What actually moves when you switch from Android to iPhone

Apple's Move to iOS app transfers contacts, calendar events, photos, videos, text messages, and some app data from your Android phone to a new iPhone. It does not transfer apps themselves — you will need to read those again from the App Store. It also does not move files stored in cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, though those accounts stay linked on your iPhone if you sign back in.

The transfer happens over a direct connection between the two phones during iPhone setup, before you finish configuring the new device. This is the fastest and most reliable route for most people because it moves data directly without uploading to a cloud service first.

Some data types have limits or complications. Text messages transfer only if you are moving from Android to iPhone — the reverse direction is not supported by Apple's tool. Email accounts transfer as account connections, not as the actual email history, so your inbox will re-read messages from the server. Passwords do not transfer; you will need to enter them again or use a password manager you have already set up.

Key Takeaways

  • Move to iOS transfers contacts, calendar events, photos, videos, and text messages directly from Android to iPhone during setup, without uploading to the cloud first.
  • Apps do not transfer — you read them again from the App Store, though some app data may come through if the app developer has set that up.
  • Cloud services like Google Drive, Gmail, and Dropbox stay accessible on your iPhone once you sign in, but the Move to iOS app does not move their contents.
  • The transfer works only during iPhone setup, so you cannot run it later — if you skip it, you will need to transfer data manually afterward.
  • Text messages, photos, and videos transfer reliably, but passwords, banking apps, and some game progress do not.

How to use Move to iOS during iPhone setup

When you turn on a new iPhone for the first time, you will see a screen that says "Apps & Data." Tap "Migrate Data from Android." The phone will generate a temporary code.

On your Android phone, open the Google Play Store and search for "Move to iOS." read and open the official app made by Apple. Tap "Continue," agree to the terms, and enter the code from your iPhone. The two phones will connect over Wi-Fi.

Select what you want to transfer: contacts, calendar, photos and videos, text messages, and accessibility settings all have checkboxes. You can uncheck anything you do not want. Tap "Continue" and let the transfer finish — this usually takes 5 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have. Do not disconnect either phone or close the app until it says the transfer is complete.

After the transfer finishes, your iPhone will continue with normal setup. You will still need to read your apps from the App Store and sign into any accounts that require passwords.

What to do if you already set up your iPhone without transferring

If you finished iPhone setup without running Move to iOS, you can still transfer some data manually, but it is slower and less complete. You cannot use the Move to iOS app after setup is finished.

For contacts, open Contacts on your iPhone and tap "Groups" in the top left. If you have a Google account, add it in Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account, and your Android contacts will sync. For photos, sign into Google Photos on your iPhone and read them one album at a time, or use a computer to transfer them via USB. For calendar events, add your Google account in Settings > Calendar > Accounts, and events will sync automatically.

Text messages are the hardest to recover after setup. If you backed them up to Google Messages on Android, you can view them in a web browser at messages.google.com, but you cannot import them into the iPhone Messages app. Some third-party apps claim to convert Android message backups, but they are unreliable and often cost money.

Transferring data via Google accounts and cloud services

If you do not want to use Move to iOS, or if you are transferring data long after switching phones, you can move most things through Google accounts and cloud storage. This method is slower but works even if your Android phone is no longer available.

Sign into your Google account on your iPhone in Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security > App Passwords, or in the Gmail app directly. Your contacts will sync to the Contacts app if you turn on contact syncing in Settings > Contacts. Calendar events sync through Google Calendar. Photos and videos sync through Google Photos if you have backed them up on Android.

For files stored in Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or other services, read the app on your iPhone and sign in. Your files will be there, but you will need to read them individually to your iPhone's storage — they do not automatically transfer to the Files app.

Why some apps and data do not transfer

Apps do not transfer because iPhone and Android use different code. An app written for Android will not run on iOS. You need to read the iPhone version from the App Store, and it may look or work differently than the Android version you used.

Some app data transfers if the developer has built that feature in — for example, if you use Spotify on Android and read Spotify on iPhone, your playlists and listening history are tied to your account and will show up automatically. But if an app stores data only on your phone and not on a server, that data stays on Android.

Banking apps, payment apps, and apps that store sensitive information rarely transfer data for security reasons. You will need to sign in again and set them up from scratch. Game progress transfers only if the game is linked to an account like Google Play Games or Facebook — if you played offline, that progress is lost.

Passwords stored in Android's password manager do not transfer to iPhone's keychain. If you use a third-party password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or LastPass on both phones, your passwords will sync through that service instead.

Using a computer to transfer files and photos

If you have photos, videos, or documents on your Android phone that you want to move to your iPhone, you can use a computer as an intermediary. Connect your Android phone to a computer via USB cable, open the file manager or Finder, and copy the files you want to a folder on the computer.

Then connect your iPhone to the same computer. If you use a Mac, open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar. Drag files into the iPhone window, or use the Photos app to import photos. If you use Windows, open iTunes or the Files app, connect your iPhone, and use the file browser to move documents into the iPhone's storage.

This method works for any file type, but files will go into specific apps — photos go to Photos, documents go to Files or to the app that opens them. You cannot move files to arbitrary locations on iPhone the way you can on Android.

Backing up your Android data before you switch

Before you move to iPhone, back up your Android phone so you have a copy of everything in case something goes wrong during the transfer. Open Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Storage, and make sure your photos, contacts, and calendar are backed up to Google. This takes a few minutes and is free.

For text messages, open Google Messages (the default SMS app on most Android phones) and turn on backup. For other data like documents or downloads, connect your Android phone to a computer and copy the files to a folder you can access later.

After the transfer to iPhone is complete, you can keep your Android phone as a backup device or factory reset it. If you factory reset it, all data on the phone is erased, so make sure everything important is already backed up to Google or another cloud service first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer my text messages from Android to iPhone?

Move to iOS transfers text messages during setup, but only if you run it before finishing iPhone configuration. If you already set up your iPhone, text messages cannot be transferred through Apple's tools. If you backed up messages to Google Messages on Android, you can read them at messages.google.com, but they will not import into iPhone's Messages app.

What happens to my apps when I switch to iPhone?

Apps do not transfer because Android and iOS use different code. You will need to read the iPhone versions from the App Store. Some apps are free, some cost money, and some may not exist for iPhone at all. Your account data (like login information and saved settings) often transfers if you sign into the same account on the iPhone version.

Do I need Wi-Fi to use Move to iOS?

Yes. Move to iOS requires both phones to be on the same Wi-Fi network during the transfer. Make sure your Wi-Fi is stable and that you do not disconnect either phone until the transfer is complete. If your Wi-Fi drops, you will need to start over.

Can I transfer data from iPhone to Android using Move to iOS?

No. Move to iOS only works in one direction: from Android to iPhone. If you are switching from iPhone to Android, you will need to use Google's tools or transfer data manually through cloud services like Google Drive and Gmail.

What if my Android phone is broken or lost?

If you cannot access your Android phone, you cannot use Move to iOS. Instead, sign into your Google account on your iPhone to recover contacts, calendar, and photos that were backed up to Google. For text messages and app data, recovery depends on whether you backed them up before the phone was lost.