How to move your Samsung phone to iPhone

Apple's Move to iOS app is the fastest way to transfer your photos, messages, contacts, calendar events, email accounts, and most of your apps from a Samsung phone to an iPhone. The app copies data wirelessly during setup, before you finish turning on your new iPhone. If you've already set up your iPhone, you can still use Move to iOS by erasing it and starting over, or you can transfer some data manually through iCloud or Google services.

The process takes 15 minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have. You'll need both phones, a Wi-Fi network, and a power outlet nearby. Some data — like text message threads, voicemails, and certain app settings — won't transfer automatically, and you'll need to handle those separately or recreate them by hand.

Key Takeaways

  • Use Apple's Move to iOS app during iPhone setup to transfer photos, contacts, messages, and email accounts wirelessly in one go.
  • Move to iOS works best on a fresh iPhone; if you've already set it up, you'll need to erase it and start the setup process over.
  • Text message history, voicemails, and some app data won't transfer automatically and must be handled through manual methods or third-party tools.
  • If you don't want to erase your iPhone, you can transfer contacts, photos, and email accounts one at a time through iCloud, Google, or Samsung's SmartSwitch app.

Using Move to iOS during initial iPhone setup

When you turn on a new iPhone for the first time, you'll see a screen that says "Apps & Data." Tap "Migrate Data from Android." The iPhone will display a 6-digit or 10-digit code. On your Samsung phone, download the Move to iOS app from the Google Play Store, open it, and tap "Continue." Accept the terms, tap "Next," and enter the code from your iPhone screen.

Once the code is entered, your Samsung phone will connect to the iPhone's temporary Wi-Fi network. Select which data you want to transfer — photos, messages, contacts, calendars, email accounts, free apps, and some paid apps are available. Tap "Continue" on your Samsung phone and let the transfer run. Keep both phones plugged in and within range of each other until the progress bar on your iPhone reaches 100%. This usually takes 15 to 45 minutes.

After the transfer finishes, your iPhone will ask you to sign in to your Apple ID and complete the rest of setup. Your Samsung phone can be set aside at this point. Move to iOS will have created your email accounts on the iPhone, so you won't need to enter passwords for Gmail, Outlook, or other services you selected.

What Move to iOS does and doesn't transfer

Transfers successfully: Photos and videos (including those in your camera roll), contacts, calendar events, email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others), text messages and iMessage conversations, call history, and free or paid apps that exist in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Does not transfer: Text message threads older than 30 days (on some carriers), voicemails, app settings and login information for most apps, Samsung-specific features like Samsung Pay or Samsung Health data, notes stored in Samsung Notes, and apps that only exist on Android. You'll also lose any custom ringtones or notification sounds you created.

If an app you use exists only on Android, you'll need to download it from the Apple App Store on your iPhone after the transfer is complete. Some apps charge separately for iOS, so check the price before downloading. For apps that do transfer, you may need to log back in and reconfigure settings like notification preferences or home screen layout.

Transferring data if your iPhone is already set up

If you've already turned on your iPhone and completed setup, you have two options: erase the iPhone and start over with Move to iOS, or transfer data manually without erasing.

To erase and use Move to iOS, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This wipes your iPhone completely. When it restarts, you'll see the "Apps & Data" screen again, and you can follow the Move to iOS process described above. This takes longer because you're erasing everything first, but it's cleaner than trying to merge data.

To transfer without erasing, use iCloud, Google, or Samsung SmartSwitch. For contacts and calendars, sign into your Google account in iPhone Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, select Google, and toggle on Contacts and Calendars. For photos, use Google Photos or iCloud Photos. For email, add your email account manually in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account. This method is slower and more manual, but it preserves what's already on your iPhone.

Handling text messages and voicemails separately

Move to iOS transfers recent text messages, but older threads may not come over, and voicemails don't transfer at all. If you need to keep voicemails, you'll have to listen to them on your Samsung phone and save important ones as audio files or notes.

For text messages, take screenshots of important conversations on your Samsung phone before switching. If you use Google Messages or another third-party messaging app, check whether it has a backup feature — some apps can restore message history when you sign back in on your iPhone. Standard SMS and MMS messages are harder to preserve; there's no built-in way to export them to your iPhone.

If you use WhatsApp, Telegram, or another messaging service, those apps will work on iPhone if you download them from the App Store. Sign in with the same phone number or account, and the app will usually restore your chat history automatically.

Transferring Samsung-specific apps and services

Some Samsung apps and services don't have direct iPhone equivalents or won't transfer. Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Keyboard won't move to iPhone. You'll need to find replacements or manually export your data.

For Samsung Health data, open the app on your Samsung phone, go to Settings, and look for an export or backup option. Some health data can be exported as a file and imported into Apple Health or a third-party app like MyFitnessPal. For Samsung Notes, you can export notes as PDFs or images, or rewrite important ones in Apple Notes on your iPhone.

For Samsung Pay, you'll need to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone separately. Add your credit or debit cards in the Wallet app. Samsung Pay won't transfer your saved cards, so you'll enter them again. For Samsung Keyboard and other input methods, iPhone uses Apple's keyboard by default, but you can download third-party keyboards from the App Store if you prefer a different layout.

Checking what transferred and fixing missing data

After Move to iOS finishes, spend 10 minutes checking that your most important data arrived. Open Photos and scroll through recent albums. Open Contacts and search for a few people you know. Check Mail to confirm your email accounts are there and receiving messages. Open Messages and look for recent conversations.

If contacts are missing, they may still be on your Samsung phone or in a Google account that didn't sync. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts on your iPhone and make sure all your email accounts are added. Contacts from Gmail and other email services will appear once the account is added. If photos didn't transfer, check Google Photos on your iPhone — they may have gone there instead.

For apps that transferred but won't open or are asking you to log in, delete them from your iPhone and download them fresh from the Apple App Store. This usually fixes login issues. If an app you need doesn't exist on iOS, search the App Store for a similar app or check whether the service has a web version you can use in Safari.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Move to iOS if I've already set up my iPhone?

Yes, but you'll need to erase your iPhone first by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This wipes everything and brings you back to the initial setup screen where Move to iOS is available. If you don't want to erase, you can transfer contacts, photos, and email accounts manually instead.

Will my text messages transfer to iPhone?

Recent text messages will transfer through Move to iOS, but older threads may not come over depending on your carrier. Voicemails don't transfer at all. If you need to keep old messages, take screenshots on your Samsung phone before switching, or check whether your messaging app has a backup feature.

What happens to apps that only exist on Android?

Apps that don't have an iOS version won't transfer. Move to iOS will skip them. After setup, you can search the Apple App Store for similar apps or check whether the service offers a web version. Some Android-only apps do have iOS equivalents under a different name.

Do I need to erase my Samsung phone after the transfer?

No, but you should back up any data you want to keep before erasing it. If the transfer didn't catch everything, you can still access it on your Samsung phone. Once you're confident everything is on your iPhone, you can erase your Samsung phone or keep it as a backup.

How long does Move to iOS take?

The transfer usually takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on how much data you have. Keep both phones plugged in and close to each other during the process. If you have thousands of photos or large email accounts, it may take longer. Don't interrupt the transfer or move the phones out of range.