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| Your old Android phone and your new iPhone should stay close together until the transfer finishes |
Switching from an Android phone to an iPhone does not mean leaving your photos, contacts, and messages behind for good.
Apple offers a free app called Move to iOS that moves most of your everyday data during the first setup of your new iPhone, and this guide walks through every step in order.
It also covers what to do when your iPhone is already set up, what does not transfer automatically, and the checks worth making before you erase your old phone.
Before You Start
A smooth transfer starts with a little preparation, because the process runs only while you are setting up a new or freshly erased iPhone for the first time.
If you have already finished setting up your iPhone, you will need to erase it and start again to use Move to iOS, or you can move your content manually instead.
Plug both phones into power before you begin, turn on Wi-Fi on your Android phone, and make sure your new iPhone has enough free storage for everything you want to move.
Check the storage used on your Android phone first, including photos and files stored on a microSD card, because content that does not fit on the iPhone will not transfer completely.
Install Move to iOS from the Google Play Store on your Android phone, update both phones to the latest available software, and update Chrome on Android if you want your bookmarks to come across.
Keep both phones close together for the whole transfer, and set aside enough uninterrupted time, since a large photo library can take a while to move.
Transfer with Move to iOS
Move to iOS is the recommended method for most people, because it copies contacts, messages, photos, videos, calendars, mail accounts, bookmarks, call history, voice memos, and WhatsApp chats and media in one pass.
It can also suggest free apps from your Android phone that are available in the App Store, so you can download them again on your new iPhone after setup finishes.
Follow these steps in order, and do not switch away from the Move to iOS app on your Android phone until the transfer is fully complete.
Start setting up your new iPhone and place it near your Android phone. Follow the on-screen setup instructions until you reach the Transfer Your Apps and Data screen, then tap From Android to begin the Android transfer flow.
Choose how you want to transfer on the iPhone. Tap Transfer with App if you installed Move to iOS, or follow the on-screen QR code option if your Android phone supports transferring without the app installed.
Open Move to iOS on your Android phone and accept the terms. Tap Continue, read the terms and conditions, tap Agree, then choose whether to share app data with Apple and grant the permissions the app requests.
Enter the code shown on your iPhone into the Android phone. Your iPhone displays a six-digit or ten-digit code, and typing it into Move to iOS pairs the two phones so the transfer can begin securely.
Connect the phones with a cable if you want a faster transfer. Apple supports a direct USB-C cable connection between your Android phone and your iPhone on compatible devices, while a wireless transfer uses a private connection created by the iPhone.
Select the content you want to move and tap Continue. Choose from the categories shown on your Android phone, such as contacts, messages, photos, videos, calendars, and WhatsApp data, then start the transfer and wait patiently.
Leave both phones alone until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes. The Android phone may report that it is done first, but the transfer is only complete when the progress bar on your iPhone has finished moving entirely.
Finish setting up your iPhone and check your data. Complete the remaining setup screens, sign in to your accounts, then open Contacts, Messages, and Photos to confirm that your content arrived before you do anything with your old phone.
What Transfers and What Does Not
Knowing the limits of Move to iOS in advance saves disappointment, because a few kinds of content need a manual move or a fresh download from the service you use.
| Transfers with Move to iOS | Does not transfer automatically |
|---|---|
| Contacts, message history, and call history | Paid apps, which must be bought again |
| Camera photos, videos, and photo albums | Music, books, and PDFs stored on the device |
| Calendars, mail accounts, and web bookmarks | Apps with no iPhone version |
| WhatsApp chats and media on supported setups | Most in-app data without its own account sync |
| Voice memos and some display and accessibility settings | Android-specific settings and home screen layouts |
| Free apps available in the App Store, as download suggestions | Files locked inside apps that do not sync |
Your SIM or eSIM is a separate step from your data, and your carrier may need to help you activate service on the new iPhone if the transfer does not complete it automatically.
Transfer Manually
Manual transfer is the right choice when your iPhone is already set up and you do not want to erase it, or when Move to iOS leaves a few items behind.
