How to Transfer Data on Android (2026): Android, iPhone and WhatsApp Routes

The one thing worth knowing before you touch either phone: Google says the Android to Android copy can only be done once, and it recommends doing it during setup because the option may not be offered afterwards. So don't tap past it thinking you'll sort it out at the weekend.

Everything below comes from Google's own help pages on switching phones. Where a step depends on the make of phone, I've said so, because Google does too.

Which transfer route fits your old phone

Old phone or data	The route Google describes	Worth knowing
Another Android phone	Tap Copy during setup on the new phone, then pick a cable or Wi-Fi	Some steps need Android 10 and up; the copy is a one-time job
A Samsung phone	The same setup copy, or Samsung Smart Switch	Google points Samsung owners to Smart Switch as an extra option
Moving to a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro	Google's Pixel Help Center has its own steps	Google sends you there rather than its general guide
An iPhone or iPad	Choose iPhone or iPad when the new phone asks where to copy from	iMessage must be off, and both devices stay connected the whole time
WhatsApp chats	Back up, install WhatsApp, then restore by Wi-Fi or from the cloud	Sign in with the same phone number you used before
You've already finished setup	Restore from an Android backup, or copy data manually	Google lists both as separate options on its switching page

Before you start: Google's checklist

• Charge both phones. It's first on every one of Google's switching pages.
• Check you can get into the old phone. Google says you'll need its PIN, pattern or password.
• Sign in to your Google Account on the old phone. Google says that's how you move the most data. If you're not sure you've got one, entering your email address will tell you, and you can create one if you haven't.
• Back up the old phone. Google links its own backup steps from the same page.
• Get online. You need an internet connection to copy from one phone to the other, and Google recommends having both on Wi-Fi.
• Check storage on both phones. If the new one's short of space, you can choose which data goes across.
• Find a SIM tool if you're moving a physical SIM card.
• Set aside some time. Google says an Android to Android copy can take from a few minutes to a few hours.

One more catch: if a business or school manages either phone, Google warns you may not be able to transfer all your data. That applies to both the Android and the iPhone routes.

Copying from an old Android phone, step by step

1. Turn on the new phone and tap Start. You can change the language or vision settings on this screen if you need to.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi from the list of networks, or insert your SIM card or download your eSIM from your carrier to use mobile data. Google says only one of those is required as long as you're online, but it recommends doing both.
3. When the phone offers to copy your apps and data, tap Copy.
4. Pick With a cable, which Google marks as recommended, or With a Wi-Fi connection. There's also an option to restore data from Google One.
5. Follow the prompts on both phones until the copy finishes, then carry on with setup.

Here's the bit most people don't guess. Google says the cable and the wireless option both support the same data, so the cable isn't a way to get more across. It's simply the recommended route. If your cable doesn't fit both phones, Google says you may need an adapter.

If you've been weighing up which phone to move to in the first place, my Samsung and iPhone comparison covers that side of it.

Moving from an iPhone or iPad to Android

This route has more moving parts, and Google's list of things to sort first is longer:

• Connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi before you start. The new Android phone will then offer to take the Wi-Fi connection from the iPhone, or you can connect by hand.
• Turn off iMessage on the iPhone. Google says you must.
• Optionally, switch off auto-lock on the iPhone so it doesn't go to sleep mid-copy.
• Check storage on both devices. Google says you won't be able to move everything if the new phone runs short.
• Allow time. Google says it usually takes less than 30 minutes, but it can stretch to a few hours if you've got a lot of data.

1. Turn on the Android phone and tap through the first few setup screens.
2. When it asks whether you want to copy data from another device, choose iPhone or iPad.
3. On some newer phones you'll see a QR code. Scan it with the iPhone's camera to pair the two wirelessly.
4. No QR code? Choose a Wi-Fi network, log in to your Google Account and connect to a mobile network, either by moving the physical SIM from the iPhone or by downloading an eSIM from your carrier. Then copy with a cable, or use the Android Switch app to do it without one.
5. Pick the data you want to bring across. You can keep setting up the phone while the transfer runs.
6. Keep both devices connected until setup is finished, even if the phone asks you to transfer an eSIM along the way.

Two jobs sit outside the main copy. To keep receiving texts reliably, Google points you to switching from iMessage to Google Messages. And photos and videos stored in iCloud are treated as a separate transfer into Google Photos, so don't assume your whole iCloud library has come across just because the copy finished.

Bringing WhatsApp chats across

Google has a page for this, and it's upfront that WhatsApp doesn't guarantee your chats will transfer successfully. If something goes missing, WhatsApp support is the place to ask. Coming from an iPhone, you'll get a notification after the main copy; tap it and follow the steps. Coming from another Android phone, it's three stages:

1. On the old phone, open WhatsApp, tap More at the top right, then Settings, Chats, Chat backup, and tap Back up. This saves the backup to your Google Account.
2. On the new phone, WhatsApp should already be there if your apps came across. If it isn't, download it from the Play Store.
3. Sign in to WhatsApp with the same phone number you used on the old phone.
4. When it asks how to restore, tap Transfer from old phone to go over Wi-Fi, or Restore from backup to pull it from the cloud.

Google recommends the cloud option if your backup is up to date. And if you've got more than one Google Account, make sure you're signed in to the same one on both phones. If the old phone's gone or there's no backup at all, that's a different problem, and I've covered it in moving WhatsApp messages without a backup.

Before you wipe, sell or recycle the old phone

Google's advice is clear on the order of things: only clear your data after you've confirmed everything has been copied to the new phone. Once you're sure, reset the old one to factory settings before you donate, trade it in or recycle it, so nobody else can get at your personal information. Google says your phone maker and mobile carrier have the trade-in and data removal instructions for your model, and my guide to factory resetting an Android phone walks through the reset itself.

The route I'd pick

I'd do the copy during setup, on a cable if one fits both phones, with both on Wi-Fi and both charged. I'd skip the urge to tap past the copy screen and come back to it later, because Google says it's a one-time job that may not be offered again. And I'd leave the old phone untouched, not reset, for a few days until you've checked your photos, messages and WhatsApp chats are all where they should be.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer data after I've already set up my new Android phone?

Google says the Android to Android copy can only be done once and recommends doing it during setup, because the option may not be available afterwards. Its switching guide also lists restoring from an Android backup and copying data manually as separate routes.

Is a cable or Wi-Fi better for moving data to a new Android phone?

Google marks the cable as recommended, but says the cable and the wireless option both support the same data. If the cable doesn't fit both phones, you may need an adapter.

How long does it take to transfer data to a new Android phone?

Google says an Android to Android copy can take from a few minutes to a few hours. From an iPhone, it usually takes less than 30 minutes but can take a few hours if you've got a lot of data.

Do I need to turn off iMessage before moving from an iPhone to Android?

Yes. Google's Android Help says you must turn off iMessage on the iPhone before you start, and it points you to switching to Google Messages afterwards so texts keep arriving reliably.

Will my WhatsApp chats move across on their own?

Not always. From another Android phone, you back up in WhatsApp, then choose Transfer from old phone or Restore from backup on the new one. From an iPhone, you'll get a notification after the main copy. Google notes WhatsApp doesn't guarantee a successful transfer.