The transition from Android to iPhone is not only a change of ecosystem, but also a responsible process of transferring all important data. Even if you bought a new iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone SE 4, without proper migration you risk losing years of photos, correspondence or work contacts. In this article - step-by-step guide for all types of data, including hidden nuances that Apple and Google do not always voice.

The main problem during the transition is different data storage formats. For example, contacts on Android they are synchronized with Google Account, and on iPhone - with iCloud. Photos they can be stored in Google Photos, and on iPhone it is more convenient to transfer them via AirDrop or Explorer. We will analyze all current methods from the official application Move to iOS to manual transfer via a computer, taking into account the limitations and speed of each method.

Important: if you have Android with a version lower than 9.0 or an iPhone older than the 12th model, some methods may not work. In this case, use the alternative options from the last section of the article.

1. Official method: Move to iOS application from Apple

The simplest and most recommended method by Apple is using a proprietary application Move to iOS. It is free, supports the majority of data transfers (except for some applications) and works on all iPhones with iOS 15 and newer. The main advantage is automatic setup the new iPhone with maintaining the folder structure and tags.

How it works:

  • 📱 The application creates a temporary Wi-Fi network between devices to transfer data without clouds.
  • 🔄 Transfers: contacts, messages, photos/videos, email accounts, calendars, bookmarks Chrome.
  • ❌ Does not transfer: passwords from Google Password Manager, notes (except Google Keep), music (except purchased in iTunes).
  • ⚡ Speed: ~1 GB of data in 5-7 minutes (depending on the model of Wi-Fi chip in Android).

Step-by-step guide:

  1. On the new iPhone, when you turn it on for the first time, select Setup manually → Transfer data from Android.
  2. On Android, download Move to iOS from Google Play and open it.
  3. A 6- or 10-digit code will appear on the iPhone - enter it on Android.
  4. Select the data to transfer (you can disable unnecessary ones, for example call history).
  5. Wait for completion (do not interrupt the connection!). On iPhone, the data will appear in the corresponding applications.

Charge of both phones > 50%|Turn off mobile data on Android|Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network|Close all background applications on Android|Free up space on iPhone (you need at least 2x the amount of transferred data)-->

⚠️ Attention: If on Android is enabled battery optimization for the application Move to iOS, the transfer may be interrupted. Before you begin, add the application to the exceptions: Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → All apps → Move to iOS → Unlimited.

2. Transferring contacts: 3 alternative methods

If Move to iOS did not work or you want to transfer only contacts, there are more reliable methods. Contacts are the basis of communication, so duplicate them with at least two methods.

Method 1: Through Google Account (the most universal):

  1. On Android, check that contacts are synchronized with Google: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account synchronization → Contacts.
  2. On iPhone, add Google Account: Settings → Contacts → Accounts → Add account → Google.
  3. Enable contact synchronization. They will appear in the application Contact in 5-10 minutes.

Method 2: Export to file .vcf (for backup):

  • 📤 On Android: open Contacts → ⋮ → Managing contacts → Export/Import → Export to .vcf file.
  • 📥 Transfer the file to iPhone via AirDrop, Email or cloud.
  • 📱 On iPhone: open the file - contacts will be added automatically.

Method 3: Through SIM card (if there are few contacts):

  • 📶 On Android: Contacts → ⋮ → Manage contacts → Import/Export → Export to SIM.
  • 🔄 Replace the SIM in iPhone.
  • 📱 On iPhone: Settings → Contacts → Import SIM contacts.
Method Speed Restrictions Saves groups?
Google Account Instantly Requires Internet Yes
File .vcf 1–2 minutes Manual file transfer Yes
SIM card 5–10 minutes Limit ~250 contacts No
Move to iOS 3–5 minutes Works only when setting up iPhone for the first time Yes
💡

If contacts are duplicated after transfer, use the built-in merge function on iPhone: open the application Contact, click Groups in the upper left corner and select Merge duplicates.

3. Transferring photos and videos: clouds vs. wired connection

Photos and videos usually take up the most space. Here it is important to choose a method that Will not compress quality and will not drag on months of synchronization. Let's look at the options from fastest to most reliable.

Method 1: Google Photos → iCloud Photos (for large libraries):

  1. On Android, make sure all photos are uploaded to Google Photos (check in Settings → Backup).
  2. On iPhone download Google Photos from App Store and sign in to the same account.
  3. Enable Settings → Photos → iCloud Photo on iPhone.
  4. In Google Photos select albums or folders, click ⋮ → Save to device.

Method 2: Direct cable transfer (fastest):

  • 🔌 Connect Android to your computer (Windows/Mac) via USB.
  • 🖥️ Find the folder DCIM or Pictures on the connected device.
  • 📁 Copy the files to your computer, then transfer them to Photo iPhone via iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac).

