To transfer your data from Android to iPhone, use Apple’s Move to iOS app during iPhone setup, choose From Android, and select the content you want to copy. This moves supported contacts, messages, photos, files, calendars, and other categories. Your iPhone must be new or erased for this setup transfer.
If you already use your iPhone, you can bring over content through account syncing and manual transfers. Move to iOS does not make a complete copy of Android, and some apps require their own import or synchronization steps.
The short version
- Start during setup: Choose From Android on the iPhone’s Transfer Your Apps & Data screen.
- Choose a connection: Move to iOS supports wireless transfer and compatible USB-C cable connections.
- Include WhatsApp: Select it during the transfer, then import its data on iPhone using the same phone number.
- Keep existing iPhone content: Use account syncing or manual transfers if you do not want to erase an already configured iPhone.
| Method | What you can move | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Move to iOS wirelessly | Supported messages, contacts, media, and files | New or erased iPhone and Android 6.0 or later |
| Move to iOS by cable | The same supported categories | Compatible USB-C connection and iPhone setup |
| Transfer without App | Data offered during setup | Eligible Android 17 or later device |
| WhatsApp migration | Chats and media | Move to iOS and the same phone number |
| Mail account setup | Server-held email | Provider authentication |
| Google contact syncing | Google-stored contacts | Existing Google Account |
| Service apps | Cloud music, books, and documents | Content synced to that service |
| Google Photos | Access to your backed-up photo library | Sufficient Google storage |
| Finder photo syncing | Photos copied to a Mac | macOS Catalina or later and iCloud Photos off |
| Apple Devices photo syncing | Photos copied to Windows | Supported PC and iCloud Photos off |
| Computer music syncing | Compatible local songs | Computer music library |
| Computer file transfer | EPUB books, PDFs, and documents | Compatible files and receiving apps |
| Google password autofill | Access to Google passwords and passkeys | Google and Chrome apps on iPhone |
| Authenticator synchronization | Codes saved to your Google Account | Same account in both Authenticator apps |
| Authenticator QR transfer | Device-only codes | Access to the Android phone |
Prepare your iPhone and get Move to iOS
Choose whether to transfer during setup or keep your iPhone’s existing setup. The current Move to iOS app supports Android 6.0 and later. If you want to keep an already configured iPhone as it is, use the account and manual transfer methods below.
Erasing the iPhone removes its existing content, so back up anything you need before proceeding. To erase your iPhone for setup, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, then tap Continue. Select Keep eSIM and Erase Data to retain cellular provisioning, and complete the passcode, backup, and Apple Account authentication prompts. When Hello appears, begin setup again.
On Android, open the official Move to iOS listing and tap Install. Allow access to the categories you intend to transfer, such as contacts, messages, media, and calendars.
Without Google Play, use Apple’s Move to iOS download page and choose Android 6.0 and later (Universal - recommended). Open the downloaded APK in Android’s file browser and, when prompted, permit installation from that source using your phone’s displayed security controls. Those controls vary by manufacturer.
If the Android migration screen is missing on a work or school iPhone, ask its administrator to review the Setup Assistant configuration. Apple lets organizations skip the Android migration screen, so its availability can depend on your organization’s settings.
Copy your data with Move to iOS
During iPhone setup, stop at Transfer Your Apps & Data, choose From Android, then select Transfer with App. Open Move to iOS on Android and tap Continue, followed by Agree. Choose Automatically Send or Don't Send, then grant the requested permissions.
On the iPhone, tap Continue to display the pairing code. Enter that code on Android, then tap Connect. Select the content you want to move and tap Continue; if you include WhatsApp, follow its preparation steps below during this stage.
Wait until the progress bar on the iPhone finishes. Then tap Done on Android and complete the remaining iPhone setup steps.
Apple describes a compatible USB-C cable connection as a faster alternative to wireless transfer. Connect Android and iPhone with the cable before following the same setup workflow. If Android requests a USB-setting change, follow the prompt displayed on that phone.
Bring your WhatsApp chats across
WhatsApp requires its latest app on both phones, a new or reset iPhone, and the same phone number on the destination phone. Its migration minimums are Android 5 and iOS 15.5, but current app-install requirements still apply, including Move to iOS’s Android requirement. Existing iPhone chat history cannot be merged with the Android history, WhatsApp call history does not transfer, and this route excludes WhatsApp Business.
On the Transfer Data screen in Move to iOS, select WhatsApp. Tap Start on Android and let WhatsApp prepare the data. Tap Next to return to Move to iOS, then tap Continue to carry on with the transfer.
After completing iPhone setup, install WhatsApp and register the same phone number. When prompted, tap Start and let the import finish before completing activation. If WhatsApp is already installed, update the app on iPhone to meet the latest-version requirement.
Use the built-in transfer on compatible Android phones
Eligible Android 17 and later devices can transfer during setup without the Move to iOS app. Eligibility depends on the manufacturer, and Apple shows this route on iOS 26.5. During setup, choose From Android > Transfer without App, then tap Continue.
Use Android to scan the iPhone QR code, then select the data to copy. Once copying finishes, tap Continue on iPhone. If your Android phone is not eligible for this route, use Move to iOS instead.
