On this page
To switch from iPhone to Android, back up your important files, use the Android phone’s guided transfer during setup, and turn off iMessage before you rely on the new phone for texts.
A compatible cable is often the most straightforward transfer method, although supported wireless options vary by phone. Keep the iPhone until you have checked photos, messages, logins, and cellular service on Android.
Prepare the iPhone before you begin
Start by making a current iPhone backup through iCloud or a computer. This gives you a recovery option for the iPhone; it is not a backup you can simply restore onto Android.
- Update both phones if setup allows, and charge them fully or connect power.
- Confirm your Apple Account and Google account passwords.
- Check that the Android phone has room for the content you plan to copy.
- Gather a compatible data cable and any required adapter.
- Keep your iPhone passcode handy so you can approve access during transfer.
A Lightning-to-USB-C or USB-C-to-USB-C connection may be appropriate, depending on your devices. A cable that charges successfully does not necessarily support data transfer.
Review authenticator apps, banking access, and your password manager before changing phones. Export or sync credentials using each app’s official process, and save account recovery codes securely. Do not assume verification codes will move with ordinary app data.
If your iPhone is managed by work or school, ask your administrator about enrollment and data restrictions. Personal migration tools may not transfer managed apps or protected documents.
Understand what can and cannot transfer
Android setup tools can copy supported content such as contacts, photos, videos, calendars, and messages. The exact selection depends on the manufacturer, software versions, and whether you use a cable or wireless transfer.
An iPhone app itself cannot run on Android. The setup process may help you locate Android equivalents, but paid purchases generally do not transfer between app stores. Account-based subscriptions may work after login while remaining billed through Apple.
Check these items separately:
- Apple Notes may require manual export or another supported sharing method.
- Health records and activity history may not move completely between ecosystems.
- Wallet cards, transit passes, and payment credentials need provider-specific handling.
- Downloaded movies and music may need to be downloaded again in compatible apps.
- Games need supported account syncing to preserve progress across platforms.
For WhatsApp, follow its current official iPhone-to-Android instructions before setup. Supported chat migration can depend on a cable, the receiving phone, and completing the steps at the right point. An iCloud chat backup is not directly interchangeable with an Android backup.
Copy your data during Android setup
The best time to transfer is usually when the Android phone first asks whether you want to copy apps and data. Manufacturer tools, including Samsung Smart Switch on Galaxy phones, may also offer supported transfer options afterward.
- Turn on the Android phone and connect to a trusted Wi-Fi network.
- Choose the option to copy data from an existing phone.
- Connect the iPhone when prompted, or follow the offered wireless instructions.
- Unlock the iPhone and approve Trust or access prompts if shown.
- Select the available categories you want to copy.
- Leave both phones connected until the receiving phone says the transfer is complete.
Read the selected categories instead of assuming every box is checked. Some transfers copy local files but need separate steps for content stored only in iCloud.
For planning, use the Bandwidth & Transfer Time Calculator to estimate how long a known file size might take at a given speed. Actual migration also includes processing, app downloads, and account checks, so allow extra time.
Bring cloud photos and documents with you
If Optimize iPhone Storage is enabled, full-resolution photos may live in iCloud rather than on the iPhone. A cable transfer should not be your only verification that those originals have arrived.
You can install Google Photos on the iPhone and back up your library before switching, making sure uploads finish. Apple also offers a supported transfer of copies from iCloud Photos to Google Photos in eligible regions and accounts through its Data and Privacy service. Review current limitations, including unsupported content and album behavior.
Whichever method you choose, confirm that your destination account has enough storage. Open recent and older photos from another device and play several videos. Avoid uploading the same library through multiple routes without understanding possible duplicates.
For documents, identify files stored in iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, and individual apps. Copy important files into a service available on Android or export them to a computer. Our automatic photo backup guide explains how to distinguish a completed upload from a pending one.
Move your number and disable Apple messaging
Before leaving the iPhone behind, turn off iMessage and FaceTime. On recent iOS versions, look under Settings > Apps > Messages and Settings > Apps > FaceTime; older versions place these directly in Settings.
- Turn off iMessage for your number on the iPhone.
- Turn off FaceTime for the number as well.
- Activate your physical SIM or eSIM on Android using your carrier’s instructions.
- Test incoming and outgoing calls with Wi-Fi disabled.
- Send and receive ordinary text messages, including one from an iPhone contact.
If you no longer have the iPhone, use Apple’s official online iMessage deregistration service. Some conversations may need a fresh message thread after the change.
Do not erase an eSIM or cancel service early. Carrier activation and personal-data transfer are separate operations, and the exact eSIM process varies. Check eSIM Explained: How to Switch and Travel With One if you are unsure which step affects your number.
Troubleshooting and your final checks
If copying stops, check the cable, unlock both phones, and review any unanswered permission prompts. Restart the guided process only after reading the manufacturer’s instructions; avoid factory-resetting a phone that now contains unique data.
Missing contacts may belong to an account you have not added yet. Check Google, iCloud, and other accounts before importing duplicates. Missing files inside a particular app usually require that app’s own sync or export process.
Before erasing the iPhone, test email, banking, password access, authentication codes, calendar events, and important documents. Compare several old message threads and photo dates, not just the most recent items.
Finish without rushing
Use Android for a few normal days before giving up the iPhone. Once everything important works, remove the old device from relevant services and follow Apple’s sign-out and erase instructions before selling or trading it in.
Reach designers & developers at work
Put your product next to the tools people use every day. One sponsor per placement, no tracking pixels.
Become a sponsor