Transfer data from your previous device to a Pixel phone

You can pair your previous iPhone with your new Pixel phone to transfer data wirelessly, with a cable, or both. Based on your connection, your Pixel phone automatically detects the best option for data transfer.

Important: To transfer seamlessly:

• Update your Pixel to Android 17 or later. You may be asked to install an update during the transfer process.
• Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone and ensure a strong connection.
• Know your screen lock pattern or PIN.
• Update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS.

If you meet these criteria, you will be able to transfer using a QR code in the upgraded flow. If you don’t get a QR code during setup, you can still transfer your data and set up your phone using the classic flow.

Step 1: Pair your devices

Important: Your Pixel phone may prompt you to update your software during the transfer process. Download and install the update to continue with data transfer.

1. Turn on your iPhone and new Pixel phone.
2. On your Pixel phone, select a language.
3. On the “Setup using another device” screen, tap iPhone or iPad.
4. Use your iPhone to scan the QR code on your new Pixel phone.
   1. If you do not find a QR code or if the scan doesn’t work, you can transfer through the classic flow.
5. Continue to follow on-screen instructions to set up your new Pixel, including creating any screen locks.

Step 2: Transfer apps & data from your iPhone

Important: You need a Google Account for some data types like notes, passwords, or apps.

1. On the “Copy apps & data” screen on your Pixel phone, tap Next. On your iPhone or iPad, under “Apps and Data,” select the data you want to transfer.
   1. If you have a Google Account on your iPhone and transfer App data, your Google Account may automatically transfer to your new Pixel.
   2. If you don’t have a Google Account on your iPhone , sign in to or create your Google Account on your Pixel phone. Continue to follow on-screen instructions.
2. You can continue to set up your Pixel while your data copies.
   1. On your iPhone, stay on the data transfer screen during data transfer. If you leave the screen and need to get back during this process, reopen the iPhone Settings app.

Tips:

• You can also choose to copy your data at a later time.
• You will need to transfer data for some apps, like WhatsApp, using a cable after setup. Learn how to transfer WhatsApp data to a new phone.

Step 3: Transfer your eSIM

After data transfer finishes, you can transfer your eSIM.

1. Keep your iPhone on and connected to your Pixel.
2. When prompted, choose an eSIM to transfer.
   1. If you don’t see this option, your device or carrier may not currently support eSIM transfer. Contact your carrier to transfer.
3. Continue to follow the steps shown on your iPhone to finish transferring your eSIM.

If you want to transfer your eSIM later:

1. Open your Pixel phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Network and Internet 👁 and then
   SIMs 👁 and then
   Add SIM 👁 and then
   Transfer a SIM from another phone 👁 and then
   iPhone.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Step 4: Finish setup

After setup is completed, you will need to take a few steps to finish the setup process.

1. iMessage or FaceTime: Turn off iMessage and FaceTime in your iPhone settings.
2. WhatsApp data: Learn how to transfer WhatsApp data to a new phone.
3. Transfer data from iCloud: Use Apple’s iCloud migration tool to transfer your data.
   • This tool will transfer photos, videos, and music playlists.

You can also transfer data at any time after setup:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Tap Accounts & backup 👁 and then
   Copy data using Android Switch 👁 and then
   Start.
3. If you previously used another device to transfer data, scan the QR code through the old device.
   1. If you didn’t use another device to transfer data, you can choose a device to copy data from.
4. Choose the data you want to transfer over.
5. Tap Copy.

If your device is a Pixel 8 or later and already runs Android 17 or later, you may be able to use an upgraded transfer process that copies more data.

Step 1: Get your iPhone ready for data transfer

1. Turn off iMessage and Facetime. Learn how to turn off iMessage.
2. If an organization, such as a business or school, manages your iPhone, you have to:
   • Log in with a personal ID.
   • To successfully transfer data, remove the organization account.
3. To prevent transfer interruptions, disable screen auto-lock and don’t use your iPhone during the data transfer process.
   • To disable screen auto-lock: Navigate to Settings 👁 and then
     Display & Brightness 👁 and then
     Auto-lock 👁 and then
     Never.

Step 2: Prepare your Pixel device

1. Turn on your Pixel device.
2. Tap Get Started.
   • You can change the language or vision settings of your device.

Step 3: Connect to Wi-Fi & mobile network for Pixel 8 & later

Important: Based on connectivity, the order of screens may differ.

