To move from Android to iPhone, pick From Android during the iPhone's setup and use Apple's Move to iOS app on the old phone. To move from iPhone to Android, choose the option to copy from an iPhone during Android setup and connect the phones with a cable or use the Android Switch app. Contacts, calendars and photos move on both routes; what else comes across depends on the method you choose.
Who this is for
This guide is for anyone changing phone platform who wants to keep contacts, photos, messages and WhatsApp chats. You will finish with a checklist of what to do on the old phone, the exact transfer steps on each direction, what does not transfer, and fixes for the common failures. The steps come from Apple's and Google's support pages and WhatsApp-related notes within them. Newer phones and software versions add options, so if a screen differs, follow the on-screen prompts and the linked vendor page.
Prepare before you start
Do these on both directions, because most failed transfers come from skipping them.
- Charge both phones and keep them plugged in. Apple says to keep both devices plugged in during the transfer; Google says to charge both.
- Back up the old phone. A transfer copies data; it is not a backup. See /blog/android-backup-restore-new-phone-google-account and /blog/iphone-backup-icloud-vs-computer-restore.
- Check storage on the new phone. Google says data that does not fit will not transfer. Apple says content that exceeds the iPhone's free storage will not transfer.
- Know the old phone's unlock code or passcode.
- Keep your SIM, or know how you will activate it. Apple's steps include activating your phone number or eSIM if prompted, so have your carrier details ready.
- Keep the old phone until you have confirmed everything arrived on the new one.
Sort out accounts and two-factor codes
Before wiping anything, list the apps that rely on your phone for sign-in, such as authenticator apps, banking apps and messaging apps. Move or re-register them on the new phone while the old one still works. Authenticator codes in particular may not transfer automatically.
Android to iPhone
Apple's Move from Android to iPhone or iPad page describes the method.
Before you start
- Keep Wi-Fi on and connect both devices to power.
- The Move to iOS app is installed from Google Play on the Android phone.
Steps
- On the new iPhone, follow the setup screens. On the Quick Start screen, choose the option to set up without another device.
- On the Transfer Your Apps and Data screen, choose From Android, then Transfer with App. If setup is already finished, Apple says you need to erase the device first or transfer content manually.
- On the Android phone, install and open Move to iOS.
- In the app, accept the terms, choose how app data is shared with Apple, and allow any Location or Notification permissions.
- On the iPhone, tap Continue on the Move from Android screen and wait for a code. Enter that code on the Android phone.
- When the Android phone asks, join the temporary Wi-Fi network that the iPhone creates.
- Select what to transfer on the Android phone and tap Continue.
- Leave both phones alone and plugged in until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes, even if Android reports completion early.
- Activate your phone number or eSIM if prompted.
- Tap Done on Android, then Continue on the iPhone to finish setup.
What moves and what does not
Apple lists contacts, message history, SMS, photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, accessibility and display settings, web bookmarks, email accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, voice memos, call history and calendars. Free apps that exist on both stores may transfer, and you can download matched ones from the App Store afterwards.
Music, books and PDFs must be moved manually. Apps that do not match, or are not free, must be found and downloaded from the App Store.
Apple also describes a way to transfer without the app on compatible devices running Android 17 or later: choose Transfer without App on the iPhone and scan the QR code with the Android camera. Check Apple's page to see if your phone qualifies.
iPhone to Android
Google's Copy apps and data from an iPhone or iPad to a new Android device page covers this direction.
Before you start
- Connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi.
- Turn off iMessage on the iPhone. Google says to do this so that, after setup, you receive text messages reliably, and to switch to Google Messages afterwards.
- If an organisation manages the iPhone, Google says some data may not transfer.
- Most transfers take under 30 minutes, though large amounts of data can take a few hours. Keep the phones close together and connected for the whole process.
Cable method
- Connect the iPhone's charging cable to the iPhone, using a USB-A to USB-C adapter if needed.
- Connect the other end to the new Android phone.
- Tap Trust on the iPhone if prompted.
- Choose the data types to copy and tap Copy.
- Scan the WhatsApp QR code on the new device with the iPhone camera if you want WhatsApp data.
- Keep setting up the new phone while the transfer runs.
