Actually WhatsApp has already solved this problem. With the help of the Change Number feature inside it, you can run your old account on a new number without creating a new account. In this way your chat history and group data are absolutely safe and everything works as before.

The process of changing the number is quite easy. First of all open WhatsApp in your smartphone and go to the setting menu. Clicking on the three dots on the top right in Android phones will show the option of setting, while in the iPhone this option is on the right to the right. Now open the account section and tap on the Change Number present there. After this, according to the instructions given on the screen, first enter your old number and then a new number. An OTP will come on the new number on moving forward. As soon as you enter OTP, your account will be activated with the new number.

However, it is important to take care of some things before changing the number. Make sure that calls and SMS are being received on your new number so that OTP verification does not face problems. Also, you should have access to the old number. Another thing to note is that the option to change the number is available only on the smartphone, you can neither do it from WhatsApp web nor from the desktop app.

With the help of this feature, your WhatsApp account is not deleted, but the same account starts running on the new number. Not only this, your contacts also get notifications automatically that you have changed the number. That is, on changing the number, the tension of losing the chat and the process of conversation will continue as before.

Now let’s talk about safety. When you enter a new number, OTP verification is mandatory on it. This means that only the person who has access to the new SIM card can change the number. For this reason, the risk of hacking or unauthorized access is almost negligible. Not only this, after changing the number, all your contacts get notifications that you have started using a new number. This does not cause confusion and people are easily connected to you.

Overall, it is completely safe to run the old WhatsApp on the new number provided you do it with official settings. This not only saves your data but also gives your contacts information about your new number. That is, if done correctly, then this feature is beneficial.