How to Move Your Texts from Android to iPhone: 2 Methods

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Learn to transfer your SMS from Android to iPhone with the Move to iOS app and more
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So you’ve decided to make the change from Android to iPhone, but how do you access your old texts from your new phone? Luckily, you can easily move your messages over when you set up your iPhone with Move to iOS, a free app that’s available in the Google Play store. If you’ve already set up your iPhone and you want to transfer your messages later, you’ll need a third-party app.

Things You Should Know

  • Transfer your text messages from Android to iPhone for free using the Move to iOS app.
  • Move to iOS only works when you’re first setting up your iPhone. To transfer messages after setup, use a third-party app.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using Move to iOS

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  1. Step 1 Download the Move to iOS app on your Android device.
    The Move to iOS app is Apple’s official tool for transferring texts, apps, and other data from an Android phone to your iPhone. This method will only work if you haven’t set up your new iPhone yet. To get started, open the Google Play store on your Android phone and download Move to iOS.[1]
  2. Step 2 Turn on Wi-Fi on your Android phone.
    You’ll need a stable Wi-Fi connection to transfer your messages and other data. If your Android isn’t already on a Wi-Fi network, connect it now.
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  3. Step 3 Make sure that there’s enough space on your iPhone.
    If you’re just moving a few texts over, this probably won’t be a problem. However, if you’re also transferring apps, pictures, videos, or other larger files over, you may need to check how much space all that data takes up and compare it to the available storage on your new iPhone.
    • To check the amount of storage on your iPhone before setting it up, look at your original packaging or receipt to find your model’s capacity (listed in GB).
    • Once you know the capacity of your iPhone, take a look at how much storage space your messages and other data take up on your Android:
      • On Samsung phones, go to Apps > Settings > Battery & Device Care > Storage.
      • On other Android phones, go to Settings > Storage.
  4. Step 4 Turn on your iPhone and move it close to your Android.
    Press and hold the power button on your iPhone to turn it on. For most newer models, this button is located on the right side of the phone.[3] Place the two phones next to each other.
    • Make sure both your Android and your iPhone are connected to a power source before you continue. The transfer process can be battery-intensive and may take a while. It's important that neither device run out of battery while transferring messages to your iPhone.
  5. Step 5 Tap Set Up Manually on your iPhone’s Quick Start screen.
    Follow the instructions on your iPhone’s screen to start the setup process. Once you reach the Quick Start screen, tap the blue Set Up Manually link at the bottom of the screen.
    • Activate your eSIM if you’re prompted to do so. The on-screen instructions on your iPhone will walk you through the process.[4]
  6. Step 6 Select Move Data from Android on the Apps & Data screen.
    Once you’ve moved through the first few steps of the setup process, you’ll arrive at the Apps & Data screen on your iPhone. From there, you’ll be able to choose from several options for transferring data to your new phone. Tap Move Data from Android.
    • You should see this screen once you’ve completed steps such as setting your language and region, connecting to a Wi-Fi network, and setting up your preferred method(s) for unlocking the phone.[5]
  7. Step 7 Open Move to iOS on your Android and agree to the terms.
    If you haven’t already downloaded the app, you can do so now by going to the Google Play store or by scanning the QR code that appears on your iPhone screen.
  8. Step 8 Tap Continue on your iPhone.
    After a few seconds, a 6 or 10-digit code should appear on your iPhone’s screen, under a message that says Enter One-Time Code with instructions to enter the code on your Android.
  9. Step 9 Enter the one-time code on your Android.
    When you see the code on your iPhone, enter it on your Android.
    • When the code pops up on your iPhone, you may see an error message on your Android phone saying that you have a weak internet connection. If this happens, don’t worry. It shouldn’t affect the transfer process.
  10. Step 10 Connect to the temporary Wi-Fi network on your Android when prompted.
    Your iPhone will now create a temporary Wi-Fi connection that you can use to make the data transfer. Once this happens, you’ll see a prompt on your Android asking you to connect to the network. Tap Connect.
  11. Step 11 Select which content you want to transfer on your Android.
    Wait for the Transfer Data screen to appear in the Move to iOS app on your Android phone. From there, you can select which data you want to move to your iPhone. Once you’ve selected the data you want to move, tap Continue.
    • Make sure you select Messages from the menu! There should be a blue checkmark next to any data you select.
    • If you use WhatsApp to chat on your Android device, you can select WhatsApp from the transfer list to move those messages over to your iPhone as well.
  12. Step 12 Tap Done on your Android once the transfer is finished.
    Once the transfer begins, leave both devices alone and wait for it to complete. Depending on how much data you are transferring, this might take a while.
    • If you leave the transfer screen and open another app on your Android, the transfer will stop and your messages won’t be moved to the iPhone.
    • Once the transfer is complete, follow the prompts to finish setting up your iPhone. Once the setup is complete, you'll find the text messages from your Android in your iPhone's Messages app.
  13. Step 13 Try these troubleshooting steps if the transfer doesn’t work.
    Once your iPhone is set up, check to make sure your messages and other data transferred over. If the transfer didn’t work, try the following fixes:[6]
    • Turn off any apps on your Android that might be causing Wi-Fi connection problems. Some common problem apps include Sprint Connections Optimizer and Smart Network Switch.
    • Forget any networks that are currently listed in your Android’s Wi-Fi settings and reconnect to your preferred network from scratch, then try the transfer again.
    • Restart both your Android phone and your iPhone and repeat the transfer process. You’ll also need to erase and reset your iPhone if you’ve already completed setup.
    • Make sure your cellular data connection is switched off on your Android.
    • Make sure that you didn’t try to transfer too much data from your Android to your iPhone. If you exceeded your iPhone’s capacity, some data might not have successfully transferred to the new device.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Third Party Apps

