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. Be sure to 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 over. 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 WiFi 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 inlcudes alarms and saved WiFi 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 into the service on your phone)
LINE Contacts and 2 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 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 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

Copy data from your iPhone to your Pixel phone

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 copy to your new Pixel phone.

To start, make sure 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

Important: 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 device iOS

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 or 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 contents 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 carrier. For details, check with your carrier.

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 & copy your data
  1. On your Pixel phone, tap Start.
  2. Connect to a Wi-Fi network or mobile carrier.
  3. When asked to “Copy data from your iPhone or iPad,” tap Next Copy your data.
  4. When asked to “Use your old device”, tap 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 Adapter and plug the adapter into your Pixel phone.
    Tip: Don't have a cable? You can transfer some of your data wirelessly, but cable is recommended because it transfers more data types.
  8. On your iPhone, tap 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, tap Copy.

    • To copy only some data:
      1. Uncheck the boxes next to the items 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 set 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 this data is available on your Pixel.

Tip: After transfer, your apps may not appear immediately as they need to download and install.

Transfer data after setup (Pixel 9 or later)

You can transfer data from an iPhone to a Pixel anytime.

To transfer:

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

Get more tips & support

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

Related resources

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