WhatsApp Android vs WhatsApp iOS — exclusive features compared
Many users of the world’s most popular messaging service, the Meta-owned WhatsApp, might not be aware that there are differences in the feature sets of its Android and iOS mobile apps.
Firstly, the two apps have distinct designs because Android and iOS provide different guidelines for developers that inform the design language, layout, and navigation within the apps.
That ensures they mesh well with the operating system’s look and functionality, making them immediately familiar to users.
But the differences go beyond mere design, as WABetaInfo recently reported.
Its comparison of exclusive features on either smartphone app showed eight features available on iOS that Android users did not have, while Android only had two that iOS did not.
For example, iOS on WhatsApp boasts the ability to preview a chat without sending a read receipt to the sender, even while the user can enable read receipts for their own sent messages.
In addition, iOS users can play a voice note via notifications without triggering a played/read receipt (“blue tick”).
These features might be helpful if you are uncertain whether you want to respond to someone but don’t want to offend by appearing to ignore them.
In addition, iOS users can keep images, videos, and GIFs in their galleries that other people have deleted for everyone.
Conversely, WhatsApp on Android users can send uncompressed photos as documents directly on the app. That avoids degrading the quality, which would be important for content creators and users that want high-fidelity images.
The table below summarises the noteworthy features only available on one version of the app or the other, according to WABetaInfo.
| WhatsApp Android vs WhatsApp iOS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature description | Android | iOS |
| Chat preview without sending read receipts | No | Yes |
| Keep images, videos, GIFs in your gallery that other people deleted for everyone | No | Yes, if enabled (iOS limitation) |
| Blur images using the drawing editor | No | Yes |
| Save media manually | No* | Yes |
| See total unread chat count while in a chat | No | Yes |
| Play voice notes from notifications without triggering played receipts | No | Yes |
| Download images from URLs | No | Yes |
| Cropping videos | No | Yes |
| Send uncompressed photos directly as a document | Yes | No |
| Select all chats in edit mode | Yes | No |
| *Only available to some Android users. | ||
WhatsApp regularly updates its mobile apps, so the list of features on Android or iOS might change to include some of the functions of the other.
Those who cannot wait and feel that one of the features missing on their particular platform is a deal-breaker must take note that migrating their chat history from one OS to another is no simple matter.
If you are an iOS user and like what Android has to offer, you can migrate your chat history to an Android device right now, provided you choose a Samsung or Google Pixel phone for your switch.
Unfortunately, those looking to migrate from Android to iOS will have to wait a bit longer until they can transfer their chat history, as this feature is still under development.
WhatsApp is also working on bringing the chat migration feature to other Android smartphones.
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