WhatsApp was built without any sort of cross-platform support in mind, unlike most other instant messaging services. Facebook is now working to fix that and new information reveals what can be expected.

WhatsApp chats could soon sync across iOS and Android

As first reported in late July, WhatsApp engineers are actively developing a feature that will eventually allow people to simultaneously use the Facebook-owned messaging service across up to four devices.

To make that feature possible, WABetaInfo has now revealed that a cross-platform chat synchronization feature is being worked on. It relies on a Wi-Fi connection to safely decrypt and copy all existing conversations over to the new device.

That means Android users will eventually be able to transfer their chats over to an iOS device and vice versa, something that isn’t possible at the moment. If somebody switches operating systems today, all conversations are lost.

To ensure everything works securely, the encryption key will be changed every time a device is added or removed and all active conversations are notified if Security Notifications are activated in WhatsApp settings.

Additionally, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a dedicated iPad app that will be launched when the cross-platform feature is introduced. That way, iPhone and Android smartphones owners will be able to access their chats on an iPad for the first time.