How to move from an Android phone to an iPhone

You can more easily switch from an Android phone to an iPhone via a tool called Move to iOS. We’ll show you how.

You’re jumping ship from an Android phone to an iPhone and want to transfer certain content, such as contacts, photos, videos, files, display settings, mail accounts and calendar appointments. If you’re setting up a new iPhone with nothing yet on it, you can take advantage of an Android app from Apple called Move to iOS. Here’s how it works.

SEE: BYOD Approval Form (TechRepublic Premium)

First, power up your Android phone. Download and install the Move to iOS app from Google Play. Open the app. At the first screen, tap Continue. Agree to the terms and conditions. Choose whether you want to share app usage data with Apple. You can opt not to send the usage data, and the app will work just as well. Grant the app permission to your device’s location. Stop at the screen for Find Your Code (Figure A).

Figure A

Now segue to your new iPhone and kick off the setup process. At some point, an Apps & Data screen appears with several different options. Choose the option for Move Data from Android. The next screen tells you to download the Move to iOS app on your Android phone. Assuming you’ve already downloaded and installed the app, tap Continue. You’ll then see a screen with a one-time code for your Android device (Figure B).

Figure B

At the Find Your Code screen on your Android device, tap Continue. At the next screen, enter the one-time code. Your iPhone will tell you that it’s waiting for your Android device. On your Android phone, check the items that you wish to transfer, choosing among messages, contacts, calendar, Google account, camera roll, display settings and accessibility setting. Grant the necessary permissions for each type of content that you want to transfer. You can also select specific files to copy, including music, podcasts, ringtones, alarms and pictures. When ready, tap Continue (Figure C).

Figure C

After the transfer is complete, your Android phone will tell you that your data has been copied to your new iOS device. It will also list any items that were not copied, such as purchased apps or media. Tap Done. On your iPhone, tap the button for Continue Setting Up iPhone. Follow the rest of the steps to finish setting up your iPhone. After the process is complete, check the data on the new phone to make sure that the information from your Android device was transferred. You may also see a notification asking if you want to add the apps that were on your Android device to your iPhone via the App Store. If so, tap the option for Add Apps (Figure D).

Figure D

Note: If you recycle, sell or donate your Android phone, make sure to do a factory reset on the Android device to protect your data.