How to Transfer Data from Android to iPhone

Switching phones is easier when you decide what needs to move before starting setup. Your photo library, contacts and WhatsApp conversations may need different checks, while banking apps and account access deserve attention of their own.

This guide explains the Move to iOS route, the options for an iPhone you have already set up, and a practical checklist to complete before retiring your Android phone.

Choose Your Transfer Method

1. Prepare Before You Switch

Make a short inventory: contacts, local photos, downloads, messaging accounts and apps you cannot afford to lose access to. Check that you know your account passwords and can receive verification codes. If an authenticator app protects an account, review that app’s own migration instructions and recovery options before removing anything from Android.

Keep both phones powered, enable Android Wi-Fi and check that your chosen content fits on the iPhone. If you bought a second-hand device, complete our used iPhone buying checklist first.

2. Transfer with Move to iOS

Follow Apple’s current Android migration instructions:

1. Install Apple’s Move to iOS app on Android.
2. During iPhone setup, select From Android on the apps and data transfer screen, then Transfer with App where shown.
3. Open Move to iOS and follow its prompts. Enter the iPhone’s pairing code and join its temporary Wi-Fi network.
4. Select your content and start the transfer. Wait until the iPhone’s progress bar finishes before continuing setup.

Supported categories include contacts, messages, camera photos and videos, calendars and certain other data. Compatible USB-C devices can also use a direct cable. Some supported Android 17 devices offer Transfer without App; availability depends on compatibility. For WhatsApp, use its specific guidance below.

3. Move Your WhatsApp Conversations

WhatsApp’s official Android-to-iPhone guide requires a new or factory-reset iPhone, updated WhatsApp apps and the same phone number. Its stated minimums are Android 5 and iOS 15.5.

1. Select WhatsApp in Move to iOS.
2. Tap Start on Android to prepare the chat data, then return to Move to iOS and continue.
3. After iPhone setup, install WhatsApp from the App Store.
4. Verify the same number and accept the import prompt. Wait for completion.

This process does not transfer WhatsApp call history, and old and new chat histories cannot be merged. WhatsApp’s current guide excludes WhatsApp Business chat migration through this route. After checking your imported conversations, create a WhatsApp iCloud backup; migration itself does not create a cloud backup.

Open a few older conversations and check their attachments before declaring the move complete. An app opening successfully is a different check from its history being present.

4. If You Already Set Up the iPhone

Do not rush to erase a phone that already contains new photos, messages or files. First identify anything created since setup and preserve it separately. Treat a backup as a recovery option, rather than assuming two phones’ complete contents will automatically combine.

To restart initial setup, follow Apple’s factory-reset instructions: back up first, then open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. This deletes the iPhone’s contents. Review the eSIM choice carefully; deleting it may require your carrier to reactivate your plan. Keep your device passcode and Apple Account credentials available.

If keeping the iPhone’s current contents is your priority, use manual methods for the categories you need instead.

5. Move Selected Content Without Erasing

Apple’s manual transfer guide provides alternatives:

• Email, contacts and calendars: add the relevant account to the iPhone and enable the categories stored in that account.
• Photos and videos: copy them from Android to a computer, then use the appropriate Apple syncing tools to bring them to the iPhone.
• Cloud documents: install your storage provider’s iPhone app and sign in.
• Music and books: reinstall the service’s app and sign in, or transfer compatible local files with a computer.
• Apps: find the iPhone versions in the App Store. For app-specific data, consult the developer.

Check whether a file actually resides on the device or is only visible through a cloud account. That distinction helps avoid unnecessary copying and makes missing items easier to investigate.

6. Check the Result Before Erasing Android

Use a verification list rather than relying only on a completion message:

• Find several important contacts and check their numbers.
• Open recent and older photos, and play a few videos.
• Check calendar events, documents and important conversations.
• Sign into essential accounts and test your recovery methods.
• Confirm calls and mobile data work on your intended line.

If something is missing, record the exact category and the stage at which it failed. Before retrying, establish where the original data remains. Avoid deleting the source phone’s contents simply to make the new phone look finished.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the transfer take?

There is no useful universal estimate. Plan a period when neither phone is needed urgently, especially for a large media library.

Can I move everything without resetting my iPhone?

Manual methods can bring selected content to an existing setup. They are not equivalent to the full setup-time migration, particularly for WhatsApp history.

Should I erase Android immediately afterward?

Wait until you have checked your files, messages and account access. Keeping the source intact gives you a chance to resolve omissions.

Finish with a Verified Transfer

Choose the method around your iPhone’s current state and the data you need most. Prepare account access, follow the official prompts and verify the result before retiring Android. Once the move is complete, our iPhone Shortcuts guide offers ideas for setting up useful everyday workflows.