1. On your Pixel device, tap iPhone or iPad.
2. Connect to a Wi-Fi network.
   • If you can't connect to a Wi-Fi network, connect to your mobile network through a SIM card.
3. Sign in to your Google Account.
4. To connect to a mobile network, download your eSIM.
   • Otherwise, follow the prompts to insert your SIM card.

Tip: Your Pixel supports eSIM based on your mobile carrier. For more details, check with your carrier.

Step 4: Connect your iPhone to your Pixel device

On your Pixel device:

1. On the “Copy data from your iPhone or iPad” prompt, tap Next 👁 and then
   Copy your data.
2. On the “Use your old device” prompt, tap Next.

On your iPhone:

1. Turn your iPhone on.
2. Unlock your device.

To connect both your iPhone and Pixel device:

1. Plug one end of your iPhone charging cable into your iPhone.
2. Plug the cable's other end into your Pixel device.
   • If you use a Quick Switch Adapter:
     1. Plug the cable’s other end into the adapter.
     2. Plug the adapter into your Pixel device.
3. On your iPhone, tap Trust.
4. On your Pixel device, a list of your data types appears.
   • The amount of iPhone storage may trigger a capacity warning since it may include system files or linked iCloud data. If you're sure that all your on-device data can be transferred, ignore the warning and continue.
   • To know how much on-device storage your iPhone has, tap Settings 👁 and then
     General 👁 and then
     iPhone Storage.
5. To transfer all your data, tap Copy.
   • To only transfer select data:
     1. Turn off what you don’t want.
     2. Tap Copy.

Transfer Apple passwords to your Pixel phone

Passwords stored in Apple passwords don’t automatically transfer to your Pixel phone. You need to:

1. Export them from your iPhone. Learn how to export passwords to another password manager on iPhone.
2. Import them into Google Password Manager or another password manager on your Pixel. Learn how to import passwords to your Google Account.

Beginning with Android 17, on all Pixel 8 devices and newer, you’ll be able to use an upgraded transfer process that copies more data. Follow the instructions on the screen for the best experience available. If your device is eligible for the upgraded process, you’ll get a QR code immediately after you choose to copy data from an iPhone or iPad.

You can copy different data types based on which method you choose to transfer data.

Data type	Classic: Android Switch App (wireless)	Classic (cable)	Upgraded (wireless or cable)
eSIM	No	No	Yes
Google Account	No	No	Yes
Passwords and Passkeys	No	No	Yes
Device Settings	No	Yes	Yes
Calendar events (device, iCloud)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Text messages & iMessages + attachments	No	Yes	Yes
Voice Memos recordings	No	Yes	Yes
Files & Folders	No	Yes	Yes
Notes	No	Yes	Yes
Home screen layout	No	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi login details	No	No	Yes
Alarms	No	Yes	Yes
Call history	No	Yes	Yes
Photos and Videos	Yes	Yes	Yes
Contacts (device, iCloud, and cloud-synced)	Yes	Yes	Yes
WhatsApp chat history	No	Yes	Yes*
Apps	No	Yes	Yes
MP3 and audio files	No	Yes	Yes
Wallpaper (custom photo)	No	Yes	Yes

* You can transfer your WhatsApp history after initial setup.

Based on your library size, the transfer can take several hours or days. It may also require a purchase of a Google One storage plan. Learn how to transfer iCloud photos and videos to Google Photos.

To transfer files from your iCloud as an alternative:

1. On your computer, sign in to your iCloud account.
2. Choose the files you want.
3. Export the files.
4. To upload your files, choose their destination based on their type:
   • Google Photos: Photos and videos
   • Google Drive: Miscellaneous files and PDFs

To use subscription-based services like Spotify or Apple Music:

1. Download the app.
2. Sign in to your account.

You can also transfer your Apple Music playlists to YouTube Music. Learn how to import your playlists from another service.

Contacts and 2 weeks of chat conversations. Learn how to transfer your LINE account.

