iPhone to Android Moves Most Data, but Not Paid Apps

Most of your iPhone comes across to Android at setup: contacts, photos, calendars, messages, notes and free apps, with a cable or Google’s newer Android 17 transfer. Google’s copy leaves paid apps and in-app purchases, Safari bookmarks, Health data and photos kept in iCloud behind, and you need to turn off iMessage and FaceTime on the iPhone so texts from iPhone users reach the new phone.

How much moves depends on the route. Google lists 21 data types: its Android Switch app moves 3 wirelessly, the classic cable transfer moves 14, and the upgraded process on Android 17 moves all 21.

Do these on the iPhone first

1. Update and charge it. Google says to charge both phones, connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi and make sure you can unlock it with its passcode. It suggests turning off auto-lock.
2. Turn off iMessage and FaceTime. In Settings, tap Apps, then Messages, and turn off iMessage; then Apps, FaceTime, and turn off FaceTime (Apple’s steps). Google’s transfer page says you must turn off iMessage, and its Messages page says to do it before the SIM comes out, or SMS and MMS messages “could continue going to your old iPhone instead of your new phone.”
3. Move iCloud photos separately. Photos and videos stored in iCloud are on Google’s list of things that do not transfer. Google links a request that copies them from iCloud to Google Photos, and Samsung suggests doing that before the move to save time and space.
4. Check storage on the new phone. Google says you will not be able to transfer everything if it runs out of room. A copy usually takes under 30 minutes, it says, and can take a few hours with a lot of data.

What moves, by route

Data	Switch app	Cable	Android 17	Smart Switch
Contacts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Both
Calendars	Yes	Yes	Yes, with attachments	Both
Photos and videos	Yes	Yes	Yes, with albums	Both
Messages	No	Yes	Yes, with encrypted and iCloud messages	Both
Notes	No	Yes	Yes, with attachments and labels	Both
Voice memos	No	Yes	Yes	Both
Alarms	No	Yes	Yes	Both
Music	No	Yes	Yes	Both (DRM-free)
Home screen layout	No	Yes	Yes	Both
Wallpaper (custom photo)	No	Yes	Yes	Cable
Free apps on Google Play	No	Yes	Yes	Both
Downloaded files	No	Yes	Yes	Not listed
Accessibility settings	No	Yes	Yes, more of them	Not listed
WhatsApp history	No	Yes	Yes, also after setup	Extra step, by cable
Call history	No	No	Yes	Wireless
Passwords and passkeys	No	No	Yes	Wireless
Wi-Fi networks	No	No	Yes	Wireless
All files and folders	No	No	Yes	Documents, both
Google Account	No	No	Yes	Not listed
App data	No	No	Yes, if the developer allows	Not listed
eSIM	No	No	Yes, select carriers	Not listed

The first three columns are Google’s own table; “Android 17” is what Google calls the upgraded transfer. In the Smart Switch column, “Both” means Samsung lists it for a cable and for wireless on One UI 9, and “Wireless” means One UI 9 wireless only. Read on 10 November 2026.

What stays behind

Item	Google’s transfer	Smart Switch	What to do
Paid apps and in-app purchases	Does not transfer	Not listed	Contact the app’s developer, Google suggests
Safari bookmarks	Does not transfer	Cable, with reading lists	Use Smart Switch by cable on a Galaxy
Health data	Does not transfer	Not listed	Neither page offers a route
Photos and videos in iCloud	Does not transfer	Listed for its iCloud route	Request the copy to Google Photos

For paid subscriptions, Google’s table also says to contact the developer. Apple’s pages we read say nothing on App Store purchases. If WhatsApp is on your list, its iPhone-to-Android transfer has its own rules, and passwords kept in a third-party manager can move with Android’s newer manager-to-manager transfer.

Which route your phone gets

Google says the upgraded process starts on Android 17 on some devices: Pixel 8 and newer, Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy S26 FE, and two Vivo X500 Pro models, with availability varying by country. If your phone qualifies, it shows a QR code as soon as you choose to copy from an iPhone or iPad; scan it with the iPhone’s camera. On those phones Google says you can also skip setup and copy later from Settings, under Accounts and backup.

Apple’s side of the same transfer is in iOS 26.3: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Transfer to Android. Apple says it needs a compatible version of Android 17 and moves third-party app data once the developer enables it.

Without a QR code you get the classic transfer. Use the iPhone’s charging cable (with a USB-A to USB-C adapter if needed), tap Trust, and stay with the phone, because Google says you enter your PIN during the copy. The wireless Android Switch app needs iOS 15 or later and, per Google’s table, moves contacts, calendars and photos alone.

On a Samsung Galaxy, Google notes Samsung has its own method. Samsung recommends a cable for One UI 8.5 and older; on One UI 9, wireless with iOS 26.6 or later is its pick and adds call logs, passwords and passkeys and Wi-Fi networks. WhatsApp still needs a cable there. Smart Switch also reminds you to deregister iMessage when it finishes.

Your number and the eSIM

A physical SIM card moves from the iPhone to the Android phone. For an eSIM, the upgraded transfer moves it on select carriers, and Apple lists AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US. Apple says that once the transfer completes, “the number will no longer work” on the iPhone. If your carrier is not on that list, download the eSIM from the carrier; how eSIM differs from a SIM card covers what to expect from that call.

If texts from iPhones go missing

Apple says to deregister if you are on a non-Apple phone and are not getting RCS or SMS/MMS messages. With the iPhone, put the SIM back in it, connect to cellular data, and turn off iMessage and FaceTime. Without it, use Apple’s Deregister iMessage page: enter the number, get a code by text and enter the 6-digit code. Apple says texts should arrive right away, though some Apple devices can take a few hours to notice.

Two loose ends. Google says to start new group chats with iPhone friends to keep getting their messages. Apple says iMessages sent to your Apple Account still reach any other Apple devices you keep. Once the new phone has everything, sign out and wipe the iPhone before it goes anywhere.

Questions people ask

What doesn’t transfer from iPhone to Android?

Google lists four things: paid apps and in-app purchases, bookmarks from Safari, Health data, and photos and videos stored in iCloud. For iCloud photos, Google points to a separate request that copies them to Google Photos.

Do I need to turn off iMessage before switching to Android?

Yes. Google says to turn it off before you take the SIM out, or texts from iPhone users can keep going to the old iPhone. Apple’s steps also turn off FaceTime. If you no longer have the iPhone, deregister your number on Apple’s website.

How do I deregister my number from iMessage without my iPhone?

Use Apple’s Deregister iMessage page. You enter the phone number, Apple texts a confirmation code, and you enter the 6-digit code. Apple says texts should arrive right away, though some Apple devices can take a few hours to notice.

Can I transfer my eSIM from iPhone to Android?

On iOS 26.3 or later and a compatible Android 17 phone, Apple says yes, with a supported carrier: AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile or Verizon in the US. Otherwise move the physical SIM card or download the eSIM from your carrier.

Do paid iPhone apps transfer to Android?

No. Google lists paid apps and in-app purchases as not transferring and suggests contacting the app’s developer. Free apps that are also on Google Play come across with a cable or the upgraded Android 17 transfer.

Do iMessages transfer to an Android phone?

With a cable, yes, says Google, and its upgraded Android 17 process also copies encrypted messages and messages stored in iCloud. The wireless Android Switch app does not copy messages. Samsung lists iMessages for Smart Switch by cable and on One UI 9 wirelessly.