Fix Move to iOS Stuck on Preparing

If your Move to iOS transfer is stuck on “Preparing,� the fix is usually to close the app, restart both phones, and try again with a more stable Wi-Fi connection. This article walks through the most effective fixes, from simple restarts to network-level changes, so you can get your data moved without losing progress.

Why Move to iOS Gets Stuck on Preparing

The “Preparing� screen appears after you choose your data types and before the actual transfer begins. During this phase, the Android app is compressing and indexing your selected content—photos, messages, contacts, and more—to send it over a private Wi-Fi network. If the process stalls, it’s usually due to one of three things:

• Unstable Wi-Fi connection – The app creates a temporary peer-to-peer network, but if your phone keeps switching between networks, the connection drops.
• Too much data – A huge photo library or many large videos can make the preparation step take a long time (sometimes 30+ minutes).
• App or OS bugs – Older versions of the Move to iOS app or iOS have known glitches that cause the process to hang.

Understanding what’s happening behind the scenes helps you decide which fix to try first.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Start with these simple steps—they resolve most “Preparing� hangs without losing your place.

1. Force-close the Move to iOS app on your Android phone (swipe it away from recent apps). Then reopen it and start the transfer again. This resets the app’s internal state.
2. Restart both phones – Turn off your Android and iPhone completely, wait 30 seconds, then power them back on. This clears temporary network glitches.
3. Disable mobile data on the Android phone – Move to iOS uses Wi-Fi, but if mobile data is on, the phone may try to switch networks. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile network and toggle it off.
4. Ensure both devices are plugged in – Low battery can cause the app to throttle background work. Plug both phones into chargers to keep the process running smoothly.

If the transfer still hangs, move on to the network-specific fixes below.

Network Settings That Cause the Hang

The Move to iOS app creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between your Android and iPhone. Any setting that interferes with that connection will cause the “Preparing� screen to freeze. Check these on your Android phone:

• Wi-Fi sleep policy – Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Advanced (or “Keep Wi-Fi on during sleepâ€�) and set it to “Always.â€� If the phone’s Wi-Fi turns off during sleep, the transfer dies.
• Private Wi-Fi address – On some Android phones, randomized MAC addresses can confuse the connection. In Wi-Fi settings for your home network, turn off “Randomized MACâ€� or “Private addressâ€� temporarily.
• VPN or ad-blocker – Any VPN or DNS-changing app can block the local connection. Disable them before starting the transfer.
• Router settings – If you’re using a home router, make sure “AP isolationâ€� or “client isolationâ€� is turned off. This feature prevents devices on the same network from talking to each other—exactly what Move to iOS needs to do.

If you’re in a public place or office, the network may block peer-to-peer connections. Try using a different Wi-Fi network or a mobile hotspot (see below).

How to Use a Mobile Hotspot as a Workaround

If your home Wi-Fi is unreliable, you can create a hotspot from one phone and connect the other to it. This gives you a direct, private network that Move to iOS can use without interference.

1. On your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & tethering and enable Wi-Fi hotspot.
2. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and connect to the Android’s hotspot network.
3. Start the Move to iOS app on the Android phone and proceed with the transfer. The iPhone will connect to the Android’s hotspot, and the app will create its own peer-to-peer connection on top of that.

This method often bypasses router issues entirely. Make sure your mobile data plan allows hotspot usage and that you have enough data for the transfer (if you’re moving large files, it could use several gigabytes).

Reduce the Amount of Data Being Transferred

If the “Preparing� step is stuck because of sheer volume, try transferring less data. Move to iOS lets you choose what to include. You can:

• Deselect large categories like Photos or Videos temporarily, then transfer them later using a different method (e.g., iCloud or a computer).
• Move only essential items – Contacts, messages, and WhatsApp history are small and transfer quickly. You can move photos separately after the initial setup.

A typical photo library of 10,000 photos can take 30–60 minutes to prepare and transfer. If you have 50,000+ photos, the app may appear stuck while it’s actually working. Watch the progress bar—if it moves even slightly over 10 minutes, it’s probably still working. If it hasn’t moved at all after 15 minutes, force-close and try again with fewer items.

Update the App and iOS

Outdated software is a common cause of transfer failures. Make sure both apps and operating systems are current:

• On Android: Open the Google Play Store, search for “Move to iOS,â€� and tap Update if available.
• On iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending iOS updates.

Apple regularly updates the Move to iOS app to fix bugs and improve compatibility with new Android versions. If you’re on an older Android OS (e.g., Android 10 or earlier), the app may have issues with newer iOS versions—updating both sides helps.

What to Do If Nothing Works

If you’ve tried all the above and the transfer still hangs, you have alternatives:

• Transfer photos and videos manually – Connect your Android to a computer, copy files to a folder, then use iCloud for Windows or a cloud service to get them onto your iPhone.
• Use a cloud service – Upload contacts, calendars, and photos to Google Drive or iCloud, then sign in on the iPhone.
• Contact Apple Support – If the app consistently fails, there may be a device-specific issue. Apple’s support page has live chat and phone options.

Remember that Move to iOS is a one-time transfer tool. If it fails after multiple attempts, don’t keep retrying the same way—switch to a manual method to avoid wasting hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should “Preparing� take?
For a typical transfer (a few thousand photos, messages, and contacts), preparation takes 5–15 minutes. If you have a huge library (50,000+ photos), it can take up to an hour. If it exceeds that, something is wrong.

Will I lose data if I restart the app?
No. The transfer hasn’t started yet during “Preparing,� so you won’t lose anything. You’ll just start over from the beginning. If you’re stuck on “Transferring� (after preparation), restarting may cause a partial transfer, but you can retry.

Can I use my phone while transferring?
It’s best not to. Using other apps can cause the Wi-Fi connection to drop or the app to be killed in the background. Keep both phones idle until the transfer finishes.

Does Move to iOS work with any Android version?
Officially, Move to iOS works on Android 4.0 and later, but newer versions of the app may require Android 5.0 or higher. If you have an older device, the app might not work—check the Play Store listing for compatibility.

What if my iPhone runs out of storage during transfer?
The transfer will fail, and you’ll need to free up space on the iPhone and start over. Check your iPhone’s storage beforehand (Settings > General > iPhone Storage) and make sure you have at least as much free space as the data you’re transferring.

Can I transfer WhatsApp history with Move to iOS?
Yes, but only if you select WhatsApp in the app and you have the latest version of WhatsApp on both phones. The process can be finicky—make sure WhatsApp is updated and you have a stable connection.

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