You can retrieve the following data if you sign into the Google Account you previously used:

• Passwords from Google Password Manager
• Non-Google Accounts and their data, which includes contacts and calendar events
• Your progress in some game apps or websites

If you're on a new Pixel phone, click here for support:

Contact Pixel onboarding help

• Google Messages: It can take up to 24 hours for the Google Messages app to fully index and display your history. Keep the phone plugged in during this "post-transfer lag."
• Google Photos: Check if they were stored in the cloud. To find synced content, log into the same Google Account in the Google Photos app.
• WhatsApp: If history didn't transfer, make sure you use the same phone number. On your old device, turn on the cloud backup within the WhatsApp app.

If you encounter issues during transfer, try these steps:

• Check for app updates: On both devices, update Google Messages to the latest version. On your old device, set it as your default messaging app.
• Use a cable for iOS: To transfer messages (including text messages and iMessages) and apps, use a cable. Wireless transfers that use the Android Switch app from the Apple App Store won’t include messages.
• Wait for indexing: It can take up to 24 hours for a large volume of messages to fully index and appear in the app list. To verify if the data has arrived, you can search for a known message by keyword.
• Check storage: Data transfer may pause if your new Pixel phone's storage is full.
• Retry with Android Switch: To copy any missing data after setup, use the Android Switch tool in settings.

When prompted to transfer data, tap Skip. Learn how to set up a child account on your Pixel device.

1. On your Pixel phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Accounts & backup 👁 and then
   Android Switch 👁 and then
   Start. Learn how to use the Switch to Android app to transfer without a cable.

If your device is an iPhone X or earlier, you can use a USB-C to Lightning cable or a Quick Switch Adapter. Learn how to request and use a Quick Switch Adapter.

Learn how to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone.

Fix issues with data transfer on a new Pixel phone.

If you can't use your previous device or don't have a cable that fits, learn how to fix issues with data transfer.

If you didn't transfer your data when you first turned on your device, learn how to fix issues with data transfer.

• Finish setup notification: If it has been less than 72 hours since setup and you get a “Pixel setup isn’t done” notification, tap it to complete the process.
• Restore anytime: You can transfer data and merge it with your current device content without a factory reset.
  1. On your new Pixel phone, open the Settings app.
  2. With Android Switch, tap Back up or copy data 👁 and then
     Copy data.

If you skipped the transfer or need to try again because it failed:

1. On your new Pixel phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Back up or copy data 👁 and then
   Copy data (Restore Anytime).

Tip: If you transfer from iOS, to make sure messages are included, use a cable.

To make sure all photos, including those in iCloud optimized storage, transfer correctly:

• Sync through Google Photos app: On your previous iPhone, install the Google Photos app and turn on backup. This syncs both local device photos and iCloud photos to your Google Account, which makes them visible on your new Pixel phone.
• Apple data transfer:
  1. Sign in with your Apple ID at privacy.apple.com.
  2. To move your media directly to Google Photos, select Request to transfer a copy of your data.
     • This process typically takes 3–7 days.

Important: RCS is now available for Android and select iPhone devices, provided by Google or your carrier under your carrier's terms of service.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a modern industry standard for messaging and enables more dynamic and secure conversations than SMS and MMS. Learn how to turn RCS chats in Google messages on or off.

If you use Google Password Manager, it’s already installed on your new device. Learn more about Passkeys.

If you use iCloud to store your passwords or Passkeys, you need to log in to your apps and services manually.

Export passwords to another password manager on iPhone.

• Deregister iMessage: Before the transfer, you must turn off iMessage and FaceTime in your iPhone settings. If you’ve already completed the transfer, deregister your phone number at selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage. This makes sure that new messages reach your Pixel phone instead of disappearing into the Apple cloud.

• Cable connection: For iPhone-to-Pixel transfers, WhatsApp history requires a cable connection during initial setup. You must choose to transfer apps and make sure to select WhatsApp.
• App backup: On your old device, in the WhatsApp settings, turn on cloud backups. Then you can restore your history when you first launch WhatsApp on your new Pixel.

• Google Play Store only: Only apps installed from the Google Play Store will transfer. Sideloaded apps or those from other stores (like the Galaxy Store) must be installed manually.
• iOS app matching: If a direct match isn't found for an iOS app, you can search the Google Play Store for the app or a comparable alternative.
• Paid apps: Paid apps from the Apple App Store won’t transfer. You'll need to repurchase them from the Google Play Store.

Tip: For transfers that involve more than 60 GB of data, make sure both devices are fully charged and connected by a USB cable. This is to prevent connection drops or battery depletion during the process.