Switching From iPhone to Android (or Back): What Moves and What Doesn't

Switching is easier than it used to be

Moving between iPhone and Android no longer means starting from scratch. Apple and Google both have free tools that copy most of your everyday data across during setup. But a few things never move, and a couple need attention before you switch, or you'll be chasing missing texts and apps for weeks.

What moves and what doesn't, at a glance

Android to iPhone: use Move to iOS

1. Charge both phones and connect them to the same Wi-Fi.
2. Install Apple's Move to iOS app on your Android phone from Google Play.
3. On the new iPhone, start setup and choose Move Data from Android when you reach the transfer options.
4. Enter the code the iPhone shows into the Android app, choose what to transfer, and leave both phones alone until it finishes.

Move to iOS works only during iPhone setup. If you've already set up the iPhone, you'd need to erase it and start again to use it. It can copy contacts, message history, photos and videos, calendars, mail accounts, and WhatsApp chats and media, and it suggests free apps that are also on the App Store.

iPhone to Android: use the setup transfer

1. Turn off iMessage and FaceTime first (see below).
2. On the new Android phone, start setup and choose to copy data from an iPhone.
3. Connect the phones with a cable if you can (USB-C to Lightning for older iPhones, or USB-C to USB-C for newer ones). A cable transfer moves more data and is more reliable than wireless.
4. Samsung Galaxy phones use Smart Switch for the same job, by cable or wirelessly.
5. Choose what to copy, including WhatsApp if offered, and keep both phones plugged in until it finishes.

The iMessage step people forget

If you're leaving iPhone, turn off iMessage and FaceTime before you take your SIM out or move your number. Go to the Messages settings and switch off iMessage, then do the same for FaceTime. Otherwise, iPhone users who text you may have their messages stuck trying to send as iMessages, and you'll never see them.

Already switched and missing texts from iPhone friends? Apple has an online page where you can deregister your phone number from iMessage. Search for "Deregister iMessage" on Apple's support site.

WhatsApp: use the official route

WhatsApp chat history doesn't sync through iCloud or Google Drive across platforms. The dependable way to bring it across is the official transfer during setup: Move to iOS when going to iPhone, or the Android setup transfer or Smart Switch when going to Android. Do this as part of the initial setup, before you start using WhatsApp on the new phone.

Plan ahead: if you set up the new phone first and register WhatsApp, you may lose the option to bring old chats across without starting over.

Photos: check where they really are

If you use iCloud Photos with Optimize Storage turned on, many full-size photos aren't actually on your iPhone, only smaller previews. The transfer tools can only copy what's on the phone.

• Back up with Google Photos on the old phone. It works on both iPhone and Android, so your library follows you either way.
• Or download your originals from iCloud before switching. Apple also offers a way to transfer a copy of your iCloud Photos to Google Photos through its data and privacy page.

Apps and purchases don't come with you

Apps bought on the App Store don't transfer to Google Play, or the other way around. Free apps simply need reinstalling. Paid apps usually have to be bought again on the new platform.

• Subscriptions billed through the App Store or Google Play stay tied to that store. Cancel them there, then resubscribe on the new phone.
• Account-based services, like streaming, banking and email apps, carry over as soon as you sign in.
• Game progress moves only if the game saves to an account rather than to the phone.

Before-you-switch checklist

• Back up the old phone completely
• Note which apps you pay for and where subscriptions are billed
• Set up authenticator and two-factor codes on the new phone before wiping the old one
• Move saved passwords using a password manager that works on both platforms
• Ask your carrier how to move your eSIM, if you use one
• Re-add bank cards to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet
• Turn off iMessage and FaceTime if leaving iPhone
• Know that an Apple Watch only works with an iPhone

Once everything is moved, sign out of your accounts and reset the old phone before selling or passing it on. Our used phone buying guide explains what buyers check, including Activation Lock.

Need a hand?

If your old phone has a cracked screen, a dead battery or a port that won't connect a cable for the transfer, fixing it first can make switching much easier. Woman Wireless On The Go can repair it at your home or workplace after a free quote. See our cell phone repair service and the areas we cover, or call or WhatsApp (365) 351-4247.

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