Method 3: AirDrop for individual files (if there are not enough photos):

  • 📲 Enable AirDrop on iPhone: swipe down from the top right corner → hold the network block → AirDrop → For everyone.
  • 🤳 On Android, select a photo in the gallery → Share → AirDrop (if supported) or use the app Send Anywhere.
⚠️ Attention: When transferring via Google Photos check the settings quality: if you had High quality (compressed)enabled, the originals may have been lost. To restore the originals, go to Google Photos → Settings → Manage storage → Recover originals (available for 60 days after compression).
What to do if photos are not transferred due to the error “There is not enough space on the iPhone”

If the iPhone shows that there is enough space, but the photos are not copied, the problem may be in the file format. iPhone does not support .heic (Android 10+ format) for direct import. Solution:

1. On your computer, convert files to .jpg via Preview (Mac) or Paint (Windows).

2. Use Google Photos to automatically convert when downloading (settings → "Device compatibility").

4. Transferring messages: WhatsApp, SMS and Telegram

Messages are often the most valuable piece of data, especially if they contain work correspondence or important links. Unfortunately, Move to iOS only transfers SMS/MMS, but not chats from instant messengers. Let's look at each case separately.

SMS/MMS:

  • 💬 If you used Move to iOS, they are already on the iPhone in the application Messages.
  • 📤 For manual transfer, use applications like SMS Backup & Restore (Android) → export to .xml → import via iMazing (paid) to iPhone.

WhatsApp:

  • 🔄 Official method: Whatsapp Settings → Chat → Backup → Google Drive (on Android) → install WhatsApp on iPhone → restore from iCloud (if there was a copy previously).
  • ⚠️ Important: WhatsApp does not support direct transfer between platforms. If there is no backup copy, the chats will be lost. iCloud no, chats will be lost.

Telegram:

  • ☁️ All chats and media are stored in the Telegram cloud, so just install the application on your iPhone and log in to the same account.
  • 📁 For local transfer of secret chats: Settings → Chat → Export history (on Android) → send the file to yourself by email → open on iPhone.
Messenger Method transfer Is history saved? Do I need to pay?
SMS/MMS Move to iOS or SMS Backup & Restore Yes No / Yes (iMazing)
WhatsApp Google Drive backup → iCloud Only if there was a copy in iCloud No
Telegram Cloud synchronization Yes (except for secret chats) No
Viber Backup to Google Drive → manual transfer Partially (no calls) No

WhatsApp|Telegram|Viber|Signal|Other-->

5. Transferring applications and game data

Applications are the most difficult part of the migration because not all apps are in the App Storeand game progress is often tied to accounts. Here it is important to divide applications into three categories:

  1. Cross-platform (WhatsApp, Telegram, Spotify) - just install on iPhone and log in to your account.
  2. With unique data (games, fitness trackers) - require binding to Google Play Games or Game Center.
  3. Exclusive for Android (some banking applications, APK mods) - you will have to look for analogues.

Step-by-step guide for games:

  • 🎮 Check if the game supports cross-platform saving. For example, Genshin Impact or Clash Royale synchronized via account miHoYo or Google Play Games.
  • 🔗 If the game supports Facebook or Email link, log in to your iPhone using the same account.
  • 📱 For games without synchronization (for example, Offline projects) use Helium (Android) for backup → transfer the file to iPhone via iMazing (requires jailbreak).

List of popular applications and their transfer:

  • 💰 Banking applications: Uninstall on Android, install official versions from App Store (for example, SberBank Online, Tinkoff).
  • 🏃 Fitness trackers: Google Fit → export data to .zip → import to Apple Health via Health Auto Export (App Store).
  • 🎵 Music services: Spotify/Yandex Music - just log in to your account. local tracks use Waltr 2 (paid).
⚠️ Attention: Some applications (for example, AliExpress or Wildberries) may have different functions on iOS and Android. Before deleting from Android, check whether the iPhone version supports the options you need (for example, barcode scanning or push notifications).
💡

Before deleting applications from Android, take screenshots of the main screens with settings (for example, graphs in fitness trackers or saved filters in photo applications). This will help you quickly set up analogues on iPhone.

6. Transferring mail, calendars and notes

This data is often overlooked, but it is critical for work. Fortunately, transferring them is usually easier than transferring photos. messages, thanks to cloud services.

Mail (Gmail, Yandex, Mail.ru):

  • 📧 On iPhone, add an account: Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add account.
  • 🔄 If you use IMAP, all emails are synchronized automatically. For POP3 you will have to manually export/import via Outlook or Thunderbird.

Calendars:

  • 📅 If the calendars were in Google Calendar, they will appear on the iPhone after adding Google Account (see above).
  • 🔄 To transfer calendars from other services (for example, Yandex), export them to .ics → import to iCloud via icloud.com.

Notes:

  • 📝 Google Keep: install on iPhone and log into your account - the notes are synchronized.
  • 📄 Samsung Notes or others: export to .txt/.pdf → send to yourself by email → open on iPhone.

For Evernote or OneNote just install the application on your iPhone and log in to the same account. All notes, including attachments, will be available.

