How to move from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy

If you're moving from an iPhone to a new Samsung Galaxy, you will want to transfer your pictures, videos and other media across to your new handset. Read on to find out how!

If you've taken the plunge and are moving from an iPhone to a Samsung handset, you can use the Samsung Smart Switch app to transfer your data – either wirelessly from an iCloud backup, or directly from the iPhone using a USB on-the-go (OTG) cable.

There are a couple of things to bear in mind, though. If your iPhone is running iOS9 (the latest version of the iPhone operating system) and you use the wireless transfer method, the Smart Switch app will only be able to extract some of the data from the iCloud backup, due to the way it's encrypted. Contacts and calendar items can be extracted from the backup – but your photos and videos won't be. For this reason, I'd recommend using an OTG cable to get the best results.

The other thing is that music won't be transferred, because iCloud doesn't include it in the backup – and the iPhone's operating system prevents it being copied from the handset directly. Don't worry though, we've written a guide on transferring your music from iTunes to Android to help you with that, too!

Import contacts and other data from an iCloud backup wirelessly

Back up your old iPhone or iPad

If you're migrating from an iPhone or want to import your personal information from an iPad, you'll need to make sure it's backed up in iCloud before you proceed. Because this backup can be quite large, we'd recommend connecting your iPhone or iPad to Wi-Fi before you start!

1. Pick up your iOS device, find and press on the Settings icon, then scroll down to the iCloud entry. Press it to continue.
2. You might already be signed in to iCloud – and if you are, you'll see a list of all the different items currently synchronised to your account. If you don't see any of this, sign in with your Apple ID and password when asked.
3. Now that you're in the iCloud settings page, find and press on Storage & Backup. When the new menu page loads, make sure iCloud Backup is turned on and press Back Up Now at the bottom of the list. Once the backup is finished, you'll see the time (and date, if the backup was made earlier than today) below the Back Up Now button.

Restore your backed up data to your new Samsung

Now that an iCloud backup of your iPhone has been made, it's time to switch over to your new Samsung Galaxy to import your data. On your new Samsung phone, install Samsung Smart Switch through the website, or by using the Play Store app on your handset.

1. To get started, locate and tap on the Smart Switch app. If your new phone is an S7 or S7 Edge, Smart Switch is pre-installed, and can be launched by going to Settings > Backup and reset > Open Smart Switch.
2. Tap Start on the welcome screen to proceed.
3. The app will open to the End User Licence Agreement for your inspection. In order to proceed, you must tap Agree.
4. To restore from your iCloud backup, choose iOS Device as your old device and press Start.

5. You will be asked to sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password. Enter the information, then tap Sign in.
6. Once you're logged in, all available backups will be shown. Tap on the backup you'd like to restore from, which will usually be the most recent.
7. Next, you'll be asked to pick which pieces of information you'd like to import. Tick the items you want to move to your new Samsung phone, then tap Import at the bottom of the page. Your data will copy over, with the Samsung app displaying a progress bar and an estimate of the time left to complete the transfer.
8. After the transfer has finished, tap Close app to quit the app. Your contacts and other data will now be on your Samsung Galaxy handset, ready to use!

Transfer your pictures, videos, and other data using a USB on-the-go cable

Before you start, you'll need to installSamsung Smart Switchon your new Samsung phone. If your new phone is an S7 or S7 Edge, Smart Switch is pre-installed and can be launched by going to Settings > Backup and reset > Open Smart Switch.

1. To get started, locate and tap on the Smart Switch app on your new Samsung .
2. Tap Start on the welcome screen to proceed.
3. The app will open to the End User Licence Agreement for you to inspect. In order to proceed, you must tap Agree.
4. To restore from your iCloud backup, choose iOS Device as your old device and press Start.

5. Connect the USB OTG cable to your new Samsung Galaxy, and then connect the two devices together with the iPhone's lightning cable.
6. When the devices have connected, your new Samsung will scan your iPhone for content that can be transferred, and show the types of content detected on screen.
7. All will be ticked by default, so uncheck any items you don't want to copy across, then tap Transfer. The data will copy across with a progress bar showing you how things are proceeding.
8. When you see the screen telling you that the content has been transferred, you'll see some advisory notices. You'll be invited to download apps that are the same as, or equivalent to, those on your old iPhone. If you've transferred videos you may be prompted to download a MOV player to play them, as the iPhone video format isn't natively supported on a Samsung handset. You will also be reminded to disable iMessage, to ensure that all messages sent to you come through to your new handset.
9. When you're ready, tap Close app on both of your phones and disconnect them.

Your iPhone's content should now be on your new Samsung Galaxy ready for you to use!

Any problems?

So there you have it: a simple, step-by-step guide to moving from an iPhone or other Android phone to a new Samsung Galaxy handset.

Your new device should now be working flawlessly – but if you're having problems with any of the above steps, we're here to help! Let us know your issue in the comments box below and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

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