To fix Move to iOS not working, turn off Android mobile data, reconnect to the iPhone’s temporary Wi-Fi network, and keep Move to iOS open until the iPhone’s progress bar finishes. Keep both phones powered and nearby throughout the transfer. If the connection still fails, restart both devices and retry, or connect them with a USB-C cable if they support that transfer method.
The short version
- Stay connected: Keep Android Wi-Fi enabled and turn off mobile data and automatic network switching.
- Avoid interruptions: Leave Move to iOS onscreen and wait for the iPhone’s progress bar to finish.
- Check permissions: Allow location access for the connection and the permissions needed for your selected content.
- Retry carefully: Back up existing iPhone data before erasing a configured or partly transferred destination.
| Fix | When to use it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Join the temporary transfer network | Wireless pairing has not completed | Enter the iPhone code and tap Connect |
| Keep Move to iOS onscreen | Transfer stops after switching apps or taking calls | Wait for the iPhone’s progress bar |
| Turn off Android mobile data | Wireless transfer disconnects | Leave Wi-Fi enabled |
| Disable Samsung network switching | Your Galaxy switches connections | Options vary by device |
| Forget competing saved networks | Android reconnects to another network | Pixel steps appear below |
| Restore app permissions | Connection or selected content fails | Allow location and relevant content access |
| Update Move to iOS | The app repeatedly stops or fails | Install any offered update on Android |
| Restart the iPhone | A fresh transfer attempt still fails | Buttons depend on the iPhone model |
| Restart Android | A fresh transfer attempt still fails | Pixel button combinations appear below |
| Force-stop Move to iOS | The Android app is stuck | Reopen it before retrying |
| Clear the app cache | The app remains stuck after reopening | General Pixel app troubleshooting |
| Reset the app’s saved data | Other app troubleshooting has failed | Start Move to iOS setup again afterward |
| Use a USB-C cable | Wireless retries keep failing | Both devices must support the connection |
| Check destination storage | The transfer is incomplete or the iPhone is full | Include selected microSD content |
| Erase the destination and retry | You need to repeat migration after setup | Back up the iPhone first |
| Restore with Finder on Mac | The iPhone will not provide a migration code | This erases the iPhone |
| Restore with Apple Devices on Windows | The iPhone will not provide a migration code | This erases the iPhone |
| Transfer without the app | You have compatible phones | Requires compatible Android 17 or later and supported iOS |
| Pair manually for app-free transfer | QR scanning fails in the compatible transfer flow | Enter the session ID and pairing code |
| Synchronize Google contacts | Google-hosted contacts are missing | Sign in through iPhone account settings |
| Install missing iOS apps | An app did not transfer | Availability and data restoration vary by app |
| Copy local files through a computer | Photos, music, books, or documents are missing | This does not reproduce every app’s private data |
| Contact support | Migration or an app’s data still fails | Contact Apple or the affected app’s developer |
Keep the transfer connection and app active
Start app-based migration during iPhone setup: choose From Android when asked about transferring apps and data, then choose Transfer with app. Follow the prompts in Move to iOS on Android. If you have already completed iPhone setup, use the backup and erase steps below before repeating the migration, or recover individual content separately.
For a wireless transfer, enable Android Wi-Fi and keep both phones nearby and powered. Enter the code shown on the iPhone into Move to iOS on Android, then tap Connect to join the temporary transfer network. Ignore a weak-internet warning during this connection.
Leave Move to iOS onscreen on Android throughout the transfer. Avoid opening another app or taking a call, because these can interrupt migration. Wait until the progress bar on the iPhone completes before using either phone.
Stop Android from switching networks
Apple recommends turning off Android cellular data before retrying. On a Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, then turn off Mobile data. Keep Wi-Fi enabled; other Android manufacturers use different paths for mobile data.
On a Samsung Galaxy with these switching controls, open Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > More options > Intelligent Wi-Fi. Turn off Switch to mobile data and Switch to better Wi-Fi networks where available. The options vary by Galaxy device.
If Android keeps reconnecting to a saved network, Apple also recommends forgetting known Wi-Fi networks before another attempt. On a Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > Internet > Saved networks. Open a competing saved network, tap Forget, and repeat for other saved networks that could take over the connection before restarting migration.
Allow the permissions your transfer needs
Move to iOS uses location access to establish the connection, while other permissions control which content it can transfer. On a Pixel using current Android permission controls, open Settings > Apps > See all apps > Move to iOS > Permissions. Open each permission needed for your transfer and choose Allow; for location, choose Allow only while using the app when offered.
Match the permissions to what is missing, such as messages, photos and videos, contacts, music and audio, calendar entries, or call logs. Permission names and choices depend on your Android version. Refusing an optional content permission does not disable every transfer feature, so missing photos alone do not necessarily mean the whole connection failed.
Update the app and restart both phones
On Android, open the official Move to iOS listing in Google Play and tap Update if offered. Apple lists fixes for unexpected transfer stops, message-transfer reliability, and progress accuracy. After updating, restart both phones before beginning another transfer.
On a Face ID iPhone, hold either Volume Up or Volume Down together with the Side button until the shutdown slider appears. Drag the slider, wait 30 seconds, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On an iPhone SE second or third generation, hold the Side button alone to display the shutdown slider, then follow the same shutdown and startup steps.
