How to transfer data from Android to iPhone (and iPhone to iPhone)

The easiest way to transfer data from Android to iPhone is Apple’s Move to iOS app, which you run on your Android phone while setting up the new iPhone. It moves contacts, messages, photos, calendars and more over a temporary Wi-Fi connection.

Apple’s Move from Android to iPhone guide covers the process. Follow these steps (based on iOS 26).

Before you start

• Turn Wi-Fi on for your Android phone, and plug both phones into power.
• Check that your Android content, including anything on a Micro SD card, will fit on the iPhone.
• Update Chrome on your Android phone if you want your bookmarks to transfer.
• Use a new or freshly erased iPhone. If you’ve already finished setup, Apple says you need to erase it and start over, or move your content manually.

Move data from Android to iPhone

1. Turn on your new iPhone and place it near your Android phone.
2. Follow the on-screen setup steps. On the Quick Start screen, tap Set Up Without Another Device.
3. On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Android, then tap Transfer with App.
4. On your Android phone, open the Move to iOS app. If you don’t have it, tap the QR code button on the iPhone and scan it with the Android camera to open Google Play.
5. In the app, tap Continue, read the terms and tap Agree. Then choose Automatically Send or Don’t Send, and allow Location and Notification permissions if asked.
6. On the iPhone, tap Continue on the Move from Android screen and wait for a ten-digit or six-digit code.
7. Enter the code on your Android phone.
8. When asked, tap Connect to join the temporary Wi-Fi network the iPhone creates. Wait for the Transfer Data screen.
9. Select what you want to move, from contacts and SMS messages to call history, and tap Continue.
10. Leave both phones alone until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes, even if the Android says it’s done. Then tap Done on the Android and Continue on the iPhone.

Apple lists what transfers: contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, albums, files, bookmarks, mail accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, voice memos, call history and calendars. You’ll need to move music, books, and PDFs manually, and if you use a Cloud service such as Spotify, Apple Music, or YT Music, you’ll be all set. Your Android apps try to match App Store versions, which you then download yourself.

Keep the Move to iOS app open on screen throughout. Apple says opening another app or taking a call on the Android before it finishes stops your content from transferring.

Without the app (Android 17)

If your Android phone runs a compatible version of Android 17 or later, you can skip the app. On the Transfer Your Apps & Data page, tap From Android, then Transfer without App. Scan the QR code on the iPhone with your Android camera and choose the data to move. Check with your phone’s maker that it supports this.

If the transfer fails

Apple’s fixes: restart both phones, turn off cellular data on the Android, and forget saved Wi-Fi networks on it before trying again. If the iPhone ran out of space, erase it and start the transfer again.

iPhone to iPhone

For moving between iPhones, Apple’s Quick Start guide applies. Keep your current iPhone on Wi-Fi, with Bluetooth on, unlocked, and on the Home Screen. Turn on the new one next to it and follow the prompts. You can download from iCloud or transfer directly from your old phone. Keep both plugged in until it finishes, which can take a few hours and depends on how much data needs to be transferred.

Once you’ve switched, texting your old Android mates gets better too. See how iOS 26.5 improves RCS texting.