The Complete Tutorial on How to Transfer Data from an Android phone to an iPhone

CREDIT: ROB SCHULTZ / UNSPLASH

Introduction

It is not uncommon to see people move from using an android phone to an iPhone. While some simply want to use both phones from different operating systems at the same time, others just want to make a total migration and here is where some people get stuck. iPhones and Android run on different ecosystems and thus, there are areas where there isn't any seamless integration between them. One of such areas is in the transferring of data.

The challenge of switching from Android to iPhone

Between android to android, it is seamless because a single sign in to one's Google account takes care of everything, likewise between two iPhones, but when moving between these two platforms, it becomes a little bit complex as a Google account can't serve as the primary account for iPhone users, and in a similar vein, an iCloud account can't serve as the primary account for Android devices, making data transfer limited between the two mobile phone operating systems.

The purpose of this article

If you are encountering a problem moving or copying any form of data from your android to an iPhone, then this article was definitely made for you.

File transfer from Android to iPhone can be made in a series of ways, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, allowing for certain types of files to be sent across, and in this article, I am going to be looking into the variety of ways we can transfer files from an Android to an iPhone. The main purpose behind this article is to guide you through the data transfer process ensuring that you find a method that works for the data format you want to transfer.

Methods of Transfer

Method 1: Move to iOS App

The move to iOS app is an application on Android that allows android users to move data from the android to their iPhone seamlessly. It is often installed when people want to transfer all their data from Android to an iPhone.

To use this app:

You have to download it on your android and its iOS counterpart, which is available on the Apple App store.
Open up the two apps on the two different phones and turn on your WiFi in your android device.
Keep both phones close together and your Apple device will create a private network between it and your android phone that has the app open.
Select what you want to move.
Keep the phones charged in power while this is happening

This is one of the most efficient ways of moving data from your android phone to your iPhone, it can transfer these types of data:

Contacts
Message history
Camera photos and videos up to 2GB for a single file.
Google accounts
Calendars
WhatsApp content

Despite the efficiency, it still has some limitations, one of them is that it does not work on very old versions of android. Android lollipop and older, thus those who may still be using Android devices that are running on these older versions are locked out of its features. Additionally, it can't transfer call logs.

Method 2: Google Drive

As part of Google services and as a cloud backup platform, Google drive is an effective way of having and accessing your data across multiple devices.

While it may require you to re-download these backed up data to be able to access them offline, it remains an ideal method of transferring data from an Android phone to an iPhone.

- Step-by-step guide on how to restore data from Google Drive to iPhone

Backup all your android device’s data on your Google account.
Sign in to Google on your iPhone.
Download the Google Drive application, the Google Contacts app, G-mail, and Photos Apps. Once you enter these apps, you'd find your data with an option to download them with an exception of your mail that can only be downloaded when you wish to print it.

One advantage of this method is that your files are safe and can also be seamlessly moved. While it doesn't permit you to download your WhatsApp data and call logs, it is still a good way of transferring your cloud data to your iPhone.

Method 3: iCloud

You can also get your android data synced automatically on your iOS by backing them up to iCloud from your android.

Here is a step by step process of doing so:

Go to iCloud.com from your android device.
Manually select files and back them up to iCloud.
When you get your iPhone, it will automatically sync with the respective software for opening it. For instance, a backed up image will sync from the cloud to your Apple Photos app.

This method is seamless only after you have transferred the data, but the actual moving of the data can be tedious as it's a manual process, unlike traditional backup on Android that is automatic. Another con of using this method is that it doesn't have an intuitive feel like when you're using iCloud from an iPhone.

Method 4: Third-Party Apps and inbuilt tools like Bluetooth

Certain third-party apps offer transfer of files from android to iPhone. One popular example of such an app is Xender.

These apps can transfer audio, video and photo files only.

Though not a popular option especially if you are just moving from android to iPhone newly, but when it comes to continuous file transfer from an Android to an iPhone, it is one of the most used.

On your Xender, click on the connect to iPhone option.

Select your files and transfer them.

Method 5: Computer Transfer

For some people, their computer also serves as a sort of offline backup for some of their files. If you are one of these people or you have a computer, you can use your USB cable to transfer bulk files to your iPhone.

Step-by-step guide on how to transfer data manually using a computer

Using a USB cable, send files to your computer from your android.
After transferring these files, create a folder for them.
On your iPhone, connect to your computer using a USB cable.
Open your file manager on your PC and copy the entire folder to your iPhone.
Your iPhone will detect the formats of these files and place them in their appropriate locations.

Conclusion

Among all of these methods, the move to iOS app is the best, closely followed by the Google Drive method, though these two methods are good, there are cases when they might not be ideal, especially in scenarios when you'd love to move just a few files or if you intend using both phones and will need to occasionally transfer data from your android to iPhone.

Despite everything, there are still areas of lack, and one prominent area is that of apps and their data transfer. Since android apps are bundled as APKs, a format different from that of iOS, it is impossible to transfer an app from android to iPhone, and subsequently, certain apps do not permit its data to be moved across these two separate platforms unless the data is stored in the cloud.

In summary, it is good to be aware of these methods to know when you can use which. Also, it is equally important to constantly back up your data and if possible, turn on scheduled automatic backups.