How to Re-link WhatsApp Web/Desktop After Moving to iPhone 18

If WhatsApp Web or Desktop is signed out after you move to a new iPhone, link it again from the phone that now has the active WhatsApp account. Treat this as a companion-device setup task, not as evidence that your chats were lost.

Link the computer again

Make sure the new iPhone can open WhatsApp and show the expected chats first.
Open WhatsApp Web or Desktop on the computer and choose its option to link a device.
On the iPhone, open WhatsApp settings and use the Linked Devices area to scan the QR code shown by the computer.
Wait for the current chats to load, then verify a recent and an older conversation.

Review account safety

Use the Linked Devices list to remove sessions you do not recognize. If the computer will not link, confirm that the new phone has completed number verification and that you are not switching between different WhatsApp accounts. Do not hand a linking QR code to another person, because it can grant access to the account session.

If you want a separate computer-based WhatsApp transfer or backup workflow, Dr.Fone - WhatsApp Transfer provides a dedicated option for WhatsApp data.