Switching from a iPhone until an Android phone is not as difficult as you might think. The most annoying part is transferring everything your personal items† We’ll show you how to move your iPhone text messages to Android, including iMessages.
Together with photos and videos, text messages are probably one of the things you care about most when you switch phones. No one wants to lose all their conversations, some of which can be very important. The good news is you don’t have to.
RELATED: How to transfer your iCloud Photo Library to Google Photos
Prepare your iPhone
The first thing we need to do is prepare your iPhone to transfer text messages. To do that, we just need to make sure you sync your messages with iCloud.
First, open the “Settings” app.
Tap your profile at the top of the screen.
Select “iCloud”.
Scroll down and make sure “Messages” is turned on.
That is it! We’re ready to go.
Transfer Text Messages from iPhone to Samsung Galaxy
Samsung offers an app called “Smart Switch” that you can use to transfer text messages (and other things) from your iPhone to a galaxy phone† You’ll need the small USB-C to USB-A adapter that came with your Samsung phone. If you don’t have one, you can buy a cheap USB-C to USB-A adapter online.
First, open the “Smart Switch” app on your Galaxy phone –download here-and select ‘Receive data’.
Select “iPhone/iPad” as the source.
Plug the adapter into your Samsung phone and then connect it to your iPhone with the USB Lightning cable.
Smart Switch will start with “Searching for data to transfer”. When it’s done, you’ll see a list of things you can transfer from your iPhone. Select ‘Messages’ and anything else you want and tap ‘Transfer’.
This process can take some time, depending on what you’re transferring. You can select “Keep Screen On” to make sure it is not interrupted.
After it’s done, you can tap ‘Next’.
The next screen reminds you to: turn off iMessage on your iPhone to make sure you receive all messages.
That’s all! You can skip the next few screens and you’ll see all your conversations — including iMessage — from your iPhone in your default texting app.
Transfer text messages from iPhone to Google Pixel
Samsung Smart Switch is a great tool because you can use it anytime. Google Pixel phones don’t have that option. You can only transfer data from a secondary phone during the initial setup process. So if your Pixel is already set up, you’ll need to put your data in the hands of a third-party app or reset your phone†
Either way, we’ll show you how. Go through the Pixel setup process and connect to your cellular network or Wi-Fi. Tap “Next” when asked if you want to copy apps and data.
On the next screen, you will be prompted to turn on your iPhone and unlock the screen. Tap “Next”.
Now we need the USB-C to USB-A adapter that came with your Pixel phone. If you don’t have one, you can find them cheap online† Plug it into your Pixel and then connect it to your iPhone with the USB Lightning cable. Tap “Next”.
Sign in with your Google account to continue with the installation.
The next screen will ask what you want to copy from your iPhone. Select “Messages” and anything else you want, then tap “Copy.”
You will be given the option to “Continue” with the installation or to leave and finish it later. Tap ‘Continue’.
Continue setting up until you get to the “Your phone is almost ready” screen. Tap “Done” to finish.
The next screen will instruct you to: turn off iMessage on your iPhone to make sure you don’t miss any messages.
That is it! All your conversations and iMessage are in the default texting app on your Pixel.
Unfortunately, messages are one of the more difficult things to transfer from an iPhone to Android. It’s easy with a Samsung Galaxy device, but can be tricky for others. In most cases, the best option is to do this during the initial setup when you make the switch†
RELATED: Switching between iPhone and Android is easier than you think