How to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

The set-up of a new Android phone can pull most things straight from an iPhone: contacts, calendars, photos and videos on the phone, messages, notes and many apps. A few things do not come across, and one setting on the iPhone must be changed first, or texts from other iPhone users will go missing.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones and Google's own apps on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them.

Step by step

1. Turn off iMessage on the iPhone

   Open Settings, Apps, Messages and switch iMessage off. Do the same for FaceTime. Otherwise other iPhones keep sending you blue messages that never reach the Android phone.

   Done

2. Prepare both phones

   Charge both fully. Know the passcode of the iPhone. Check that the new phone has enough storage, and plan time: usually under half an hour, with a lot of data several hours.

   Done

3. Start the Android phone

   Switch it on and follow the set-up. When it asks whether to copy apps and data, choose iPhone or iPad.

   Done

4. Connect the phones

   With a cable: use the iPhone's charging cable, with a USB-C adapter if needed, and stay nearby to enter the iPhone passcode when asked. Without a cable: scan the QR code on the Android phone with the iPhone camera and install the Android Switch app from the App Store, which needs iOS 15 or later. On the newest phones the QR code starts a direct wireless transfer.

   Done

5. Sign in and set up the SIM

   Connect to Wi-Fi, sign in to your Google Account, and move the SIM card across or download the eSIM from your provider.

   Done

6. Choose what to copy

   Tick the kinds of data: contacts, calendars, photos and videos, messages, notes, call history, voice memos, apps, wallpaper and settings. Free apps are installed from the Play Store.

   Done

7. Wait until it is finished

   Keep both phones connected and close together until the Android phone says the copy is complete.

   Done

Good to know

Not copied: photos that exist only in iCloud, paid apps and in-app purchases, Safari bookmarks and health data. For iCloud photos, Apple offers a transfer to Google Photos at privacy.apple.com.

WhatsApp chats are moved in a separate step during set-up, with a cable. Start it when the Android phone offers it. It cannot be done later without resetting.

Use Google Messages for texts on the new phone, and turn on RCS: how to turn on RCS chats in Google Messages.

The other direction: how to move from Android to iPhone with Move to iOS. From an old Android: how to set up a new Android phone from your old one.

In short: iMessage and FaceTime off, charge both, choose iPhone or iPad in the Android set-up, cable or QR code, Google sign-in, SIM, tick the data, wait.