The safest way to transfer data to a new phone is to use the built-in transfer tool during setup, with both phones charged, side by side and on the same Wi-Fi: Quick Start for iPhone to iPhone, the Copy step for Android to Android, Move to iOS for Android to iPhone, and the cable or new built-in transfer when going from iPhone to Android. Those tools move photos, contacts, messages and most settings for you.
What they do not reliably move is the stuff that locks you out when it goes missing: authenticator codes, some app data, your phone number on iMessage and, depending on your carrier, your eSIM. Keep the old phone untouched until you have checked each of those on the new one.
Key takeaways
- Run the transfer during setup. Several tools, including Move to iOS and Android’s Copy step, work only before setup is finished or only once.
- Do not erase or trade in the old phone until you have signed in to your most important accounts on the new one.
- Authenticator apps are the biggest risk. Turn on the app’s backup or sync, or export codes, before you switch.
- Leaving iPhone for Android? Turn off iMessage first, or deregister your number online, so texts keep arriving.
- As of October 2026, iPhone-to-Android moves are much easier on iOS 26.3 or later paired with a compatible Android 17 phone.
What should you do before you start any phone transfer?
Ten minutes of preparation prevents most failed transfers. Google and Apple both ask for charged, updated phones, enough storage on the new one, and time to let the copy finish.
- Update both phones to the latest software. Several of the newer transfer features depend on recent versions.
- Charge both phones and keep them plugged in during the move. Have the right cable or adapter ready.
- Back up the old phone to iCloud or your Google Account first, so a failed transfer is not a disaster. Our complete guide to backups covers the options.
- Write down or confirm your passwords for your Apple Account or Google Account, your password manager and your carrier account. You will be asked for them.
- Open every authenticator app and turn on its backup or sync, or plan to export the codes (details below).
- Check that the new phone has enough storage for everything on the old one, including any microSD card contents.
- Find out how your carrier moves your number. eSIM transfers depend on carrier support.
How do you move from iPhone to iPhone?
Apple’s Quick Start is the standard route. It works when the old device runs iOS 11 or later, and Apple recommends updating both phones to the latest version first.
- Unlock the old iPhone, make sure it is on Wi-Fi with Bluetooth on, and turn on the new iPhone next to it.
- Follow the prompt that appears on the old iPhone, then scan the animation on the new one with the old phone’s camera.
- Connect the new iPhone to Wi-Fi or a cellular network and activate cellular service if asked.
- Set up Face ID or Touch ID.
- Choose Transfer from iPhone (a direct copy; you wait until it finishes) or Download from iCloud (start using the phone sooner while apps and data download in the background).
- Keep both phones near each other and plugged in until the migration finishes.
Your number and eSIM. Setup usually offers to move your phone number. If you skip it, Apple’s eSIM Quick Transfer works later from Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM, then Transfer From Nearby iPhone. Both iPhones need iOS 18.4 or later, the same Apple Account, Bluetooth on and a carrier that supports it. When the transfer completes, the old phone’s plan stops working.
How do you move from Android to Android?
Google builds the transfer into setup on Android phones. Pick Copy when the new phone asks, and use a cable if you can; Google recommends it. Samsung and some Pixel models have their own variations, so check the maker’s instructions if the screens look different.
- Turn on the new phone, tap Start, and connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data (insert the SIM or download the eSIM if you need data).
- Tap Copy when asked about copying apps and data.
- With a cable: connect the phones, tap Copy on the old phone, sign in to your Google Account, choose what to bring and confirm.
- Without a cable: choose No cable, then Transfer wirelessly. On the old phone, open the Google app, search for the device setup option and confirm the matching shapes and numbers.
- Leave both phones alone until the new one says it is done.
Two catches from Google’s help page: you can generally run this copy only once, ideally during setup, and it skips downloads such as PDFs, media in hidden folders, apps installed from outside Google Play, data from apps that do not use Android backup, and accounts other than Google. For WhatsApp, turn on its chat backup on the old phone first so your chats restore when you sign in on the new one.
How do you move from Android to iPhone?
Apple’s Move to iOS app, from Google Play, is the main path. It has to run while you set up the iPhone. If the iPhone is already set up, Apple says you either erase it and start again or move content by hand.
