Transfer data from an iPhone to a Pixel

You can copy your iPhone data, like texts, photos, music, contacts, apps and calendars to a Pixel phone. 
To set up a Pixel device for a child, when prompted to transfer data, tap Skip. Learn how to set up a child device.
Important: If your data storage is full based on your phone's capacity, data transfer could pause. Make sure that you check your storage capacity before you start data transfer.

Items you can copy to your Pixel

What copies during setup

Your important data will transfer over to Pixel.

Switching from iPhone® to Pixel doesn't mean starting from scratch. Pixel makes it easy to transfer1 over what you need from your existing phone.

Pixel 9 and later: After initial setup, you can transfer over some data with a cable. To transfer data post-setup, go to your phone's Settings app and then Back up or copy data and then Copy data.

Data type Cable Wi-Fi Post-setup (Cable only)
Photos, live photos, burst photos and videos saved on your iPhone Yes Yes Yes
Device-only, iCloud and cloud-synced contacts Yes Yes Yes
SMS messages and iMessages which includes photo, video and other attachments Yes No Yes
Device-only and iCloud-synced calendar appointments Yes Yes Yes
Free apps which are matched to Google Play1 Yes No Yes
WhatsApp chat history Yes No Yes
MP3 and audio files Yes No Yes
Voice memos (these will be transferred to Recorder) Yes No Yes
Notes (these will be transferred to Keep) Yes No Yes
Call history2 Yes No Yes
Home screen app layout and custom wallpapers Yes No Yes
Device settings which include alarms and saved Wi-Fi SSIDs, font size, screen timeout settings and more Yes No Yes

Some data does not transfer during post-data setup transfer, which includes:

  • Device-only and iCloud-synced calendar appointments
  • Voice memos
  • Home screen app layout and custom wallpapers

After initial setup, here's what else you can transfer over:

Data type Action
Passwords from Google Password Manager No action if you use the same Google Account
Music

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.

Non-Google accounts and their data, which includes contacts and calendar events No action (just sign in to the service on your phone)
LINE Contacts and two weeks of chat conversations. Learn how.
Progress that you have made in some gaming apps or websites Just sign in on your phone using the same account

Photos, videos, documents and other files stored in iCloud. This takes several hours or days, and can require purchase of a Google One storage plan.

Learn how to transfer iCloud photos and videos to Google Photos.

As an alternative, on your computer, sign in to icloud.com, choose the files that you want, export them and then upload them to Google Photos (for photos and videos) and Google Drive (for miscellaneous files and PDFs). Based on your library size, it can take several hours or days, and can require the purchase of a Google One storage plan.


1 Some third-party apps and data may not be transferred automatically. For more info, visit g.co/pixel/copydatahelp.

2 Call history requires your iPhone to be set up for local backup encryption.

Important: Contacts, calendars and Google Keep notes that you copy to your Pixel phone sync and upload to your Google Account online. Your Google Account info syncs when you sign in to your account on your Pixel phone.
What won't copy during setup
  • In-app purchases
  • Phone settings, like Wi-Fi passwords
  • Music with Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection
  • Bookmarks from Safari®
  • Paid apps and apps not available on Google Play
  • Some app data, like data from apps that isn’t stored in the cloud
Learn how to transfer some of this data after setup.

Transfer data to your new Pixel

Step 1: Get ready to set up your new Pixel

Important: A Google Account is recommended. Otherwise, you won't be able to download apps, and some content won't be copied to your new Pixel phone.

To get started, make sure that you have:

  • Your fully charged existing iPhone on the latest software.
  • Your new, fully charged Pixel phone.
  • A strong Wi-Fi connection.
  • Your SIM card and SIM card insertion tool if you intend to use a physical SIM card with your new Pixel. Learn what comes with your Pixel phone.
Step 2: On your iPhone

Note: Beta versions of iOS are not supported for data transfer to Pixel

Step 3: On your Pixel

Turn on your Pixel and tap Get started. You can change your phone's language or vision settings.

Step 4: Set up using another iOS device

Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and later.

  1. On your Pixel phone:
    • Tap iPhone or iPad.
Step 5: Connect to Wi-Fi or mobile network in order to sign in to your Google Account

Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and later, and the order of screens may differ based on connectivity.

  1. Connect to a Wi-Fi network. If you can't connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can insert a SIM card to connect to your mobile network.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
    Tip: You're required to have a Google Account. Otherwise, you can't download apps, and some content won't copy to your new device.
  3. 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 operator. For details, check with your operator.

Step 6: Configure how you want to unlock your device

Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

  • Set up Fingerprint Unlock
  • Set up Face Unlock
Step 7: Connect the phones and copy your data
  1. On your Pixel phone, tap Start.
  2. Connect to a Wi-Fi or mobile network.
  3. When asked to 'Copy data from your iPhone or iPad', tap Next Copy your data.
  4. When asked to 'Use your old device', press Next.
  5. Turn on and unlock your iPhone.
  6. Plug one end of your iPhone charging cable into your iPhone.
  7. Plug the cable's other end into your Pixel phone or into the Quick Switch adaptor and plug the adaptor into your Pixel phone.
    Tip: Don't have a cable? You can transfer some of your data wirelessly, but a cable is recommended because it transfers more data types.
  8. On your iPhone, press Trust.
  9. On your Pixel phone, a list of your data types appears.
    Tip: Sometimes, the amount of iPhone storage will trigger a capacity warning because it may include system files or linked iCloud data. If you're sure that all your on-device data can transfer, ignore the warning and continue. On your iPhone, tap Settings and then General and then iPhone Storage to see how much on-device storage is being used.
    • To copy all your data, press Copy.

    • To copy only some data:
      1. Untick the boxes next to the items that you don't wish to copy.
      2. Tap Copy.
  10. During transfer, you may continue setting up your Pixel.
  11. Once transfer is complete, review the transfer summary screens to see results and tips on how to transfer any missing content.
  12. Turn off iMessage on your iPhone.
    • You'll see a screen that reminds you to turn off iMessage. You’re all finished if you completed this before setup. If not, complete the step now.
    • If you don't turn off iMessage, you may not receive some text messages on your new Pixel device.
  13. Optional: Transfer your iCloud data.
    • Only on-device data is transferred using a cable. If you have data in iCloud or synced with other cloud services, follow the instructions to make sure that this data is available on your Pixel.

Tip: After transfer, your apps may not appear immediately as they need to be downloaded and installed.

Transfer data after setup (Pixel 9 or later)

You can transfer data from an iPhone to a Pixel at any time.

To transfer:

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap Backup or copy data and then Copy data.

Get more tips and support

If you want to transfer data or think that you’re missing data, follow the troubleshooting steps below.

Related resources

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