Moving from Android to iPhone is not not only a change of ecosystem, but also a migration of personal data. Among them, SMS messages often become the main headache: they cannot be simply copied to a flash drive, like photographs, and standard tools Apple (like Move to iOS) do not always work. Why does this happen?

The fact is that Android and iOS use different formats for storing messages: the first - databases SQLite in a folder /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/, the second is a proprietary format iMessage with synchronization via iCloud. There is no direct “bridge” between them, so you have to use workarounds. In this article we will look at 5 working methods SMS transfer, including those that work even if Move to iOS gives an error or the phone is already activated.

Important: if you are planning a transfer after first settings iPhone, some methods will become unavailable. In this case, you will have to reset the device to factory settings - we will also talk about this in detail.

Before you start, check:

  • 📱 Android version: the methods work on Android 8.0+, but for older devices (for example, Samsung Galaxy S7) it may be necessary root access.
  • 🍎 iOS version: iOS 17+ some third-party utilities are blocked - we will indicate current workarounds.
  • 🔌 Battery charge: the transfer process can take up to 2 hours, especially if messages more than 10,000.
📊 Which data transfer method have you tried before?
Move to iOS
Manual export via email
Third-party apps (for example, Dr.Fone)
Nothing tried

1. Official method: Move to iOS from Apple

App Move to iOS is the only method that Apple is officially recommended. It transfers not only SMS, but also contacts, photos, mail accounts and even some settings. However, it has critical limitations:

✅ Pros:

  • 🔄 Free and does not require root access.
  • 📤 Also transfers MMS attachments (photos, videos).
  • 🔒 Data transmitted over a secure channel (Wi-Fi Direct).

❌ Cons:

  • 🚫 Works only during the first setup of the iPhone. If the device is already activated, you will have to reset.
  • ⏳ Slow speed: ~500 messages per hour.
  • 📵 Often crashes Android 12+ due to conflicts with background processes.

If you are ready to reset iPhone, follow the instructions:

  1. On Android download Move to iOS from Google Play.
  2. On iPhone at the setup stage, select Transfer data from Android.
  3. On Android Enter the 6- or 10-digit code that will appear on iPhone.
  4. Select Messages in the list of data to transfer and wait for completion.
⚠️ Attention: If the transfer is interrupted, restart Move to iOS may duplicate messages. Before trying again, delete the already transferred SMS to iPhone manually.

Turn off Wi-Fi on Android (the application will create its own network)|Close all background applications on both phones|Connect both devices to charge|Make sure there is enough space on the iPhone (SMS take up ~1-2 MB per 1000 messages)

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2. Exporting SMS to a file and importing to iPhone

If Move to iOS did not work or you do not want to reset iPhone, you can export messages to an intermediate file (for example, .xml or .csv), and then import them to a new device. This method requires more steps, but is more reliable.

To export you will need an application SMS Backup & Restore (free, without root):

  1. Install the application on Android and open it.
  2. Click Set up a backup → select SMS (you can also add MMS and Call logs).
  3. In the section Advanced options set the format XML (it is best compatible with tools for iOS).
  4. Run a backup and save the file to Google Drive or to your computer.

To import to iPhone use iMazing (paid, ~$40) or AnyTrans (free trial version):

  1. Connect iPhone to your computer and open the app.
  2. Select Messages → Import from File.
  3. Download .xmlfile c Android.
  4. Wait for synchronization to complete (can take up to 30 minutes).
⚠️ Attention: Free versions of import apps (for example, iExplorer) often cut off messages older than 3 months. Check the limits before purchasing!
Method Cost Does root required? Saves investments? Works on iOS 17?
Move to iOS Free No Yes Yes
SMS Backup & Restore + iMazing $40 No Yes Yes
Dr.Fone — Phone Transfer $39.95 No Yes Yes (with update)
Manual export via email Free No No Yes

3. Transfer via email (manual method)

If you have few messages (up to 500), you can send them to yourself by mail and manually save them to iPhone. This method does not require additional apps, but takes a lot of time.

Instructions for Android:

  1. Open the application Messages.
  2. Press your finger on the first message in the dialogue → select Select.
  3. Mark all the required SMS (or click Select all).
  4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Forward → select your mail.
  5. Send the letter to yourself.

To iPhone:

  1. Open the received letter in Mail.
  2. Copy the text of the messages.
  3. Open the application Messages, create a new dialogue with the same contact.
  4. Insert text and send a message to yourself (this way it will be saved in history).

⚠️ Method limitations:

  • 📅 Message dates will not be saved —all SMS will be with the current timestamp.
  • 📎 Attachments (photos, videos) will have to be sent separately.
  • 🔄 If there are more than 200 messages, Gmail may block sending as spam.
💡

To speed up the process, use the Reminder feature in Gmail: send messages in batches of 50 with an interval of 5 minutes.

4. Using third-party apps (Dr.Fone, MobileTrans)

If you need to transfer not only SMS, but also WhatsApp, contacts and photos, you should consider paid utilities. They work on the one-click principle and support cross-platform transfer.

🔹 Top-3 apps for transferring SMS from Android to iPhone:

  • 🥇 Dr.Fone — Phone Transfer (Wondershare): transfers SMS, MMS, contacts, photos and even applications. Cost: $39.95 (lifetime license). Plus: works on iOS 17 without jailbreak.
  • 🥈 MobileTrans (Wondershare): similar functionality, but with support iCloud-backups. Cost: $35.99 per year.
  • 🥉 Syncios: free version transfers up to 100 SMS, full version - $29.95. Minus: slow support.