- On Android, turn on Wi-Fi, plug both phones into power and install Move to iOS. Update Chrome if you want bookmarks.
- On the new iPhone, at Quick Start, choose to set up without another Apple device, then on Transfer Your Apps & Data tap From Android.
- Open Move to iOS on Android, accept the terms and enter the one-time code shown on the iPhone.
- Join the temporary Wi-Fi network the iPhone creates, choose what to move and tap Continue.
- Wait for the iPhone’s progress bar to finish, even if Android says it is done, then finish setup.
According to Apple, Move to iOS carries contacts, message history, WhatsApp messages and media, camera photos and videos, albums, files and folders, bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, call history and voice memos, plus some free apps that exist in both stores. Music, books and PDFs must be moved manually. Apple also notes that a compatible Android 17 phone can transfer without the app, and that you can activate your SIM or eSIM during the process, sometimes finishing on your carrier’s website.
How do you move from iPhone to Android?
This direction changed the most in 2026. Apple’s iOS 26.3 added a built-in Transfer to Android option, and Google’s Android 17 added a richer receiving side. Apple says the newest path needs iOS 26.3 or later on the iPhone and a compatible Android 17 phone. Google lists Pixel 8 and newer plus the Galaxy Z Flip8 and Z Fold8 for its upgraded transfer.
- Before you start, put your SIM back in the iPhone if you already moved it, stay connected to cellular data, and turn off iMessage (Settings > Apps > Messages) and FaceTime (Settings > Apps > FaceTime).
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Transfer to Android and place the phones next to each other.
- Start setup on the Android phone and scan its QR code with the iPhone camera.
- Pick the data to send and tap Continue. When the data finishes, continue to move the eSIM if your carrier supports it, and confirm with a double-click of the side button.
On older phones, the Android setup screens still offer a cable transfer or Google’s Android Switch app (iOS 15 or later), which move less. Google says the upgraded transfer can bring passwords and passkeys, Wi-Fi networks, app data and more, while photos stored only in iCloud, paid apps, Safari bookmarks and Health data do not come across. Apple lists AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile and Verizon among the US carriers supporting the eSIM handoff as of October 2026.
If you already gave away the iPhone, use Apple’s online tool at selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage to release your number from iMessage, so texts from iPhone users stop disappearing.
What transfers automatically, and what you must move yourself
| Item | iPhone to iPhone | Android to Android | Android to iPhone | iPhone to Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Yes | Yes | Yes (camera roll and albums) | Yes; iCloud-only photos need a separate request |
| Texts and chat history | Yes | Yes (SMS/MMS) | Yes, plus WhatsApp | Yes; turn off iMessage first |
| Contacts and calendars | Yes | Yes (Google-synced; other accounts need sign-in) | Yes | Yes |
| Apps | Yes | Google Play apps only | Some free matching apps | Free Google Play matches; paid apps no |
| App data | Yes | Only apps using Android backup | Mostly no | Only if the developer supports it |
| Passwords and passkeys | Yes, via iCloud Keychain | Yes, via Google Account | Not in Move to iOS; use your password manager | Yes on the upgraded Android 17 path |
| Authenticator codes | Check the app | Check the app | Manual: sync or export | Manual: sync or export |
| eSIM / phone number | Yes, iOS 18.4+ with carrier support | Carrier-dependent | Carrier-dependent | iOS 26.3+ with select carriers |
| Music, books, PDFs | Yes | Music yes; downloads no | No, move manually | Upgraded path moves files |
Summary of Apple and Google support pages as of October 2026. “Check the app” means results depend on the authenticator app’s own backup settings.
How do you keep two-factor codes from getting stranded?
Authenticator apps generate the six-digit codes that protect your email, bank and social accounts. Losing them can turn a phone upgrade into a lockout, because you need the code to sign in and need to sign in to reset it. Our guide to passwords, 2FA and passkeys explains the bigger picture; here is what to do for the most common apps.
- Google Authenticator: sign in to your Google Account in the app and codes sync to the new phone. For codes you never synced, use Transfer codes > Export codes on the old phone and Import codes on the new one by scanning the QR codes.