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  1. Step 1 Try third party apps to transfer texts after the initial setup.
    While it’s easiest to transfer your messages when you first set up your new iPhone, this isn’t always practical. If you want to move messages over to an iPhone without having to start from scratch, there are a few apps you can use to make this process easier.
    • Keep in mind that some of these options will allow you to archive your old messages, but won’t make them useable (meaning you can’t simply continue your conversations in the Messages app on your iPhone).
    • Many of these apps require you to pay for access to the full version, but they may offer limited text message transfer options for free.
  2. Step 2 Use an app like SMS Backup+ to create a backup of your messages.
    There are a number of apps you can use to create a transferrable archive of your texts. However, keep in mind that many of these options won’t create a useable backup. Instead, they’ll save your texts to a format such as PDF or XML that you can view and read on your iPhone. Some popular options include:
    • SMS Backup & Restore, a free app that backs up your texts as an XML file.
    • SMS Backup+, an open-source app that lets you back up your texts in Gmail and Google Calendar. You can then access them on your iPhone. This option requires some extra steps (such as enabling IMAP in Gmail), so it might not be the most user-friendly solution.
    • Droid Transfer, a paid app that can create a printable backup of your text messages. In order to use it, you need to download both a PC app (Windows only) and a companion app for your Android phone.
    • Most of these apps require you to save your backup file to a cloud service, such as iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive, that you can access from your iPhone to view or download your texts.
  3. Step 3 Download a premium transfer app for more advanced features.
    If you want an app that allows you to transfer your texts directly to your iPhone’s Messages app, there are a few options available. Most of these are paid apps, although some of them offer a free trial or limited free transfers. A couple of popular options include:
    • MobileTrans, a phone transfer app that will port your messages, contacts, pictures, and other data from your Android device to your iPhone.
      • You’ll need to install the app on your computer, then connect both your phones to the computer to do the transfer. There’s also a mobile version of the app that requires you to connect the two phones using a USB to Lightning cable adapter.
      • Some users report that this app works well, but that the message transfer process can take several hours.
    • PhoneTrans, a subscription-based app that allows you to backup texts and other data from your Android to your computer, then restore them on your iPhone.
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  • If you want to transfer your texts and other data from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy, you can do so with the built-in Samsung Smart Switch app on your Galaxy. Unfortunately, this method only works for transferring from iOS to Samsung, and not the other way around.
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  • Most of these apps require you to have Android 4.0 or higher installed on your Android phone.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201196
  2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201274
  3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201559
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212780
  5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202033
  6. ↑ https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253204375

About This Article

Luigi Oppido
Co-authored by:
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 49,579 times.
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