Wireless method with Android Switch
- Check that the iPhone runs iOS 15 or later.
- On the new phone, follow the on-screen instructions and scan the QR code shown on the Android screen with the iPhone camera.
- Install the Android Switch app from the App Store on the iPhone and open it.
- Follow the prompts to copy data. If no QR code appears, Google says the Android version may not support this method.
Samsung phones also have their own Smart Switch option.
Which method moves what
Google's table shows the difference between methods:
| Data | Android Switch (wireless) | Cable |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Yes | Yes |
| Calendars | Yes | Yes |
| Photos and videos | Yes | Yes |
| Messages | No | Yes |
| Free apps from Google Play | No | Yes |
| Music | No | Yes |
| Notes | No | Yes |
| Voice memos | No | Yes |
| Alarms and home screen layout | No | Yes |
| WhatsApp history | No | Yes |
| Call history | No | No |
| Passwords and passkeys | No | No |
Google also describes an upgraded process on newer devices running Android 17 and later, which can transfer more, including call history, passwords and passkeys. Whether your phone gets this depends on the model, so look for a QR code right after choosing iPhone during setup.
What does not transfer
Google lists paid apps and in-app purchases, Safari bookmarks and health data. Photos and videos stored only in iCloud do not transfer automatically; Google points to a separate iCloud transfer process into Google Photos.
Moving WhatsApp chats
WhatsApp history is the item most people worry about, and the rules are set by WhatsApp as well as Apple and Google. Check WhatsApp's help centre for the current requirements before you start.
iPhone to Android
Google's table lists WhatsApp history as transferable only with the cable method. During the cable copy, scan the WhatsApp QR code shown on the Android screen with the iPhone camera if you want WhatsApp data, and stay with the phone because Google says you must enter your PIN during the process. Do the transfer during setup, before you start using WhatsApp on the new phone.
Android to iPhone
Apple lists WhatsApp messages and media among the content Move to iOS can transfer. WhatsApp keeps its own help pages for this direction; Apple's page gives no further WhatsApp steps, so follow the prompts in the Move to iOS flow and WhatsApp's help centre.
Contacts, photos and other data outside the tools
Some data lives in cloud accounts rather than on the phone, so it appears once you sign in.
- Apple says mail, contacts and calendars can often be handled by signing in to your existing email providers on the new iPhone.
- For photos in iCloud, use Google's iCloud transfer process into Google Photos.
- Music, books and PDFs from Android must be moved by hand to the iPhone, as Apple says.
- Paid apps and in-app purchases do not transfer from iPhone to Android. Google advises contacting the app developer about paid apps and subscriptions.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Move to iOS stalls or fails | Apple says to keep the app open on Android for the whole process, as other apps or calls can stop the transfer. |
| Cannot connect to the iPhone's temporary Wi-Fi | Apple suggests turning off network optimisers or smart network switching, forgetting known networks on Android and retrying. |
| Still failing | Apple suggests restarting both devices, turning off mobile data on Android and retrying. |
| Transfer incomplete or out of space | Apple says to erase the new iPhone, make sure your content fits and start again. |
| iPhone already set up, no transfer option | Apple says you need to erase the device first or transfer manually. |
| Android Switch QR code does not appear | Google says the Android version may not support the wireless method; use the cable. |
| Texts from iPhone users never arrive on Android | Google advises turning off iMessage on the iPhone before the switch. |
| WhatsApp transfer option missing | Use the cable method and scan the WhatsApp QR code during the copy. If you have already set up WhatsApp on the new phone, check WhatsApp's help centre. |
| Managed work iPhone | Google says some data may not transfer. |
Checklist
- Back up the old phone and charge both phones.
- Turn off iMessage if you are leaving iPhone.
- Confirm the new phone has enough free storage.
- Transfer WhatsApp during setup, before you start using it on the new phone.
- Use the cable when you have one, because it moves more data types.
- Move authenticator apps and banking apps before wiping the old phone.
- Check contacts, photos, messages and chats on the new phone before you erase the old one.
References
- Apple Support, Move from Android to iPhone or iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-in/118670
- Google, Copy apps and data from an iPhone or iPad to a new Android device: https://support.google.com/android/answer/13626960
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