For manual pairing instead of scanning, tap Other Options on the iPhone’s QR screen. On the compatible Android phone, open Settings > Google Services > All Services > Pair with iPhone or iPad > Copy Data. Enter the displayed session ID and pairing code, then tap Continue.
Reconnect email contacts and app accounts
To retrieve email stored with your provider, open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account on iPhone. Enter your email address, tap Next, and complete the provider’s authentication. This retrieves server-held mail rather than copying Android’s local mail storage.
For contacts stored in Google, open Settings > Apps > Contacts > Add account > Google. Sign in, enable the desired synchronization, and tap Save, then open Contacts to start syncing. If the account already exists, use Accounts; Google says you can skip contact syncing if Move to iOS already copied your contacts.
Install the corresponding iPhone apps for content already synced to other services, then sign in to your existing accounts. This works for streaming music, Kindle, Nook, Google Play Books, and documents in Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Search the App Store for other Android app equivalents, keeping in mind that each app’s licenses and data rules apply.
Keep photos available or copy them from a computer
To keep your pictures accessible through Google Photos, open the app on Android and sign in. Tap your profile picture, then open Photos settings > Backup. Turn on Backup and wait for Backup complete; you need sufficient Google storage for your supported photos and videos.
On iPhone, sign in to Google Photos with the same account to access that library. This does not automatically import everything into Apple Photos.
For local pictures, connect Android to a computer and copy the wanted files from its DCIM folder into a computer folder. Disconnect Android, then connect the iPhone. Use Finder on a compatible Mac or Apple Devices on a supported Windows PC to synchronize the pictures.
On macOS Catalina or later, connect and unlock the iPhone, select it in Finder, and open Photos. Manual photo syncing requires iCloud Photos to be off. Select Sync photos to your device from, choose the folder containing your Android pictures and the desired albums or folders, then click Apply and, if needed, Sync.
On a supported Windows PC, get Apple Devices through Apple’s Windows app download page. Connect the iPhone, open Apple Devices, select the phone, and choose Photos to configure synchronization from your copied photo folder. Apply the synchronization; photo-sync options are hidden when iCloud Photos is enabled. If you want to keep iCloud Photos enabled, the Google Photos method above gives you access to your backed-up library through that app.
Move local music books and documents
To transfer accessible local files after iPhone setup, connect Android to a computer. Copy the wanted content from its Music or Documents folders into computer folders. Then disconnect Android and connect the iPhone.
Import copied songs into your computer’s music library, using Apple Music for library management on Windows. You can get Apple Music through the same Apple Windows download page used for Apple Devices. Select your iPhone in Finder or Apple Devices, open Music, choose the library content, and click Sync. This route handles compatible local audio files; protected downloads depend on their original service.
On a Mac, add copied EPUB books and PDFs to Books, then synchronize them through Finder. Apple Devices also handles supported Windows transfers. For office documents, install the receiving iPhone apps and transfer the copied files through Finder or Apple Devices. If your books or documents are already stored in an online service, you can instead sign in to that service’s iPhone app.
Move Google passwords and authenticator codes separately
Sign in only through Google’s own app or website, and never share a code, password, or remote access with someone who contacts you. To continue using Google-stored passwords and passkeys, sign in to your existing Google Account in the iPhone Google and Chrome apps. Open Settings > General > Autofill & Passwords, then turn on Autofill Passwords & Passkeys. Under Autofill from, enable Google Chrome and Google.
This lets you use credentials through Google Password Manager rather than importing them into Apple Passwords. Your Authenticator codes have their own synchronization or manual transfer process.
For Google Authenticator codes saved to your Google Account, sign in to that same account inside Authenticator on both phones to synchronize them. Synchronization requires Authenticator 6.0 or later on Android and 4.0 or later on iOS, while the current iPhone download requires iOS 17 or later.
Device-only Authenticator codes need a manual transfer while you still have the Android phone. In Android’s Authenticator app, open Menu > Transfer codes > Export codes, unlock the phone, select the accounts, and tap Next. On iPhone, open Authenticator’s Menu > Transfer accounts > Import accounts, then scan every QR code generated on Android.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you transfer contacts using a SIM card?
Yes, if the contacts are stored on a physical SIM and the iPhone has a compatible SIM slot. Insert the SIM, then open Settings > Apps > Contacts > Import SIM Contacts, choose a destination if asked, and check Contacts. This physical-card method is unavailable on eSIM-only iPhones.
Can you move contacts as a file instead of syncing an account?
Yes, you can export contacts as a vCard and import that file on iPhone. In Google Contacts on Android, open Menu > Settings > Export, choose the source accounts, and tap Export to .VCF file. Send the file to an account accessible on iPhone, then tap the .vcf attachment in an email or message to import it. Android Contacts layouts can vary by app and version.
Can you transfer files using a USB drive or SD card?
Yes, with a compatible drive or card and the appropriate iPhone connector or reader. Place your Android files on the storage device, attach it to iPhone, then open Files, select Browse, and choose the device under Locations. Open or copy the files using the receiving app. The storage device needs a supported filesystem and one data partition, and some drives need external power.
Can someone at an Apple Store help with the transfer?
Apple offers data-transfer and plan-activation assistance when you buy an iPhone from Apple. Bring both phones to an Apple Store and request setup and data-transfer assistance. What can transfer still depends on the phones and the data involved.