📌 Step-by-step guide for Dr.Fone:

  1. Download and install the app on your computer (Windows or Mac).
  2. Connect both phones via USB (turn on USB debugging to Android).
  3. In the main menu, select Phone Transfer → Switch.
  4. Specify Android as a source, iPhone as a destination.
  5. Tick the checkbox Messages and click Start Transfer.
⚠️ Attention: Some apps (for example, MobileTrans) can reset the network settings to iPhone after the transfer. Before use, check the reviews for the current version!
What to do if the app does not see the iPhone?

1. Update iTunes to the latest version (even if you don't use it).

2. Reconnect the USB cable (use the original one from Apple).

3. On iPhone, allow access to data in the “Trust this computer?” pop-up window.

4. Reboot both devices.

5. Transferring SMS via SIM card (outdated method)

Previously, messages could be saved to SIM card and transferred to a new phone. Today this method almost does not work for two reasons:

  • 📱 Modern Androidsmartphones (starting from Android 10) do not support saving SMS to SIM.
  • 🍎 iPhone never could read SMS from a SIM card - only contacts.

However, if you have an old phone (for example, Nokia or Samsung Galaxy S5), you can try:

  1. On Android open Messages → click on the three dots → Settings → Import/Export → Export to SIM.
  2. Insert SIM in iPhone.
  3. Open Contact → click on Importing SIM contacts (Import SMS will not work, but the contacts will be transferred).

Important: this method is only suitable for transferring contacts, not SMS. For messages, it is useless on all devices newer than 2016.

6. Transferring SMS after setting up iPhone (if Move to iOS did not work)

If you have already activated iPhone and do not want to reset it, there are two options left:

  1. Use cloud services (for example, Google Messages + iCloud).
  2. Restore Android backup to iPhone via computer (requires iMazing or AnyTrans).

🔹 Method with Google Messages:

  • 📱 On Android install Google Messages and enable synchronization in the settings.
  • 🌐 On iPhone open messages.google.com in Safari and log in to the same account Google.
  • 📤 Export the necessary messages manually (by screenshots or copying text).

🔹 Method with iMazing:

  • 🖥️ Connect Android to your computer and make a backup via SMS Backup & Restore.
  • 📱 Connect iPhone and import the backup via iMazing (select the option Merge with existing data).
⚠️ Attention: When importing via iMazing messages may be duplicated if iPhone already exists dialogs with the same contacts. Before importing, it is recommended to archive current SMS to iPhone via Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Messages → Enable.
💡

If iPhone already configured, the only reliable way to transfer SMS is to use paid utilities (iMazing, Dr.Fone) or manual export via email/cloud.

Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even when following instructions, users often encounter problems. Here are the most common errors and their solutions:

  • 🔌 "Move to iOS does not see Android":
    • Disable Mobile data on both phones.
    • Reboot Android and try again.
    • Make sure that Android is turned off Power saving mode.
  • ⚠️ "The transfer was interrupted at 99%. Assist:
    • Check if there is enough space for iPhone (minimum 1 GB of free space required).
    • Disable Wi-Fi Assist in settings iPhone (Cellular → Wi-Fi Assist).
  • 📱 "Old SMS are not displayed on iPhone":
    • Check if synchronization is enabled in Settings → Messages → iCloud message synchronization.
    • Reboot iPhone —sometimes messages appear after a reboot.

If none of the methods worked, the last option remains - contact the service center. Some workshops offer data transfer for 500–1500 rubles, but make sure that they have experience with cross-platform migration.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about transferring SMS from Android to iPhone

❓ Is it possible to transfer SMS from Android to iPhone without computer?

Yes, but only through Move to iOS (during the first setup) or manual export via email. To import large amounts of data (more than 1000 messages), a computer is required.

❓ Will messages from WhatsApp/Viber be transferred along with SMS?

No, Move to iOS and other apps transfer only standard SMS/MMS. For messengers, separate backups are needed:

  • 📱 WhatsApp: Settings → Chat → Backup (saved in Google Drive, but restored to iPhone not allowed - only chat history via email).
  • 💬 Viber: Settings → Account → Backup (only on Android, for iPhone you will have to transfer manually).

❓ Why did some messages disappear after transferring to iPhone?

This is a typical problem when using Move to iOS. Reasons:

  • 📵 Interrupted Wi-Fi Direct connection.
  • 🗃️ Lack of space on iPhone (the app skips old messages).
  • 🔍 Conflict with iCloud: If message synchronization was enabled before the transfer, new data may overwrite the old.

Solution: repeat the transfer, first disabling Messages in iCloud and freeing up space.

❓ Can I transfer SMS from Android to iPhone via Bluetooth?

No, Apple blocks the transmission of messages via Bluetooth due to security restrictions. The maximum that can be transferred is contacts or files (photos, videos).

❓ How to transfer SMS from broken Android (does not turn on, broken screen)?

If the phone does not work, but turns on:

  • 🔌 Connect it to your computer and use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to extract the SMS database: 
    adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
  • 🖥️ Open the file mmssms.db via SQLite Browser and export messages to .csv.

If the phone does not turn on:

  • 🛠️ Contact the service center to remove the memory chip (if the messages were not encrypted).
  • ☁️ Check if SMS synchronization with Google is enabled (on some firmware, for example, MIUI or Flyme, this is possible).