7. Manual transfer via computer (for experienced users)

If you need to transfer all data one time or the previous methods did not work, manual transfer via PC is the most reliable option. You will need:

  • 🖥️ Computer with Windows 10+ or macOS 12+.
  • 🔌 Cables USB-C/Lightning (original to avoid errors transfer).
  • 📂 ~20–30 GB of free space on the PC (for temporary files).

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Connect Android to the PC, allow file transfer (MTP mode).
  2. Copy the folders: 
    DCIM → Photos and videos

    Download → Downloads
    

    Documents → Documents
    

    WhatsApp/Media → Media from WhatsApp

  3. Connect iPhone to PC:
    • On Windows: use iTunes → select iPhone → File sharing → transfer files.
    • To Mac: open Finder → select iPhone → drag files to section Files.
  • For music, use Apple Music or Waltr 2 (bypasses iTunes restrictions).

    • Advantages of the method:

    • ✅ Full control over data (you can choose what to transfer).
    • ✅ There are no volume restrictions (except for space on the PC).
    • ✅ Works even with outdated devices.
    ⚠️ Attention: When you connect your iPhone to your PC for the first time, a prompt may appear "Trust this computer?". If you do not click Trust, iTunes/Finder will not see the device. Also check that the latest drivers for Apple Mobile Device Support (download from Apple site).

    8. What to do if nothing works: alternatives solutions

    If standard methods did not work, here are tested workarounds:

    Problem: Move to iOS does not find iPhone

    • 🔄 Restart both phones.
    • 📶 Turn off VPN i Bluetooth on both devices.
    • 📡 Connect both phones to one Wi-Fi network 2.4 GHz (5 GHz may not work).
    • 🔋 Check that the iPhone is turned on Airplane mode with active Wi-Fi (sometimes it helps).

    Problem: There is not enough space on iPhone for transfer

    • 🗑️ Free up space: Settings → General → iPhone storage → remove unnecessary applications.
    • ☁️ Temporarily transfer photos in iCloud (Settings → [Your name] → iCloud → Photos → Storage optimization).
    • 📱 Use external drive (for example, SanDisk iXpand) to transfer files.

    Problem: The application is not in the App Store

    • 🔍 Check the analogues: for example, instead of APK Mods use TweakBox or (requires a computer). data-i="386">web version AltStore (requires a computer).
    • 🌐 Use web version service (for example, Telegram Web or WhatsApp Web).

    If none of the methods help, contact Apple Support with error logs. To do this on iPhone: 

    Settings → Privacy → Analytics and improvements → Analysis data → Select the latest file with an error. → Share

    💡

    If you are transferring data to an iPhone from Android 12 or later, and errors occur with Move to iOS, try rolling back Android to version 11 via factory settings This is due to changes in the Wi-Fi Direct protocol in new versions. Android.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions when transferring from Android to iPhone

    Is it possible to transfer data from Android to iPhone after the first setup?

    Yes, but Move to iOS works only the first time turning on the iPhone. Alternatives:

    • Reset the iPhone to factory settings (Settings → General → Transfer or reset → Erase content and settingsand configure again.
    • Use manual transfer via computer or cloud services (see sections above).
    Why are the photos blurry or compressed after transfer?

    This is due to:

    • Automatic compression v Google Photos (check the quality settings).
    • Format conversions: iPhone does not support .heic Android 10+ Use Google Photos for conversion to .jpg.
    • Messenger restrictions: photos from WhatsApp are compressed when sent.

    Solution: transfer originals via cable or iCloud.

    How to transfer passwords from Google Password Manager to iPhone?

    Apple does not provide direct import from Google Password Manager, but there are workarounds:

    1. Export passwords from Google: go to passwords.google.com → ⋮ → Export → save .csv.
    2. Import to iCloud Keychain:
      • On Mac: Utilities → Keychain Access → File → Import.
      • On Windows: use iCloud for Windows → Options → Data → Sync.

    Alternative: use cross-platform managers like 1Password or Bitwarden.

    Is it possible to transfer call history from Android to iPhone?

    Yes, but not in all ways:

    • Move to iOS: transfers call history automatically.
    • Manual export: use Call Log Backup & Restore (Android) → export to .xml → import via iMazing (paid).
    • Limitation: iPhone does not show call duration from history (date/time only).
    How to transfer music from Android to iPhone without losing quality?

    Options in order of reliability:

    1. Apple Music/Spotify/Yandex Music: just log into your account - playlists are synchronized.
    2. Local tracks:
      • Copy the files (.mp3, .flac) to your computer → transfer to iTunes/Finder → synchronize with iPhone.
      • Use Waltr 2 (paid) for transfer without iTunes (supports FLAC, ALAC).
  • Streaming services: SoundCloud, Tidal - install applications on iPhone and download tracks again.

    • ⚠️ Attention: iPhone does not support .ogg and some .m4a codecs. Convert them to .mp3 via Audacity or VLC.