The fastest way to transfer your Android data to iPhone
Apple's Move to iOS app is the quickest route. Install it on your Android phone, start setup on your new iPhone, and choose "Migrate from Android" during the initial setup screen. The app transfers your contacts, message history, photos, videos, mail accounts, calendars, and free apps automatically over WiFi. The transfer happens in the background while you finish setting up your iPhone — you don't have to sit and watch it.
If you've already finished iPhone setup, you can still transfer some data manually, but you'll lose the automatic transfer of messages and some other content. Starting fresh with Move to iOS during setup is simpler and more complete.
Key Takeaways
- Use Apple's Move to iOS app during iPhone setup to transfer contacts, photos, videos, messages, mail accounts, and free apps in one step.
- Both phones need to be on the same WiFi network, and your Android phone must stay connected until the transfer finishes.
- Paid apps you bought on Android won't transfer — you'll need to buy them again on iPhone, though many developers offer discounts for switching.
- Text messages, call history, and some app data transfer only through Move to iOS during setup; manual transfer afterward captures less.
- Google Photos, Gmail, and other Google services work on iPhone and will sync your data automatically once you sign in.
What Move to iOS transfers and what it doesn't
Move to iOS handles the essentials: your contacts, calendar events, photos and videos from your camera roll, text messages and call history, mail accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others), and free apps from the Google Play Store. It also transfers some app data for apps that exist on both Android and iPhone.
It does not transfer paid apps. If you bought an app on Android, you own it on Android only — you'll need to buy it again on the App Store. However, many developers offer free or discounted versions for people switching from Android, so check the App Store listing before you pay full price. Paid games, productivity apps, and utilities often have this option.
Some app data won't transfer even for free apps that exist on both platforms. Banking apps, social media apps, and games usually require you to sign in with your account after installation. Your data is stored on the company's servers, not on your phone, so signing in restores it automatically.
Step-by-step: Using Move to iOS during setup
Start this process before you finish setting up your iPhone. You'll need both phones and a WiFi network they can both reach.
- On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store and search for "Move to iOS." Install the official app made by Apple.
- Power on your new iPhone and follow the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data." Tap "Migrate from Android."
- On your Android phone, open Move to iOS and tap "Continue." Read the terms and tap "Agree."
- On your iPhone, a ten-digit or longer code appears. Enter this code on your Android phone.
- Select which data you want to transfer. Everything is selected by default — uncheck anything you don't want.
- Keep both phones on WiFi and plugged in until the transfer completes. This usually takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have.
- Once the transfer finishes, finish setting up your iPhone normally. The Move to iOS app will close automatically.
Do not disconnect your Android phone or turn off WiFi until the progress bar on your iPhone reaches 100%. If the connection drops, you'll need to start over.
Transferring data after iPhone setup is complete
If you've already finished setting up your iPhone, you can still move some data, but you'll lose text messages, call history, and some app data. This route works if you didn't realize you needed to transfer data until after setup.
For contacts, use Google Contacts. Sign into your Google account on your iPhone in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Contacts, or open the Contacts app and sign in there. Your Android contacts sync automatically. For photos and videos, use Google Photos — install the app from the App Store, sign in with your Google account, and your library appears on your iPhone. For email, add your Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo account in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.
For messages, there's no automatic transfer after setup. You can export text messages from Android using third-party apps, but importing them into iPhone's Messages app is not straightforward. Most people accept losing old messages and start fresh on iPhone.
What to do about paid apps and subscriptions
Paid apps you own on Android exist only in your Google Play library — they don't transfer to iPhone. Before you switch, make a list of paid apps you use regularly. Search for each one on the App Store and check the price. Some developers offer a one-time discount code for switchers; others have a free "lite" version on iPhone; some charge full price.
App subscriptions (like Spotify Premium, Adobe Creative Cloud, or a fitness app membership) are tied to your account, not your phone. Once you install the app on iPhone and sign in with the same account, your subscription works immediately. You won't be charged twice.
Free apps from Google Play usually exist on the App Store under the same name. Move to iOS installs them automatically, but if it misses any, search the App Store and install them manually.
Syncing Google services on your iPhone
Google services — Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Contacts — work seamlessly on iPhone once you sign in. You don't need to transfer anything; your data is already in Google's servers and syncs automatically.
Add your Google account in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, or in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Other Apps. Choose which services to sync: Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, and Reminders. Google Photos and Google Drive have their own apps in the App Store — install them and sign in to access your files.
If you use other services like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Outlook, the process is the same: install the app from the App Store and sign in with your account. Your data syncs automatically.
Troubleshooting common transfer problems
The transfer keeps stopping or failing: Make sure both phones are on the same WiFi network and stay connected. If your WiFi is unstable, move closer to the router or restart it. Restart both phones and try again. If it fails a second time, disconnect other devices from WiFi to reduce network load.
Some contacts or photos didn't transfer: Check that they were actually on your Android phone before transfer started. Contacts stored only in apps (like Telegram or WhatsApp) won't transfer — you'll need to export them from those apps separately. Photos stored in cloud services like Google Photos may not appear in your camera roll; open Google Photos on iPhone to see them.
Your mail account won't sync: If you use Gmail, make sure you've enabled "Less secure app access" in your Google account settings, or use an app-specific password. For Outlook or Yahoo, check that you entered your full email address and password correctly. Try removing the account from iPhone settings and adding it again.
Apps installed but won't open: Some apps require a newer version of iOS than your iPhone runs. Check the App Store listing to see the minimum iOS version required. If your iPhone is too old, you may not be able to use that app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my text messages if I already set up my iPhone?
Not through an official Apple tool. Move to iOS transfers messages only during initial setup. After setup, you can export messages from Android using third-party apps, but importing them into iPhone's Messages app requires workarounds and often doesn't preserve formatting or media. Most people accept losing old messages when they switch.
Will my WhatsApp, Telegram, or other messaging app chats transfer?
Not automatically. These apps store messages on their own servers. Install the app on iPhone, sign in with your account, and your chat history appears — but only if the app supports it. WhatsApp and Telegram both restore chat history on iPhone, but the process varies by app. Open the app after installation and follow its setup prompts.
Do I need to keep my Android phone after the transfer?
No. Once Move to iOS finishes and you've verified your data arrived on iPhone, you can wipe your Android phone or sell it. Make sure you've backed up anything you want to keep, and sign out of accounts before you erase it.
What if I have a lot of data and the transfer times out?
Transfers over 100 GB sometimes fail on slower WiFi. If you have massive photo or video libraries, consider uploading them to Google Photos or Google Drive on your Android phone first, then accessing them on iPhone through those apps instead of transferring locally. This is actually faster for large amounts of data.
Can I transfer data from multiple Android phones to one iPhone?
Move to iOS works with one Android phone at a time. If you're consolidating data from multiple Android devices, run Move to iOS once with your primary phone, then manually add contacts, photos, and accounts from other phones afterward using Google Contacts, Google Photos, and email settings.