Transfer iPhone Data to Android on Windows: Full Guide

Switching from iPhone to Android doesn’t mean losing your data. MobileTrans and dr.fone both support Windows-based phone transfer workflows for contacts, photos, and messages.

#What Can You Actually Transfer from iPhone to Android?

Not everything moves cleanly. Here’s what works and what doesn’t.

Standard content types that transfer with MobileTrans or dr.fone: contacts, photos, videos, music, calendar events, and SMS messages. These move reliably between iOS and Android.

iMessages are Apple-only and won’t move. Before you switch, turn off iMessage on your iPhone at Settings > Messages and toggle off iMessage. This forces new messages to SMS, which can transfer. According to Apple’s support documentation, deregistering iMessage prevents the missing message problem where texts to your old number disappear.

App-specific data varies. Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat are cloud-based, so signing in on Android restores your account. Games that use cloud saves (most do) carry over. Local-only game data won’t.

Move your SIM card from iPhone to Android too, if you’re keeping the same number.

#How to Use MobileTrans on Windows

MobileTrans is the simpler option for most people because the transfer runs from one screen.

Step 1: Download and install

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Download MobileTrans from the official Wondershare site and install it on your Windows PC.

Step 2: Connect both phones via USB

Connect your iPhone and Android device to the PC using their original cables. When your iPhone prompts “Trust This Computer,” tap Trust. Both devices should appear in MobileTrans after drivers and trust prompts are accepted.

Step 3: Select Phone Transfer and flip if needed

Click Phone Transfer. The app shows a Source and Destination slot. iPhone goes in Source, Android in Destination. If they’re reversed, hit Flip.

Step 4: Pick content types and run

Check contacts, photos, messages, and any other data types you want. Click Start Transfer. Keep both devices connected until the app reports the transfer is complete. Nothing gets removed from the iPhone; it copies, not moves.

If you hit USB detection issues, our guide on fixing Android file transfer not working walks through the driver fix.

#How to Use dr.fone on Windows

dr.fone does the same job as MobileTrans and also includes a file manager for browsing your iPhone’s content on the PC after transfer. It’s a good pick if you want to preview and selectively export files beyond the basic transfer.

Step 1: Download and install

Get dr.fone from Wondershare’s official site.

Step 2: Connect both phones and select Phone Transfer

Launch dr.fone, click Phone Transfer, then connect both phones via USB. The app should detect both phones after the trust prompts and drivers are ready.

Step 3: Set source and destination, then run

iPhone in Source, Android in Destination. Select your data types. Click Start Transfer. According to Wondershare’s official dr.fone tech specs, Windows 10 and 11 both work, and the page states that the tool supports iOS 5.0 or later and Android 5.0 or later.

Once done, spot-check a few contacts and photos on your Android. Also handle transferring your WhatsApp messages separately since that app has its own cross-platform transfer process with separate steps.

#Why Is the Transfer Not Working?

Here are the three most common failures and how to fix them.

USB not recognized. Windows sometimes needs a driver update for newer iPhones. Go to Device Manager, find the Apple iPhone entry under Portable Devices, right-click, and update the driver. Installing the latest iTunes from the Microsoft Store also works, since it bundles the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. If Windows still doesn’t detect the iPhone after the driver update, reinstall iTunes and reconnect the phone before restarting the transfer.

Not enough storage. Check that your Android has at least 10GB free before starting. You can delete photos from your iPhone permanently after confirming they’ve backed up to Google Photos, then restart the transfer with space cleared.

iMessages not transferring. This is expected. iMessages are Apple-only.

Set up your contacts and other data on a new iPhone if you switch back. The process works in both directions.

#Transferring WhatsApp from iPhone to Android

WhatsApp requires its own separate process. You need an active subscription, both phones nearby, and you run it from within WhatsApp itself using the “Move to Android” option in the Chat Backup settings. For the full flow, see transferring WhatsApp Business from iPhone to Android.

#Transferring Notes from iPhone to Android

Apple Notes are iCloud-only.

Export any important notes to PDF before your switch, or email them to yourself. The dedicated guide on transferring notes from iPhone to Android covers the manual workarounds in detail, including Google Keep as a replacement app.

#Bottom Line

Start with MobileTrans for contacts, photos, and SMS in one shot. Handle WhatsApp and Notes separately after. Turn off iMessage before you start so incoming texts don’t go missing during the switch.

#Frequently Asked Questions