For a Pixel 6 or later, including Fold, hold Power + Volume Up for several seconds, then tap Restart. On a Pixel 5a or earlier, hold Power for approximately 30 seconds or until it restarts. Use your manufacturer’s restart button combination on other Android phones.
If Move to iOS itself remains stuck on a Pixel, open Settings > Apps > See all apps > Move to iOS, tap Force stop, then tap OK. Reopen the app and try again. If that fails, return to its app settings, open Storage & cache, and tap Clear cache before reopening it.
As a further app reset on Pixel, return to Storage & cache and tap Clear storage or Clear data, whichever your phone displays, then tap OK. This removes Move to iOS’s saved app data, so start its setup again. These are general Android app troubleshooting steps and do not guarantee a successful migration.
Try a supported USB connection
If wireless attempts keep dropping, connect your Android phone and iPhone with a USB-C cable before starting migration, provided both devices support that connection. Google describes the cable route as more reliable. Follow any Android prompt to adjust USB settings; the required USB-mode label varies by device.
During iPhone setup, choose From Android, then choose Transfer with app. Follow the prompts in Move to iOS on Android. Continue keeping the app onscreen until the iPhone finishes.
Check space before restarting iPhone setup
A transfer can remain incomplete when the selected Android content does not fit on the iPhone. Include content stored on a microSD card when checking how much you are moving. On an already configured iPhone, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage to inspect its storage.
If the destination filled up during an incomplete transfer, reduce the content selected for your next attempt, then erase the iPhone and retry. App-based migration starts during iPhone setup, so a configured destination needs to return to setup before you repeat it. Back up any existing iPhone data you want to keep before erasing, and do not erase the Android source phone.
On the iPhone, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, then tap Continue. To retain an activated eSIM, select Keep eSIM and Erase Data. Enter the requested passcode and Apple Account password, allow any backup to finish, and wait for the Hello screen.
Start setup again and choose From Android, then Transfer with app. Apply the connection and permission fixes before beginning another transfer. If you prefer to keep the configured iPhone as it is, use the manual content options below.
Recover a missing migration code
If the iPhone will not provide a migration code, Apple’s recovery procedure uses a computer to restore the iPhone. This erases the destination, so back up any existing iPhone data first. Use the following button sequence only on iPhones that use Apple’s side-button recovery procedure.
Hold the Side button and Volume Down, then drag the shutdown slider. Connect the iPhone to your computer while holding the Side button, and keep holding until the computer-and-cable recovery image appears. On a Mac, open Finder, select the iPhone under Locations, and choose Restore.
On Windows, open Apple’s Windows app download page if you need Apple Devices, then follow its Microsoft Store link and install the app. Open Apple Devices, select your iPhone, open General, select Restore [device], and choose Restore. After restoration on either computer, restart iPhone setup, choose From Android, and tap Continue on the transfer screen to generate another code.
Try transferring without the app
On compatible Android phones running Android 17 or later and supported iOS versions, including iOS 26.5, you can transfer without the Move to iOS app. During iPhone setup, choose From Android > Transfer without App > Continue. Use Android to scan the displayed QR code, select your data, and finish setup.
If QR scanning fails in this compatible app-free flow, tap Other Options on the iPhone. On Android, open Settings > Google Services > All Services > Pair with iPhone or iPad > Copy Data. Enter the displayed session ID and pairing code, then tap Continue.
Recover missing content separately
If only Google-hosted contacts are missing, open Settings > Apps > Contacts on your iPhone and use its account options to add your Google account. Tap Google, sign in, and make sure Contacts is turned on in your synchronization options. Open Contacts to start synchronization.
For a missing app, search for it in the App Store and install its iOS version if one is available. Contact that app’s developer for account or app-data restoration instructions.
Local photos, music, books, and documents can also move through a computer. Copy files from Android first, commonly from the DCIM, Music, and Documents folders, then disconnect Android and connect the iPhone. Import music into your music library and books or PDFs into the appropriate library before syncing. Use Finder on current macOS or Apple Devices on Windows to synchronize supported content.
Manual transfers do not reproduce every app’s private data and are not complete replacements for SMS or WhatsApp migration. If migration itself still fails after these fixes, contact Apple Support. For a failure confined to one app’s data, contact that app’s developer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you install Move to iOS without Google Play?
On Android 6.0 or later, open Apple’s official Move to iOS download page at https://support.apple.com/en-us/101590 and select Android 6.0 and later (Universal - recommended). Open the downloaded APK through your phone’s file browser and tap it. If installation is blocked, follow the phone’s displayed installation-permission instructions, then reopen the APK.
What should you do if Chrome bookmarks did not transfer?
Update Chrome on Android before retrying bookmark migration. Apple specifically recommends using an updated Chrome version when transferring those bookmarks.
Can you access files already stored in the cloud without repeating migration?
Yes, install the relevant cloud-storage app from the App Store and sign in to your existing account. Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can provide access to content already synchronized to those services. Supported streaming-music and reading apps can similarly restore access to content held in your account.
Should you update the phone software if migration keeps failing?
Software updates are a general troubleshooting option, but they do not guarantee a successful migration. On Pixel, open Settings > System > Software update, follow the available instructions, and retry after installation. On iPhone, back up existing data, connect to power and internet Wi-Fi, open Settings > General > Software Update, and tap Download and Install if offered. If you completed iPhone setup to install an update, erase the destination again before restarting app-based migration.