Move from Android to iPhone: Photos, Contacts and WhatsApp

Moving from Android to iPhone can bring your photos, contacts, text-message history and WhatsApp chats across in one transfer. For the most complete move, use Apple’s Move to iOS app while setting up a new or erased iPhone; prepare both phones and keep them connected until the transfer finishes.

What You’ll Need

• Your Android phone and the iPhone you are setting up, both charged and connected to Wi-Fi. Keep them near each other.
• The free Move to iOS app installed on Android. If you cannot download it from Google Play, Apple provides download guidance on its support site.
• A phone number you can use to activate WhatsApp on the iPhone, and access to your Google account if you need to retrieve photos or contacts later.
• Enough free storage on the iPhone for the content you plan to move. Check your Android storage and the iPhone’s available capacity before starting.

Step-by-Step

1. Prepare your Android phone. Update WhatsApp from the Play Store, install or update Move to iOS, and check that your photos and contacts are present on the device or account you intend to transfer. If contacts are only on a SIM card, import them to the phone or Google account first. Do not uninstall WhatsApp or erase the Android phone.
2. Prepare the iPhone. If it is new, start setup. If already set up, know that Move to iOS requires the iPhone to be at its initial setup stage. To use it on a previously configured iPhone, first save anything important, then erase the iPhone from Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Erasing deletes its current data; do not proceed without a backup.
3. Start the transfer on iPhone. Follow the setup screens until you reach Transfer Your Apps & Data (wording may vary slightly). Choose From Android, then tap Continue to display a one-time code. Keep the iPhone on this screen.
4. Connect the Android phone. Open Move to iOS, accept its prompts and enter the code shown on iPhone. The phones will establish a private connection. If Android asks to join a temporary Wi-Fi network or says the network has no internet, allow the connection and stay in the app.
5. Select what to move. Choose the available categories, such as contacts, camera photos and videos, and SMS messages. Select WhatsApp if it appears as a transfer option. In WhatsApp on Android, follow the prompt to prepare or export chats, then return to Move to iOS and continue. The exact prompt sequence can vary by app version.
6. Wait for the transfer to finish. Leave both phones alone, plugged into power if possible, and close together. Keep Move to iOS open on Android and do not answer calls or switch apps. Even if Android appears to finish first, wait for the progress indicator on the iPhone to complete before tapping through setup.
7. Complete iPhone setup and check the results. Finish the iPhone’s setup screens, sign in to your Apple Account, and allow time for transferred content to appear. Check Contacts, Photos and Messages. Some photos may take time to index or display; compare a few older and recent items.
8. Move WhatsApp onto the iPhone. Install WhatsApp from the App Store, open it, and verify the same phone number used on Android. Accept the prompt to import or move the prepared chat history when it appears. Keep the app open until the import completes, then check important conversations and media. Do not create a fresh chat history or skip the import prompt if you want the transferred chats.

Common Mistakes

• Starting with an already-set-up iPhone: Move to iOS does not merge Android data into an existing iPhone library. Use the transfer during initial setup, or move individual items by another method.
• Switching apps or using either phone: This can interrupt the connection. Keep both devices awake, nearby and on the transfer screens.
• Running out of iPhone space: A transfer may stall or fail if the selected Android content exceeds available storage. Reduce what you select or free space before retrying.
• Expecting WhatsApp backups to restore directly: An Android Google Drive chat backup is not the same as an iPhone iCloud backup. Use WhatsApp’s Move to iOS transfer flow rather than expecting the backup to appear on iPhone.
• Erasing Android too soon: Confirm that photos, contacts, messages and WhatsApp chats are accessible on the iPhone before wiping or trading in the old phone.

Tips

• Update both operating systems and the relevant apps before transferring, and restart both phones if either is behaving oddly.
• Turn off mobile data on Android if it keeps switching away from the temporary Wi-Fi connection. Avoid manually joining other Wi-Fi networks during the transfer.
• Keep your Android phone until you have checked the transfer and made any separate backups you need. The move is not a substitute for a long-term backup.
• If your photos are already synced to a cloud photo service, signing into that same service on iPhone may be a useful additional way to access them. This is separate from copying originals with Move to iOS.

Troubleshooting

The code does not connect: Confirm that Move to iOS is open, the code is current, and both phones are close together. Disable VPNs or network-switching features temporarily, then restart the transfer and generate a fresh code.

The transfer freezes or fails: Keep both devices powered, check that Android is not leaving the app, and make sure the iPhone has enough free space. Restart both phones and try again. If it repeatedly fails, transfer a smaller selection; use a cloud account or computer to move photos separately, and import contacts through the account that stores them.

Messages or contacts are missing: Check the source phone first to confirm the items are stored there or synced to the selected account. Allow the iPhone time to finish setup and sync. Move to iOS transfers supported data types, not every app’s private data or every item stored in a separate service.

WhatsApp chats do not appear: Confirm that you used the same phone number, selected WhatsApp during the Android transfer, and accepted the import prompt on iPhone. Update WhatsApp on both devices and retry the transfer if the option was skipped. Do not delete the Android copy until you have verified the iPhone chats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move Android data to an iPhone that is already set up?
Move to iOS is part of iPhone setup, so using it later generally requires erasing the iPhone first. Back up its existing data before erasing. Photos and contacts can also be moved separately through cloud services.

Will Move to iOS transfer my WhatsApp chats?
It can transfer eligible WhatsApp chat history through the WhatsApp option and its preparation prompts. Use the same number on the iPhone and complete the import in WhatsApp.

Do my Android SMS messages move?
SMS message history is an available transfer category in Move to iOS. Select it before starting and check Messages after iPhone setup.

Will all my photos and videos be copied?
Move to iOS can transfer supported camera photos and videos, subject to available iPhone storage and a successful transfer. Cloud-only items may need to be downloaded or accessed through their original service.

Can I use my phones while the transfer runs?
No. Keep both phones nearby and avoid switching apps, taking calls or interrupting the connection until the iPhone says the transfer is complete.

Related

• Revamp Timber Windows for Under £50: A Practical Guide
• Migrate Gmail to an Open-Source Email Provider Safely
• How to Get Spotify Premium: Plans and Sign-Up Steps