently recorded more than 9000% growth in new user registrations following the WhatsApp privacy controversy and also an endorsement by Elon Musk.