Switch from iPhone to Android
Moving from iPhone to Android? Turn off iMessage, move your passwords and codes out of Apple's ecosystem, keep your Apple Account, and switch in a safe order.
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Your plan so far
19things this change touches
- critical3
- high11
- moderate2
- low3
Updates as you answer. Every item will explain why it’s there.
What could break
In a typical iphone to android plan, these are the most serious things to get right.
Move passwords out of Apple Passwords
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
You could be locked out of accounts whose passwords only ever lived in the iPhone's keychain.
Verification codes saved in Apple Passwords
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
Accounts protected by those codes could lock you out once the iPhone is gone.
Google Authenticator: sync or transfer your codes
Critical · Sign-in & recovery
Erase the old phone first and you could be locked out of every account those codes protect, with a separate recovery process for each.
Apple Account sign-in codes without an iPhone
Critical · Core accounts
With no trusted device and no working trusted number, getting back into your Apple Account means Apple's account recovery, which can take several days.
Turn off iMessage and FaceTime before moving your SIM
Critical · Messaging & contacts
Texts from iPhone users can quietly go missing, including group messages, with no error on either side.
Test texts from iPhone users, calls and sign-in codes
Critical · Phone & internet service
You could wipe the old phone and then find that sign-in codes don't arrive.
Back up the iPhone to iCloud or a computer
High · Data & files
Photos, files or chat history can be lost for good.
Keep the iPhone working until the switch is finished
High · Devices
If you erase or hand it over too early, anything that didn't transfer may be gone, including codes you need to sign in.
Make sure you know your Apple Account and Google Account passwords
High · Sign-in & recovery
Setup stalls at the sign-in screen, and a forgotten password can start a recovery process that takes days.
iCloud Photos: copy your library to Google Photos
High · Data & files
Photos that only lived in iCloud won't be on the new phone, and a large library can take days to arrive.
Before and after the change
Before you change it
- Back up the iPhone to iCloud or a computer
- Keep the iPhone working until the switch is finished
- Make sure you know your Apple Account and Google Account passwords
- iCloud Photos: copy your library to Google Photos
- Notes and Reminders kept in iCloud
- Move passwords out of Apple Passwords
- Verification codes saved in Apple Passwords
- Google Authenticator: sync or transfer your codes
- Save backup codes for accounts that use sign-in codes
- Passkeys in Apple Passwords won't sync to Android
- Apple Account sign-in codes without an iPhone
- Keep your Apple Account
After the change
- Turn off iMessage and FaceTime before moving your SIM
- Sign in to the Android phone with your Google Account
- Copy your data from the iPhone during setup
- Contacts and calendars: move them from iCloud to Google
- Move your number to the Android phone
- WhatsApp: transfer your chats from the iPhone
- Group chats with iPhone users
- Turn on RCS chats in Google Messages
- Banking apps tied to a single device
- Add your cards to Google Wallet
- Boarding passes, tickets and transit cards in your wallet
- Reinstall your apps and check their data came across
Your own plan adds or removes items based on your answers, and explains why each one is there.
The safe order
Doing things in the right sequence is what keeps you from getting locked out halfway through.
Before the change
Step 1: Back up the iPhone and get ready
A fresh backup, the passwords you'll need, and anything that needs moving off Apple devices first.
- Back up the iPhone to iCloud or a computer (high risk)
- Keep the iPhone working until the switch is finished (high risk)
- Make sure you know your Apple Account and Google Account passwords (high risk)
Step 2: Start moving data out of iCloud
Photo transfers can take days, so start early.
- iCloud Photos: copy your library to Google Photos (high risk)
- Notes and Reminders kept in iCloud (moderate risk)
Step 3: Move passwords, passkeys and sign-in codes
Apple Passwords and some authenticator backups can't follow you to Android.
- Move passwords out of Apple Passwords (critical risk)
- Verification codes saved in Apple Passwords (critical risk)
- Google Authenticator: sync or transfer your codes (critical risk)
- Save backup codes for accounts that use sign-in codes (high risk)
- and 1 more
Step 4: Keep your Apple Account working without an iPhone
Don't delete it. Make sure you can still get its sign-in codes.
- Apple Account sign-in codes without an iPhone (critical risk)
- Keep your Apple Account (high risk)
- Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email (high risk)
Step 5: Review subscriptions and paid apps
Apple keeps billing until you cancel.
- Subscriptions billed by Apple keep charging (high risk)
- Paid apps and in-app purchases don't carry over (moderate risk)
During the change
Step 6: Turn off iMessage and FaceTime
Do this before the SIM leaves the iPhone.
- Turn off iMessage and FaceTime before moving your SIM (critical risk)
Step 7: Set up the Android phone and copy your data
Sign in with your Google Account and use the iPhone transfer.
- Sign in to the Android phone with your Google Account (high risk)
- Copy your data from the iPhone during setup (high risk)
- Contacts and calendars: move them from iCloud to Google (high risk)
Step 8: Move your number to the Android phone
Physical SIM or eSIM, after iMessage is off.
