Items you can copy to your Pixel
What copies during setupYour 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 
| 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 | Just sign into the subscription services like Spotify or Apple Music service on your phone |
| 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.
- 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
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 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.
- Turn off iMessage and Facetime. Learn how to turn off iMessage.
- If an organization, like a business or school, manages your iPhone, you'll have to:
- Log-in with a personal ID.
- Remove the organization account for the data transfer to work.
Important: Beta versions of iOS are not supported for data transfer to Pixel
Turn on your Pixel, and tap Get Started. You can change your phone’s language or vision settings.
Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and later.
- On your Pixel phone:
- Tap iPhone or iPad.
Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and later and the order of screens may differ based on connectivity.
- 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.
- 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. - 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.
Important: This step only applies to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
- Set up Fingerprint Unlock
- Set up Face Unlock
- On your Pixel phone, tap Start.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network or mobile carrier.
- When asked to “Copy data from your iPhone or iPad,” tap Next Copy your data.
- When asked to “Use your old device”, tap Next.
- Turn on and unlock your iPhone.
- Plug one end of your iPhone charging cable into your iPhone.
- 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. - On your iPhone, tap Trust.
- 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 SettingsGeneral
-
To copy all your data, tap Copy.
- To copy only some data:
- Uncheck the boxes next to the items you don't wish to copy.
- Tap Copy.
-
- During transfer, you may continue setting up your Pixel.
- Once transfer is complete, review the transfer summary screens to see results and tips on how to transfer any missing content.
- 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.
- 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:
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Backup or copy data
Get more tips & support
If you want to transfer data or think you’re missing data, follow the troubleshooting steps below.
- If you didn't transfer your data when you first turned on your phone, learn how to return to setup.
- If something goes wrong with copying during setup, learn what to do when you can’t transfer data to a new Pixel phone.
- If you don't have your iPhone or a cable that fits, learn how to move your data after setup.
- Learn how to transfer photos and videos from iCloud Photos to Google Photos.
- To learn how to copy data after initial setup, view an interactive tutorial.