Transfer your data between IOS and Android

Whether you’re moving to IOS from Android or vice versa, you’ll want to transfer all your data. Will Stapley explains how to ensure nothing gets lost in the process

Switch to a device with a different operating system without the hassle

What to do first

Make sure your old phone or tablet is backed up, so if anything goes wrong you won’t lose your data. On an IOS device, go to Settings, select your name at the top, then swipe down and select icloud Backup. If it’s not already enabled, switch on icloud Backup, then tap Back Up Now.

On an Android device, go to Settings, ‘Cloud and Accounts’, then ‘Backup and restore’ and make sure ‘Back up my data’ under Google Account is switched on (depending on which Android device you have, the menus may have different wording, but swiping down and searching for backup should locate the correct setting).

If you’re switching to Android, switch off imessage on your IOS device first, otherwise messages may not be delivered to your new Android phone. On your iphone/ipad, go to Settings, Messages, then turn off imessage.

Finally, to prevent your devices shutting down while transferring data, make sure both are fully charged and, ideally, plugged into the mains.

Data-transfer apps

Most manufacturers offer their own apps for transferring data, which despite a few reported glitches leading to stalled transfers are definitely worth trying. Always make a note of exactly what you’re copying over so you can transfer any missing content yourself afterwards, which the remainder of our tips will explain how to do.

Android to IOS

Apple aims to smooth the process of switching with its ‘Move to IOS’ app. You can only use it when setting up a new or recently reset iphone/ipad. If you’ve already started using your new device and don’t want to reset it, you’ll need to transfer the content yourself, as we explain later.

To use ‘Move to IOS’, switch on your IOS device and, in the ‘Apps & Data’ screen that appears during setup, tap ‘Move Data from Android’ (see screenshot above). Next, download the ‘Move to IOS’ app to your Android phone/tablet ( www. snipca.com/30286) and follow the setup instructions. Your IOS device will now detect the app running on your Android device and you can then select what to transfer.

IOS to Android

Find out whether your new Android phone/ tablet has a transfer app. For example, there’s Samsung’s Smart Switch ( www. snipca.com/30281) and Huawei’s Phone Clone ( www.snipca.com/30282). There are many paid-for transfer apps, so to make sure you avoid these we advise downloading the transfer app from your phone manufacturer’s website. The transfer process itself will depend on the apps you’re moving, but typically it will only involve a few steps.

Contacts Android to IOS

On your Android device, go to Settings, ‘Cloud and accounts’, Accounts, then select your Google account. Tap ‘Sync account’, then make sure Contacts (along with any other content you want to transfer) is set to On (these steps may vary slightly depending on your device’s manufacturer).

Next, on your new IOS device, go to Settings, tap ‘Passwords & Accounts’, Add Account, then choose Google and enter your login details. In the next screen, make sure Contacts is switched to On, then click Save.