What actually moves when you switch from iPhone to Android

Google has built a tool called Google Drive that can move your contacts, calendar events, photos, and some app data from iPhone to Android during setup. When you turn on a new Android phone, it walks you through signing in with your Google account and asks whether you want to restore from an iPhone. If you say yes, it pulls your data over the internet — not through a cable or local connection.

Not everything transfers. Text messages, iMessage threads, notes, reminders, and most third-party app data stay on your iPhone. Your music library, if you bought it through iTunes, does not move automatically. Photos and videos do transfer if they are stored in Google Photos or iCloud, but only if you have already synced them there before switching.

The transfer happens during the initial setup of your Android phone, so you cannot go back and do it later. If you skip this step, you will have to manually move things afterward, which is slower and more error-prone.

Key Takeaways

  • Google's transfer tool during Android setup moves contacts, calendar events, and photos, but not text messages, notes, or most app data.
  • You must start the transfer during the first setup of your Android phone — you cannot do it after you have already set up the device.
  • Photos and videos transfer only if they are already stored in Google Photos or iCloud before you switch phones.
  • Third-party apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and banking apps have their own backup and restore processes that you must handle separately.
  • Text messages and iMessage conversations do not transfer automatically and require a third-party tool or manual export if you want to keep them.

How to transfer contacts and calendar during setup

When you first power on your new Android phone, the setup wizard asks you to sign in with a Google account. If you do not have one, create one before you start — you will need it anyway to use the Google Play Store and most Android features.

After you sign in, the wizard shows a screen that says something like "Restore from backup" or "Copy your data." Tap the option to restore from iPhone. Android then asks for your Apple ID and password. Enter them — Google needs them to access your iCloud account where your contacts and calendar are stored.

The transfer runs in the background while you finish setting up the phone. Contacts appear in your default contacts app (usually Google Contacts), and calendar events show up in Google Calendar. This usually takes a few minutes, but can take longer if you have thousands of contacts or years of calendar history.

Moving photos and videos from iPhone to Android

If your photos are in iCloud Photo Library, they transfer automatically during the setup process described above — you do not have to do anything extra. They appear in Google Photos on your Android phone.

If your photos are only stored on your iPhone and not backed up to iCloud, they will not transfer. Before you switch phones, open the Photos app on your iPhone, go to Settings, and turn on iCloud Photo Library. This uploads all your photos to iCloud. Then, during Android setup, they will transfer to Google Photos.

Alternatively, you can manually upload photos to Google Photos on your iPhone before switching. Open Google Photos, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, and turn on Backup and Sync. This backs up everything to your Google account, and your Android phone will see those photos when you sign in.

What you have to move manually: texts, notes, and app data

Text messages do not transfer from iPhone to Android through Google's built-in tool. If you want to keep your text history, you have a few options. The easiest is to use a third-party app like SMS Backup+ or Helium on your iPhone before you switch — these apps back up your texts to your Google account, and you can restore them on Android. Some of these apps cost money or require a subscription.

Notes stored in Apple Notes do not transfer. If you use Notes, export them to a text or PDF format on your iPhone, then email them to yourself or upload them to Google Drive. You can then access them on your Android phone.

Reminders, voice memos, and other Apple-specific apps have no automatic transfer path. You will need to manually recreate important reminders in Google Tasks or another Android app, or export them if the app offers that option.

Transferring data from third-party apps

Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and banking apps store their data separately from your phone's main backup. Each app has its own backup and restore process, and you must handle them individually.

Before you switch, open each app you care about and look for a backup or export option in its settings. WhatsApp, for example, has a "Chat Backup" option that backs up your conversation history to Google Drive or iCloud. When you install WhatsApp on your Android phone and sign in with the same phone number, it restores your chat history from that backup.

Some apps, like banking or investment apps, do not back up chat history or data at all — they only let you sign in again. You will lose any old messages or transaction history stored only in the app. Check each app's settings before you switch so you know what to expect.

Music, books, and purchases from iTunes or Apple Books

Music you bought through iTunes does not transfer to Android automatically. If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can sign into Apple Music on your Android phone and access your library there. If you bought individual songs or albums, you will need to re-download them through a different service or use a tool like Google Takeout to export your music library data.

Books purchased through Apple Books do not transfer to Android. You can read them through the Apple Books app if you install it on Android, but you cannot transfer them to Google Play Books or other Android reading apps. If you want to switch reading apps, you may need to repurchase books or look for DRM-free versions.

Audiobooks purchased through Apple Books also stay tied to your Apple account. Some audiobook services like Audible work on both iPhone and Android — if you use Audible, your library is already accessible on Android through the Audible app.

Preparing your iPhone before you switch

A few days before you get your Android phone, go through these steps on your iPhone to make sure nothing gets left behind.

First, make sure iCloud Photo Library is on and all your photos have finished uploading. Open Settings, tap your name, go to iCloud, and check that Photos is enabled. Wait for the upload to finish — you can see progress in the Photos app under Settings.

Second, sign into Google Photos on your iPhone and turn on Backup and Sync. This ensures your photos are in your Google account before you switch.

Third, check any apps you use regularly — WhatsApp, Telegram, banking apps, email clients — and back them up if they offer that option. Most apps have a settings menu with a backup or export option.

Fourth, make a list of apps you use on iPhone. When you set up your Android phone, you will need to find the Android versions of these apps in the Google Play Store. Not every iPhone app has an Android equivalent, and some work differently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do my text messages transfer automatically?

No. Text messages do not transfer through Google's built-in tool. You can use a third-party app like SMS Backup+ to back them up before switching, or you can accept that your text history will stay on your iPhone. Most people recreate important conversations or accept starting fresh.

Will my iMessage conversations transfer?

No. iMessage is Apple's service and does not work on Android. Your iMessage threads stay on your iPhone. If you want to keep talking to people who use iMessage, they will text you through regular SMS or another app like WhatsApp or Telegram on your Android phone.

What if I do not sign in with Google during setup?

You can still transfer data later, but it is more complicated. You will have to manually sign into iCloud on your Android phone through a web browser, download your data, and move it into Android apps one piece at a time. It is much easier to do it during initial setup.

Can I transfer my Apple Watch data to Android?

No. Apple Watch is designed only for iPhone. If you switch to Android, you will need to buy an Android smartwatch like a Wear OS watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch. Your Apple Watch data does not transfer to any Android device.

Will my passwords transfer?

If you use iCloud Keychain to store passwords, they do not transfer automatically. However, if you use a password manager like 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass on both iPhone and Android, your passwords sync through that service instead. Check which password manager you use and make sure it is set up on your Android phone before you switch.