Move to iOS

Move to iOS Review: It Moves WhatsApp and Call Logs, but Only During Setup

Only on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, or after an erase

The app pairs only with an iPhone or iPad that is still in setup: after Quick Start you tap Set Up Without Another Apple Device, then From Android and Transfer with App on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen. If setup is already done, Apple's answer is an erase or a manual move. Pairing uses a six- or ten-digit code shown on the iPhone, which then creates a temporary Wi-Fi network for the Android phone to join; a USB-C cable is the faster option. The Android side needs version 6.0 or later. Also, everything you select, including a microSD card, must fit in the iPhone's storage, and Chrome bookmarks only come across after Chrome is updated.

WhatsApp, call history and 14 data types: what crosses over

Apple's support page lists 14 categories: contacts, message history, SMS, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, accessibility settings, display settings, web bookmarks, mail accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, Voice Memos, call history and calendars. Recent updates added call history, Dual SIM labels, and voice recordings that land in Voice Memos or Files depending on their format. Only free apps sold in both stores, and only those that support the feature, get matched, and you download them from the App Store once setup ends. Purchased apps and media stored inside apps are not copied. Music, books and PDFs need a computer sync or a sign-in to a streaming app. Apple's license adds that saved passwords never transfer, while Google and Gmail usernames do, to prefill accounts.

Stalls at 99%, and why a failed run means erasing the iPhone

Apple says the Android app must stay onscreen the whole time: switching apps or taking a phone call before it ends means your content won't transfer, and the iPhone's progress bar, not the Android screen, decides when it is done. If a run dies partway or fills the iPhone, Apple's fix is to erase the iPhone and start again. Google Play reviews show how often that happens. Of 130 English one- and two-star reviews from 2026, 28 describe a transfer that froze or stalled, 13 of them at 98 to 99% or on a one-minute estimate, and 15 say a failed attempt meant starting over, usually after a reset. Apple suggests switching off Smart Network Switch, forgetting saved Wi-Fi networks and turning off mobile data.

Location is the only required permission

The permission list is long: SMS, call log, contacts, calendar, precise location, web bookmarks and the accounts on the device. Apple's Play listing marks only Location as required, because Android needs it to set up the Wi-Fi link with the iPhone; the rest are optional, each tied to one data type, such as SMS for text messages. Apple's license says the app moves content directly between the two devices, sends only app metadata to Apple to suggest iOS versions of your apps, and passes nothing to third parties. The Data safety form lists optional crash logs and diagnostics, and setup asks whether to send them. There is no backup step, unlike Samsung Smart Switch, which can keep a copy on a PC, Mac, microSD card or USB drive while moving a phone onto a Galaxy device. Google's Android Switch covers the opposite trip, from iPhone to Android.