How to move from Android to an Apple iPhone, the easy way

There are many reasons to switch to an iPhone. For some, it’s the cameras, for others, it’s being a part of the Apple ecosystem. Whatever your reason is to move away from Android, you’re probably here because you’ve already bought your first iPhone, or are in the process of buying one, and need help with the next step – making the switch.  

Switching to your first iPhone can be difficult, overwhelming even, thanks to the rather steep learning curve of doing things the Apple way. The process will have a lot more steps than hopping from an Android to another. But don’t worry, we’re here to help, and make this process as seamless as possible. Let’s begin with the basics.  

Readying your Android phone

On your Android phone, make sure all the files, images and other data you want are in place and synced. To sync items like your contacts and calendar items, head to Settings > Accounts and select your Google account. Tap on Account sync and on the subsequent page, hit the three-dot menu and choose Sync Now. Repeat the same for any additional accounts you have on the device.  

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Ensure all apps are updated to the latest version, all downloads are completed, and all ongoing tasks are completed. Proceed by charging your phone completely, turning off your mobile data, and connecting your device to a Wi-Fi network. Make sure all settings (or apps) that could affect your connectivity settings (like Smart Network Switch) are turned off or disabled.  

Lastly, get an estimate of the size of all your data, and understand if all your media and files will fit on your new iPhone. Once all the above steps are done, download and set up the ‘Move to iOS’ app from the Play Store.  

Readying your new iPhone

Turn on the phone and go through the initial steps. On the Quick Start screen, choose to set up your device manually and insert your SIM/activate your eSIM if you have to. On the subsequent screen, you will see multiple options like ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’ or ‘Restore from Mac or PC’. Choose the ‘Move Data from Android’ option.  

Note that this process will only show up when you’re doing a fresh setup. If you’ve already set up your iPhone and are facing challenges while manually moving your files, you will need to reset your iPhone and start over. 

Using the Move to iOS app

Back on your Android phone, open the Move to iOS app. Choose the ‘Move from Android’ option on the iPhone and choose ‘Continue’. You should then see a six-digit or 10-digit unique code on your iPhone. Enter the code on your Android phone.  

Transferring your data

Once the codes have matched, your iPhone will create a temporary Wi-Fi network. You will be asked to connect to this temporary network on your Android device. Do that and wait for the ‘Transfer Data’ screen to appear.  

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On your Android phone, you will be now asked to choose the items you want to be carried over to your new iPhone. Select whatever you want and proceed. You should now see a progress bar appear on both devices. Keep the devices near each other and connect both to a charger if you haven’t already. Depending on how much data you have to transfer, this process could take a while.  

Wait patiently until the progress bar has completed on both the devices and avoid using both phones during this time. The process should be able to transfer your contacts, message history, camera pictures and videos, files and folders, and mail accounts. Your WhatsApp messages, media and calendars will also be transferred.  

Finishing up

Once the process is done, you can now use your new iPhone. Verify if all your data has been transferred. Items like offline music, books and other PDFs will have to be transferred manually. Once you have everything you need, you can safely reset your Android smartphone.  

You have now successfully moved over to your shiny new iPhone. Hope this guide made it easy. Know someone else scratching their head over moving to an Apple iPhone? Send them this guide to help them out.