I've watched people spend three hours hunting for their photos after switching phones. Most Android-to-iPhone migrations go wrong because people either trust the wrong tool or skip steps that matter. Here's what actually works.
The problem with switching ecosystems
Android and iOS don't speak the same language. Your photos live in Google Photos; your contacts sync to Google Contacts; your messages are scattered across WhatsApp, SMS, and whatever else you use. Apple's "Move to iOS" app exists, but it's a blunt instrument—it handles some things beautifully and drops others entirely.
The real cost of a botched transfer isn't just frustration. You lose message history, app data, and sometimes photos if you're not methodical. I've seen freelancers miss client contact details. It's preventable.
What Move to iOS actually does (and doesn't)
Apple's official tool is free and built into every new iPhone. During setup, it copies:
- Contacts (from Google Contacts or your Android phone's local storage)
- Calendar events (Google Calendar)
- Photos and videos (if they're in Google Photos or your phone's camera roll)
- Text messages and call history (SMS only, not WhatsApp or Telegram)
- Chrome bookmarks
- Mail accounts (it sets up the account, not the message history)
- Some app data, if the developer supports it
What it doesn't touch:
- WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or any third-party messaging app history
- App-specific data (Slack workspaces, Notion notes, Obsidian vaults)
- Notes apps unless they're Google Keep
- Passwords (you'll need to re-enter those)
- Android-exclusive apps (obviously)
The process is straightforward: start a new iPhone, tap "Migrate from Android" on the setup screen, scan a code with your Android phone, and wait. It's genuinely painless for what it covers. The catch is that "what it covers" isn't everything you care about.
The manual approach for the stuff that matters
I recommend a hybrid strategy. Use Move to iOS for the basics, then handle the rest yourself. It takes an hour and you won't lose anything.
Photos and videos
Move to iOS will grab these if they're in Google Photos. If you've been storing them locally or in a third-party app, manually export them first.
On Android, open Google Photos, select what you want, tap the three-dot menu, choose "Download", and move the files to a folder. Then plug your iPhone into a Mac or PC and use Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) to drag them into the Photos app. Alternatively, use iCloud Photos on your new iPhone and upload from Android via the web at photos.google.com.
If you have thousands of photos, Google Takeout (takeout.google.com) is faster. It exports your entire Google Photos library as a zip. Download it, extract it, and import to Photos on your Mac, then sync to the iPhone via iCloud.
Messages and chat history
Move to iOS doesn't touch WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or any messaging app. You need to export these separately.
WhatsApp: Open the app, go to Settings → Chats → Chat Backup. Tap "Back Up to Google Drive" and choose an account. On the iPhone, install WhatsApp, verify your number, and it'll prompt you to restore from iCloud (you'll need to set up iCloud Drive first). This works, but it's fiddly. Allow 20 minutes.
Signal: Unfortunately, Signal doesn't support cross-platform message migration. Your conversation history stays on Android. Install Signal on the iPhone and start fresh. This is by design—Signal's security model doesn't preserve encrypted message history across devices.
Telegram: Similar story. Telegram syncs cloud chats automatically (they appear on the new iPhone), but local message history doesn't transfer. Desktop Telegram has better export options if you need an archive.
SMS: Move to iOS handles this. If it doesn't, you can use a third-party app like "SMS Backup+" on Android to back up to Gmail, then restore on iPhone using a Mac app like "Decipher TextMessage" (paid, £15). Most people don't bother—it's rarely worth the friction.
Contacts
Move to iOS imports these from Google Contacts automatically. If you've stored contacts locally on your Android phone, export them as a .vcf file (Settings → Accounts → Google → tap your account → Contacts → Menu → Export), email the file to yourself, and import it on the iPhone by opening the attachment and tapping "Add All Contacts".
Passwords and accounts
Move to iOS sets up your email accounts but doesn't transfer passwords. You'll need to re-enter them or use a password manager. If you use Bitwarden, 1Password, or Dashlane on Android, install it on the iPhone and log in—your vault transfers instantly.
App data
This is where most migrations fail. Apps don't automatically carry their data to iOS versions. Some developers support it (Google apps, Microsoft apps), but many don't.
For critical apps:
- Notion, Obsidian, Roam: These sync via cloud, so install them on iPhone and log in. Your data appears immediately.
- Banking apps: You'll need to re-authenticate. They don't transfer data—by design.
- Productivity apps (Todoist, Things, Reminders): Most sync to the cloud. Log in on iPhone and you're done.
- Games: Save data rarely transfers. Some games support cloud save (check the app's settings on Android before you switch).
The rule: if an app syncs to the cloud, you're safe. If it only stores data locally, you've lost it.
The timeline
Here's how I'd structure the move:
Day before: Back up Google Photos to Takeout. Export WhatsApp. Verify all critical accounts are synced to the cloud.
Day of: Start the new iPhone, run Move to iOS, and let it run for 30 minutes. While it's working, download your photos from Takeout on a computer.
After setup: Import photos via Finder. Install messaging apps and restore WhatsApp. Log into apps that need authentication.
Total time: 90 minutes if you're methodical, 3 hours if you discover problems mid-move.
What I'd actually do
If I were switching tomorrow, I'd use Move to iOS for contacts, calendar, and Chrome bookmarks—the things it handles reliably. I'd manually export Google Photos to a folder and import them via Finder. I'd back up WhatsApp to Google Drive and restore on iPhone. If you're not already familiar with Google Drive, this guide on digitalwarga.id walks through the basics for new users. I'd check that Notion, Obsidian, and my banking apps sync to the cloud, then log in fresh on the iPhone.
I'd skip trying to transfer SMS history unless it's critical. I'd accept that Signal message history doesn't transfer and I'd start fresh. I'd test one non-critical app before trusting the others.
The mistake people make is assuming Move to iOS handles everything. It doesn't. It's a 70% solution. The remaining 30% is manual, but it's not hard—just methodical. Spend an hour upfront and you won't spend three hours later hunting for photos.