A WhatsApp group allows you to connect with multiple contacts in it; however, when switching your account, you may encounter the frustrating issue of a specific group not showing on your new phone.
If the WhatsApp group is not showing on your new phone, the app might be outdated, or the WhatsApp account needs to be correctly synced. To fix this, back up the chats on the old phone and sync them on the new phone to see the missing group. If this fails to work, update WhatsApp to the latest version on your new phone.
In the article below, we’ll find out why a WhatsApp group is not showing in the Chats list on your new phone and will provide a complete troubleshooting guide to fix this annoying issue.
Why did I lose my WhatsApp groups after changing my phone?
If a WhatsApp group is not showing in the Chats list of your new phone, this could happen due to any of the following reasons:
- WhatsApp Account is not synced correctly on the new phone.
- You have installed WhatsApp on your new phone but have not updated the app to the latest version.
- WhatsApp is removed from the old phone without backing up recent chats.
- Network connection issues.
- You may have accidentally hidden a particular WhatsApp group.
- Contacts on your phone are not set to visible.
How do I restore my WhatsApp groups on my new phone?
For a WhatsApp group not showing on your new phone, here are 6 quick fixes with easy step-by-step instructions.
Sync WhatsApp Account
When switching to a new phone, it is possible that your WhatsApp account is not correctly synced, which might be why a group is not showing. To fix this:
Android:
- Open phone “Settings.”
- Scroll and tap “Accounts.”
- Select “WhatsApp.”
- Select “Account sync.”
- Toggle off “Contact.”
- Toggle on “Contacts” to manually force WhatsApp to sync your chats to your phonebook contacts and show you the missing group.
iPhone:
- Open iPhone “Settings.”
- Scroll and tap “Privacy.”
- Tap “Contacts.”
- Toggle off “WhatsApp.”
- Toggle on “WhatsApp” to force the app to sync to the saved contacts on your iPhone.
Unarchive Specific Group
Another reason a specific WhatsApp group is not showing on the new phone is that you’ve accidentally hidden it.
To fix this, unarchive the WhatsApp group on your Android phone or iPhone with these easy steps:
- Open “WhatsApp.”
- Scroll to the top.
- Tap “Archived.”
- Select the group you’ve archived or hidden accidentally.
- Tap “Unarchive” on the archived group, and it will show in your Chats List.
Backup and Restore WhatsApp Chat
One of many reasons your specific WhatsApp group is not showing on the new phone is that you forgot to back up and restore your chats on the old one.
To fix this, utilize the WhatsApp backup and restore feature to make a particular WhatsApp group show in the Chat list of your new phone. Here are the steps you need to do for this purpose on your Android phone or iPhone.
To backup Chats:
- Open “WhatsApp” on old phone.
- Select “Settings.”
- Go to “Chats” and then select “Chat Backup.”
- Tap “Back Up” / “Backup Now.”
- Wait till the WhatsApp back up all your chats and the uploading process is complete.
NOTE: You can choose to include or exclude videos based on your preference for Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iPhone.
To restore Chats:
- Tap & hold the “WhatsApp” icon on the home screen of your new phone.
- Tap “Uninstall.”
- Open “Play Store” / “App Store.”
- Search and install “WhatsApp.”
- Continue with the app’s setup process by verifying your cellphone number.
- When prompted, tap “Restore” / “Restore Chat History” to retrieve your chats and media from the backup you created earlier on Google Drive or iCloud backup.
- Finally, follow the upcoming prompts to complete the WhatsApp chat and group restoration process.
Now re-open WhatsApp and see if the group that was not showing before appears now!
Check Internet Connectivity
WhatsApp depends on a stable internet connection for correct functioning. Slow internet speed, huge bandwidth utilization, or poor Wi-Fi signal reception can lead to delayed synchronization of WhatsApp groups, and this might be why you are facing this issue.
To troubleshoot network issues:
- Free up bandwidth by disconnecting other devices connected to the same network and closing unnecessary apps on your phone.
- Power cycle your router and reconnect it to the new phone running WhatsApp.
- To fix weak Wi-Fi signal problems, try using your phone near the router.
- Try to switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data on your phone, or try it the other way around.
- Contact your internet service provider to resolve any issues on their end, or consider upgrading to a faster internet service.
If the above steps fail to fix the issue, try resolving internet connectivity problems by resetting network settings on your phone.
Update Whatsapp
You might be using an outdated version of WhatsApp, causing the app to compromise the Chat list and not show a particular group. To quick-fix this problem, update Whatsapp on the new phone in the following way:
Android:
- Open “Play Store.”
- Tap your Profile icon.
- Select “Manage Apps and Devices.”
- Select “Updates Available.”
- Scroll to “WhatsApp.”
- Tap “Update” if available.
TIP: Another quickest way to update WhatsApp is to open Google Play Store or App Store, Search “WhatsApp,” and tap the available “Update” next to it.
iPhone:
- Open “App Store.”
- Tap your Profile.
- Go to “Available Updates.”
- Select “WhatsApp.”
- Select “Update” if available.
After updating, re-open WhatsApp and confirm that a particular group is now showing in the Chat list on your new phone, as newer versions often fix bugs and improve the app’s compatibility with the device.
Conclusion
In this detailed article, we’ve mentioned the reasons for a WhatsApp group not showing on your new phone and also shared a few methods in this guide to fix this frustrating issue with easy step-by-step instructions.
Hopefully, one of the fixes worked, and you can now see the WhatsApp group that was not showing in the Chats list of your new phone before.