- Microsoft Authenticator: on iPhone it backs up through iCloud (turn on iCloud Keychain and the app’s iCloud toggle); on Android, turn on Cloud Backup in the app’s settings. Microsoft says to restore to the same device type, and work or school accounts need you to sign in again.
- Other authenticator apps and hardware keys: check the app’s backup or export option. If there is none, sign in to each site on the old phone, add the new phone as a second method, then remove the old one.
- Passkeys: passkeys stored in iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager or another synced password manager usually appear once you sign in. Passkeys saved only on the old device must be recreated.
Banking and payment apps often tie themselves to one device. Expect to re-verify them by text, email or a call, and you may need to re-add cards to your phone’s wallet.
What if the transfer stalls or fails?
Apple’s advice for Move to iOS is to leave both devices alone, avoid calls, turn off Android features that switch networks on their own (Samsung calls one Smart Network Switch) and turn off cellular data, then restart both phones and try again. If the iPhone ran out of space partway through, Apple says to erase it and start over with less content.
On Android, if a cable does not fit, use an adapter or switch to the wireless method. If you skipped the Copy step, Google warns the option may disappear after setup, though Android 17 adds a way to copy from an iPhone after setup via Settings > Accounts and backup on updated Pixel 9 and newer phones, the Galaxy Z Flip8 and Z Fold8, and select other devices. As a fallback, restore from your Google or iCloud backup.
When this isn’t the right move: limits and trade-offs
A full transfer copies clutter too: old apps, years of screenshots, unwanted settings. If your old phone was slow or glitchy, setting up the new one fresh and signing in can be cleaner, as long as photos, contacts and passwords live in the cloud.
Cross-platform moves are still not complete. Paid apps, some app data, Health information and certain files stay behind, and eSIM handoffs depend on your carrier. Phones managed by an employer or school may block parts of the transfer entirely. If any of that matters, plan a few manual exports. Before installing extra transfer apps, check our roundup of hidden built-in features on your phone.
Finally, keep the old phone charged and untouched for a few days while you confirm that texts arrive, two-factor codes work and banking apps are verified. Only then sign out, erase it and remove it from your Apple Account or Google Account.
Frequently asked questions
Can you transfer data from Android to iPhone after setup?
Not with Move to iOS. Apple says the app works only during setup, so you either erase the iPhone (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings) and start again, or move content manually through cloud services like Google Photos and your Google Account contacts.
Do authenticator app codes transfer to a new phone?
Only if you set it up. Google Authenticator syncs through your Google Account or exports codes by QR code, and Microsoft Authenticator uses iCloud or cloud backup. Other apps vary, so check each one and keep the old phone until every code works on the new one.
How long does a phone transfer take?
It depends on how much data you have and your connection. Google says Android transfers range from a few minutes to several hours and that most iPhone-to-Android moves finish in under 30 minutes. Apple says Quick Start times vary with network conditions and data volume.
Do you need to turn off iMessage when switching to Android?
Yes. Turn it off on the iPhone before transferring, or deregister your number online if you no longer have the iPhone. Otherwise, messages from iPhone users may keep going to iMessage instead of your new phone.
Will your eSIM move to the new phone automatically?
Often, but not always. iPhone-to-iPhone eSIM transfers need iOS 18.4 or later and carrier support, and iPhone-to-Android eSIM moves need iOS 26.3 and a supported carrier. If the option does not appear, contact your carrier for a QR code or activation.
Sources
- Apple Support: Use Quick Start to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad (accessed October 2026)
- Apple Support: Move from Android to iPhone or iPad (accessed October 2026)
- Apple Support: Transfer an eSIM and data from your iPhone or iPad to an Android device (accessed October 2026)
- Apple Support: Set up eSIM on iPhone (accessed October 2026)
- Apple Support: Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online (accessed October 2026)
- Google Android Help: Copy apps and data from an Android to a new Android device (accessed October 2026)
- Google Android Help: Copy apps and data from an iPhone to a new Android device (accessed October 2026)
- Google Account Help: Transfer Google Authenticator codes to a new phone (accessed October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Transfer Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone (accessed October 2026)
- MacRumors: Switching From iPhone to Android Just Got Easier With Android 17 (July 22, 2026) (accessed October 2026)
Top image: "Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S III side by side" by Illythr, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized). Charts and tables by Thank You Robot.
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