The fastest way to transfer everything is Apple's Move to iOS app, which copies your photos, messages, contacts, and calendar in one process

Apple makes a free app called Move to iOS that runs on your Samsung phone and handles the transfer while you're setting up your new iPhone. It moves photos and videos, message history, contacts, calendar events, email accounts, and web bookmarks. The transfer happens over Wi-Fi during the initial iPhone setup — you don't need a computer, and you don't need to keep both phones connected the whole time.

The app works best if you're setting up a brand-new iPhone for the first time. If your iPhone is already set up and in use, you'll need to erase it and start over to use Move to iOS. For most people switching phones, this is the simplest path because it's automatic and handles the things you actually use every day.

Key Takeaways

  • Move to iOS is Apple's free app for Samsung phones and transfers photos, messages, contacts, calendars, and email accounts during iPhone setup.
  • The transfer works only during initial iPhone setup; if your iPhone is already in use, you'll need to erase it first.
  • Both phones need Wi-Fi, and the process usually takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have.
  • Some apps and their data won't transfer automatically — you'll need to download them from the App Store and sign in separately.
  • Text messages, photos, and contacts transfer reliably; third-party app data often requires manual setup in the app itself.

What Move to iOS actually transfers and what it doesn't

Move to iOS copies your contacts, calendar events, email account settings, SMS and MMS text messages, photos and videos, web bookmarks, and accessibility settings. It also transfers your Google account login so Gmail and other Google services work immediately on your iPhone.

The app does not transfer apps themselves or their internal data. You'll see the apps you had on Samsung listed in the App Store on your iPhone, but you have to download each one separately. Some apps — like banking apps, games with saved progress, or messaging apps like WhatsApp — store their data inside the app, not in your phone's general storage. Those apps will download, but you'll need to sign in and may lose saved data unless the app has its own backup system (many do).

Photos and videos transfer completely. Text messages transfer completely. Contacts transfer completely. If you use Samsung's own apps like Samsung Notes or Samsung Health, those don't have direct iPhone equivalents, so you'll need to decide whether to use Apple's alternatives (Notes, Health) or find a third-party replacement.

Step-by-step: using Move to iOS during setup

Start with your Samsung phone and download the Move to iOS app from the Google Play Store before you touch your new iPhone. Open it and tap "Continue," then agree to the terms. You'll get a code on your Samsung screen.

On your new iPhone, go through the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data." Tap "Migrate Data from Android." Enter the code from your Samsung phone. The two phones will connect over Wi-Fi, and your Samsung will start sending your data. Leave both phones plugged in and on Wi-Fi until the transfer finishes — this usually takes 10 to 30 minutes.

When the transfer is done, your iPhone will ask you to set up Face ID or Touch ID, create a passcode, and sign into your Apple ID. After that, you're in the home screen. Your photos, contacts, and messages are already there. Apps you had on Samsung will appear in the App Store's "Updates" tab so you can download them.

If your iPhone is already set up: manual transfer options

If you've already been using your iPhone and don't want to erase it, Move to iOS won't work. You'll need to transfer things manually or use a computer.

For photos and videos, connect your Samsung to a computer via USB, open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), and copy the DCIM folder to your computer. Then connect your iPhone and use Photos or Image Capture to import them. For contacts, export them from your Samsung's Contacts app as a .vcf file, email it to yourself, and open it on your iPhone — it will ask to add them to your contacts. For messages, there's no built-in way to transfer SMS history to an iPhone that's already in use; you'd need to take screenshots or use a third-party tool.

Email accounts transfer manually: on your iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, choose your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.), and sign in. Calendar events sync automatically once your email account is added if you use Gmail or Outlook. For other services, you may need to add them separately.

Transferring app data and settings

Most apps don't transfer their data automatically because Android and iOS store app information differently. When you download an app on your iPhone, it starts fresh. Some apps — like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and most social media apps — sync your data from their servers, so signing in restores everything. Others, like games or note-taking apps, only restore data if the app itself has a backup feature.

Before you switch, open important apps on your Samsung and look for a backup or export option. WhatsApp, for example, has a built-in backup to Google Drive; when you install WhatsApp on iPhone and sign in with the same phone number, it can restore your chat history. Banking apps usually don't transfer data — you'll just sign in again. Fitness apps like Strava or MyFitnessPal restore your history once you log in.

For apps that don't have automatic backup, take screenshots of anything important (account numbers, saved settings, lists) before you switch. Then download the app on iPhone and manually re-enter what you need.

Handling Samsung-specific features and apps

Samsung phones often come with Samsung-branded apps like Samsung Notes, Samsung Health, Samsung Internet, and Samsung Pay. iPhone doesn't have equivalents made by Samsung, so you'll need to choose replacements.

Samsung Notes can be exported: open the app, select a note, tap the menu, and choose "Share as PDF" or "Share as image," then email it to yourself and save it to iPhone Notes. Samsung Health data doesn't transfer directly, but if you use Google Fit as a backup, that data syncs to iPhone's Health app. Samsung Internet bookmarks can be exported through the browser settings and imported into Safari. Samsung Pay won't work on iPhone — you'll use Apple Pay instead, which works with most of the same cards and stores.

If you use Samsung's cloud storage (Samsung Cloud), you can download your files to a computer and then upload them to iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox on your iPhone. Most people find it easier to just use iCloud or Google Drive going forward.

Troubleshooting common transfer problems

If Move to iOS gets stuck or stops partway through, make sure both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network and have strong signal. Restart both phones and try again. If it keeps failing, check that your Samsung has enough storage space free — the app needs room to prepare the data before sending it.

If some contacts or photos didn't transfer, check your Samsung to see if they were actually stored on the phone or only in cloud accounts. Contacts stored only in Google Contacts won't transfer through Move to iOS; you'll need to sign into your Google account on the iPhone instead. Photos stored only in Samsung Cloud won't transfer either — download them to your phone first, then try Move to iOS again.

If you see an error about the code not working, make sure you're entering it correctly and that both phones are still on Wi-Fi. The code expires after 10 minutes, so if you took too long, restart the process on both phones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Move to iOS if I've already set up my iPhone with an Apple ID?

No. Move to iOS only works during the initial setup before you've created an Apple ID or signed into one. If your iPhone is already set up, you'll need to erase it (Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings) and start the setup process over. This will delete everything currently on the iPhone, so back up anything you want to keep first.

Will my text message history transfer?

Yes, SMS and MMS messages transfer through Move to iOS, including group texts. The messages appear in the iPhone's Messages app with the same dates and times. However, if you use a third-party messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram, you'll need to handle those separately — download the app on iPhone and sign in to restore chats if the app has backup enabled.

What happens to my Samsung apps after the transfer?

The apps themselves don't transfer because Android and iOS apps are different. After Move to iOS finishes, you'll see a list of your Samsung apps in the App Store on your iPhone. You can download the iOS versions of those apps from there. Some apps are free, some cost money, and some might not have an iOS version at all.

Do I need a computer to transfer everything?

No. Move to iOS works entirely over Wi-Fi between the two phones. You don't need a computer, cable, or any other device. If you're transferring manually (because your iPhone is already set up), a computer makes it easier for photos and files, but you can also email things to yourself or use cloud storage.

How long does the transfer take?

Most transfers take 10 to 30 minutes depending on how many photos, messages, and contacts you have. Larger photo libraries or many years of message history can take longer. Keep both phones plugged in and on Wi-Fi until the process shows it's complete — don't close the Move to iOS app or disconnect either phone.