- Move your number to the Android phone (high risk)
Immediately after
Step 9: Move chats and rejoin group chats
WhatsApp, Signal and group chats with iPhone users.
- WhatsApp: transfer your chats from the iPhone (high risk)
- Group chats with iPhone users (moderate risk)
- Turn on RCS chats in Google Messages (low risk)
Step 10: Set up Google Wallet and banking apps
Cards, passes and banking apps need setting up again.
- Banking apps tied to a single device (high risk)
- Add your cards to Google Wallet (moderate risk)
- Boarding passes, tickets and transit cards in your wallet (moderate risk)
Step 11: Reinstall apps and sign back in
Apps come fresh from Google Play; check their data.
- Reinstall your apps and check their data came across (moderate risk)
Step 12: Sort out Apple Watch, AirPods and your car
Apple Watch needs an iPhone; other accessories pair again.
- AirPods: pair them with Android as Bluetooth earbuds (low risk)
- Your car: pair the new phone and set up Android Auto (low risk)
Verify
Step 13: Test messages, calls and sign-in codes
Prove the Android phone works on its own before you erase the iPhone.
- Test texts from iPhone users, calls and sign-in codes (critical risk)
- Sign in to your most important accounts from the new phone (high risk)
- If iPhone users' texts go missing, deregister your number online (high risk)
Clean up
Step 14: Erase the iPhone, or keep it locked down
If it's leaving you: unpair the watch, sign out, erase, then remove it from your devices.
- Turn off Find My and sign out of your Apple Account on the iPhone (high risk)
- Erase the iPhone (high risk)
- Remove the iPhone from your trusted devices (moderate risk)
Later
Step 15: Tidy up iCloud and follow up
Storage plans, trade-in and anything that turns up late.
- iCloud+ storage: downgrade only after your data has moved (low risk)
- Trade in or sell the iPhone (low risk)
- Watch for missing messages and anything still tied to the iPhone (low risk)
Why this change needs a plan
Android's setup can copy a lot from an iPhone: contacts, photos, messages and calendars. What it can't do is untangle you from Apple's services, and that's where switches go wrong.
The most common problem is iMessage. If your number is still registered when you move the SIM, texts from iPhone users can go missing without anyone noticing. The next is passwords, verification codes and passkeys saved in Apple Passwords, which Android can't use.
You don't need to leave Apple entirely. Keep your Apple Account for purchases, iCloud data and Sign in with Apple, and keep a trusted phone number so you can still get its sign-in codes.
Why it matters
An iPhone quietly handles messaging, passwords, two-factor codes, payments and backups through your Apple Account. Switching moves each of those to a different system, and anything missed can cost you messages, logins or money.
What makes it risky
Risk is highest when passwords or verification codes live only in Apple Passwords, when iMessage isn't turned off before the SIM moves, and when the iPhone is your only trusted device for Apple sign-in codes.
Common mistakes
- Moving the SIM before turning off iMessage, so texts from iPhone users quietly go missing.
- Deleting the Apple Account, which removes purchases and iCloud data and can break Sign in with Apple logins.
- Losing passwords and verification codes that were only saved in Apple Passwords.
- Assuming subscriptions billed by Apple stop when you leave the iPhone.
- Selling the iPhone while it's still the only trusted device for Apple sign-in codes.
- Expecting WhatsApp's iCloud backup to restore on Android instead of using WhatsApp's transfer.
- Forgetting that Apple Watch doesn't work with Android until the watch stops syncing.
- Not asking iPhone friends to start new group chats, and dropping out of them without noticing.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my iMessages when I switch to Android?
Your existing conversations can be copied during Android setup, but iMessage itself doesn't work on Android. Turn off iMessage before moving your SIM so new texts from iPhone users reach you. If you've already switched, use Apple's Deregister iMessage page.
What happens to my iCloud photos?
They stay in iCloud. To have them on Android, use Apple's transfer to Google Photos or back up from the Google Photos app on the iPhone. Apple says most transfers take three to seven days.
Do I need to keep my Apple Account?
Yes. It holds your purchases, iCloud data and any Sign in with Apple logins. You don't need an iPhone to keep it, but keep a trusted phone number so you can still get its sign-in codes.
Can I move WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Android?
Yes, with WhatsApp's own iPhone-to-Android transfer, which runs during Android setup or through WhatsApp's transfer option depending on your phones. The iCloud backup itself can't be restored on Android.
Will my apps and purchases transfer?
Many free apps can be reinstalled from Google Play, but App Store purchases don't carry over. Subscriptions you started through Apple keep billing until you cancel them in your Apple Account.
Can I use my Apple Watch with an Android phone?
No. Apple Watch needs an iPhone. Unpair it from the iPhone before you erase the iPhone so it's backed up and its Activation Lock is off.
What about passwords and passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain?
Android can't use them. Move passwords to Google Password Manager or a cross-platform password manager before you switch, and create new passkeys on Android for important accounts.