Start with your Google account, because signing in to Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts on your iPhone brings your mail, events, and contacts across without any cable or app.
For photos and videos, install Google Photos on your iPhone and sign in with the same Google account, then let your library sync down over Wi-Fi before you delete anything from Android.
Move documents, music, and PDFs through Google Drive, a computer, or a USB cable, by copying the files from your Android phone and then opening them in the matching app on your iPhone.
WhatsApp can move your chats separately through its own transfer options, but check the in-app instructions before you switch numbers or devices, since the process depends on your WhatsApp version and backup settings.
Finally, open the App Store on your iPhone and search for each app you used on Android, then sign in to each one so your account-based data, such as playlists and notes, syncs back.
After the Transfer
Do not erase or trade in your Android phone the moment the loading bar finishes, because a quick check now prevents a painful discovery later when the old phone is gone.
Open Contacts and scroll through a few entries, open Messages to confirm older conversations arrived, and open Photos to check that albums and recent videos are all present and playable.
Test a phone call and a text message, confirm your mail accounts are syncing, and make sure two-factor authentication apps or codes still work before you rely on the iPhone alone.
Check that WhatsApp shows your chats and media if you chose to transfer them, and re-download any paid apps you need, since purchases do not carry across the two app stores.
Only when everything looks right should you sign out of your Android phone, remove your accounts, and factory reset it for trade-in, sale, or recycling.
Tips for a Smooth Transfer
Charge both phones and keep them plugged in. A transfer that stops halfway because a battery died can leave content split across two phones, so power is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Turn off settings that can disturb the Wi-Fi connection. Features that automatically switch networks or optimise connections on Android can interrupt the private link between the phones, so disable them for the transfer and turn them back on later.
Do not use the Android phone during the transfer. Opening another app or answering a call on the Android phone while Move to iOS is running can stop your content from moving, so leave the app on screen until the iPhone finishes.
Free up space before you start if storage is tight. Deleting duplicate photos, old downloads, and videos you no longer need makes the transfer faster and reduces the chance that the iPhone runs out of room halfway through.
Restart both phones if the code will not connect. A fresh restart clears temporary connection problems, and turning off cellular data on the Android phone can also help the two devices pair successfully on the second attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer data after my iPhone is already set up?
Move to iOS only runs during the initial setup of a new or erased iPhone, so an already set up iPhone needs to be erased first, or you can move your content manually instead.
Manual options include signing in to your Google account, syncing photos through Google Photos, copying files with a computer or cloud storage, and downloading your apps again from the App Store.
Do my apps move from Android to iPhone?
Android apps themselves cannot run on an iPhone, because the two systems use different app formats, but Move to iOS can suggest free apps that exist in both stores for you to download.
Paid apps must be purchased again in the App Store, and app data only carries over when the app itself syncs through its own account or cloud service.
Will my WhatsApp chats transfer?
WhatsApp chats and media can transfer with Move to iOS on supported setups, but the exact result depends on your phone models, software versions, and WhatsApp settings at the time of transfer.
Open WhatsApp on your new iPhone after setup and check that your chats and media are complete before you erase or reset your old Android phone.
How long does the transfer take?
The transfer time depends mainly on how much content you are moving, with a small set of contacts and messages finishing in minutes and a large photo and video library taking considerably longer.
A USB-C cable connection is usually faster than a wireless transfer for large libraries, and keeping both phones on power and untouched helps the process run without interruption.
What should I do if the transfer fails?
Restart both phones, make sure Wi-Fi is turned on, turn off cellular data on the Android phone, and try the transfer again, since most pairing problems clear with a fresh attempt.
If the iPhone reports that it is full, erase it and start again after freeing up space or removing content from the Android phone, because a partial transfer can leave the iPhone looking full even when the move did not finish.
Moving from Android to iPhone takes a little patience, but the process is straightforward once you prepare both phones, follow the Move to iOS steps in order, and verify your photos, contacts, and messages before letting go of your old device.