Life Transitions

Intermediate

4 min read 8 stepsApril 20, 2026Verified April 2026

How to Switch from Android to iPhone

Apple's "Move to iOS" app transfers most of your data automatically. Here is how to switch from Android to iPhone the right way.

At a Glance

Set up the new iPhone just past the language screen

~20s

Power on the new iPhone. Follow the setup until you reach the "Apps & Data" or "Transfer Your Apps & Data" screen. CRITICAL: do not skip this screen. If you already skipped it, go to SettingsGeneralTransfer or Reset iPhoneErase All Content and Settings, and start the setup over.

Choose "Move Data from Android"

~15s

On the "Apps & Data" screen, choose "Move Data from Android". The iPhone displays a 6-10 digit code. Keep it on this screen.

Install Move to iOS on your Android

~18s

On your Android phone, open Google Play, search for "Move to iOS", and install Apple's official app (the publisher should be "Apple Inc."). Open it, accept terms, and tap Continue. When prompted, enter the code shown on the iPhone. The two phones will pair via a temporary Wi-Fi network.

Select what to transfer and wait

~18s

The Android app asks what to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, Chrome bookmarks, email accounts, calendars. Select everything you want. Tap Continue. Keep both phones plugged in and do NOT use them during the transfer. It can take 30 to 60 minutes for large photo libraries. When done, the iPhone continues its setup.

Handle WhatsApp chat history separately

~21s

Install WhatsApp on the new iPhone and sign in with the same phone number. During first-time setup, WhatsApp detects the Move to iOS process is running and offers to import your Android chat history — this is a newer feature (2022+). Accept it. If you missed the prompt, you will have to start fresh (or export chats as text files from Android first).

Restore your Google services on iPhone

~18s

Install the Google suite of apps from the App Store: Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Chrome. Sign in with your Google account. Google Photos will show your entire library from Android. Mail and Calendar sync automatically. This is how most Android-to-iPhone switchers keep their ecosystem while gaining iPhone features.

Rebuy or find replacements for paid Android apps

~19s

Apps bought on Google Play do NOT transfer to the App Store. Make a list of your most-used Android apps before switching. Most have iOS versions (usually free to re-download with the same account for services like Spotify or Netflix; paid games usually cost again). Check each before switching to avoid surprises.

Learn the key iPhone gestures

~21s

There is no back button — swipe from the left edge of the screen to go back. To close an app, swipe up from the bottom and release. To switch between apps, swipe up and hold, then pick the app. To access Control Center, swipe down from the top right. Settings are consolidated in one Settings app instead of multiple per-app Android settings screens.

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Switching from Android to iPhone is smoother than going the other direction. Apple built an official app called "Move to iOS" (free on Google Play) just to handle the transfer. It moves your contacts, text messages, calendar events, camera photos and videos, email accounts, Chrome bookmarks, and even some apps — all in one go during the iPhone's initial setup. The transfer takes about 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how many photos you have.

There's one rule you can't skip: start the transfer during the brand-new iPhone's initial setup screen, not after. If you've already set up and used the iPhone, you'll need to erase it and start over to run Move to iOS. When you first turn on the new iPhone, at the "Apps & Data" step, choose "Move Data from Android." Then install Move to iOS on your Android and follow the pairing code.

Some things do not transfer automatically. WhatsApp chat history needs a newer, separate migration feature. Paid Android apps have to be rebought as iOS versions. Google Photos needs you to sign in to the Google Photos iOS app after setup — then your whole library appears. And some Google services work better on their Android versions. Plan to spend another hour after the transfer signing into your apps (email, banking, streaming) and setting up Apple features like Face ID and iCloud. A few things will feel strange at first: there's no back button (iPhone uses a swipe gesture from the left edge), no file manager (iPhone hides the file system), and no app drawer — every app lives on the home screen, though you can hide some in the App Library.

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