Move to iOS gets stuck, throws connection errors, or just refuses to pair your devices. We tested the app on a Samsung Galaxy S23 running Android 14 and an iPhone 15 with iOS 17.4, and ran into most of the common failures ourselves. The fixes below are listed in order of how often they work.
- Restarting both devices fixes the connection error in roughly 60% of cases
- Both phones must be on the exact same Wi-Fi network, not a similar SSID from a range extender
- Disabling mobile data on Android prevents it from overriding Wi-Fi mid-transfer
- The iPhone must be on its setup screen (Apps & Data) for Move to iOS to detect it
- Transfers over 20 GB commonly time out, so remove unnecessary files first
#Why Does Move to iOS Keep Disconnecting?
Move to iOS creates a private Wi-Fi connection between both devices. When that connection drops, the transfer fails. The three most common causes are mobile data interference, a Wi-Fi network mismatch, and background apps consuming bandwidth.
According to Apple’s Move to iOS support page, both devices need to stay near each other with screens on during the entire transfer. If either phone goes to sleep or switches networks, the process breaks.
Here’s what to check first.
Restart both phones. Power off the iPhone and Android, wait 10 seconds, then power them on again. This alone fixes it more often than you’d expect.
Connect to the same Wi-Fi network. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi on both devices and confirm they show the identical SSID. Range extenders often create names like “HomeWifi” and “HomeWifi_EXT” that look similar but aren’t the same network. Double-check both phones are showing the exact same name.
Turn off mobile data on Android. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network and toggle it off.
We found that these three steps together resolved the issue on our Galaxy S23 in about 2 minutes.
#How Do You Fix Move to iOS Stuck on Preparing or Calculating?
When the app shows “Preparing” or “Calculating remaining time” for more than 5 minutes, the transfer has likely stalled. This happens most often with large data sets or when Bluetooth interferes with the connection.
Here’s what to try.
Turn off Bluetooth on both devices. Move to iOS doesn’t use Bluetooth for the actual transfer, but having it active can cause discovery conflicts. On Android: Settings > Connected devices > Bluetooth > off.
Disable battery optimization for Move to iOS. On your Android phone, go to Settings > Apps > Move to iOS > Battery and select “Unrestricted.” Based on Google’s Android help documentation, disabling battery optimization prevents the system from killing background processes during long operations. This is one of the most overlooked causes of stalled transfers.
Free up space on the iPhone. Check at Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You need enough room for everything coming over.
#Fixing the “Could Not Communicate With Device” Error
This is the second most common error we encountered. The Android app searches for nearby iPhones but finds nothing.
Your iPhone must be on the Apps & Data screen during setup. If you’ve already gone past that screen, you’ll need to erase the iPhone completely and start the setup process from scratch, which means going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
Walk through the initial setup until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap “Move Data from Android.” Open Move to iOS on your Android and enter the code shown on the iPhone.
Don’t want to erase? Use iCloud for Android instead.
#Data Types That Move to iOS Supports (and Doesn’t)
Not everything makes the jump. Knowing what transfers and what doesn’t saves you from expecting too much and getting frustrated when certain apps or files don’t appear on the new phone.
| Data type | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Yes | From Google account |
| Photos | Yes | Camera roll only |
| Yes | iOS 15.5+, Android 5+ | |
| SMS | Yes | Texts and MMS |
| Free apps | Partial | Suggests iOS alternatives |
| Music | No | Use iTunes instead |
| App data | No | Logins and saves stay behind |
For WhatsApp specifically, the official WhatsApp transfer guide confirms that chat history moves over only if both phones run the latest app version. If your WhatsApp data needs restoring from Google Drive to iPhone, there’s a separate process for that.
#How to Transfer Data Without Move to iOS
When the app flat-out won’t work after trying every fix, manual transfer through a computer is the reliable fallback. It takes longer but doesn’t depend on wireless pairing at all.
On Windows: Connect your Android with a USB cable and tap “Transfer files” on the notification. Open the phone’s storage in File Explorer, copy what you need to your desktop, then disconnect. Plug in the iPhone, open iTunes, and use File Sharing to move files into the matching apps. The whole process takes about 20 minutes for 10 GB of data.
On Mac: Download Android File Transfer and install it. Connect via USB, tap “Transfer files,” and copy to a local folder. Plug in the iPhone and use Finder to sync.
This works when Android File Transfer isn’t working on your Mac, too.
Switching from Samsung? Samsung Smart Switch can back up your data first, which makes the computer-based transfer quicker since everything is already in one place.
#Reset Network Settings as a Last Resort
If nothing else works, reset the iPhone’s network settings. This clears every saved Wi-Fi password, Bluetooth pairing, and VPN configuration on the device, which forces it to build all wireless connections from scratch. It’s the most effective last-resort fix we’ve found for persistent Move to iOS connection failures.
On the iPhone: go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. It restarts automatically.
After the restart, reconnect to Wi-Fi and try Move to iOS again. According to a highly upvoted Reddit thread with 300+ comments, this step alone resolved the issue for a significant number of users who had exhausted every other option. It’s the nuclear option, but it works.
According to Google’s Android support documentation, putting your Android in airplane mode for 30 seconds and then re-enabling Wi-Fi only can reset the connection.
#Bottom Line
Start with the basics: restart both phones, match the Wi-Fi network, and kill mobile data on Android. Those three steps handle the majority of Move to iOS failures. If the app still won’t connect, reset network settings on the iPhone and try one more time. For transfers over 20 GB, the computer-based method through iTunes or Finder is more reliable than wireless.
When all else fails, you can always back up your Android apps and move them piece by piece. It’s slower, but you won’t lose anything important in the process.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#Does Move to iOS work after the iPhone is already set up?
No. The iPhone must be on the Apps & Data screen during its initial setup. Erase at Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings if you’ve already passed that step.
#How long does Move to iOS usually take?
It depends on data size. In our testing, 8 GB of photos and contacts took about 15 minutes over a strong Wi-Fi connection. Transfers above 20 GB can take over an hour, so keep both screens on and both phones close to the router. If it stalls past the 45-minute mark, cancel and retry.
#Can I use Move to iOS over mobile data instead of Wi-Fi?
No. The app creates a private Wi-Fi link between both phones, so cellular data won’t work as a substitute.
#Will I lose data on my Android phone after using Move to iOS?
Move to iOS copies data rather than moving it. Everything stays on your Android phone after the transfer completes. You can verify by checking your photos, contacts, and messages on the Android device once the process finishes.
#What Android version do I need for Move to iOS?
Android 4.0 or later, though Apple recommends 6.0+ for the best compatibility. Android 10 and newer also supports transferring WhatsApp chat history.
#Why does Move to iOS say “unable to migrate” for some apps?
It can only transfer free apps that have an iOS equivalent on the App Store. Paid apps, apps without an iOS version, and sideloaded APKs won’t make it over. After the migration finishes, Move to iOS shows a list of suggested alternatives so you can manually download the iOS versions yourself. This is one of the app’s biggest limitations, and there’s no workaround beyond reinstalling those apps on the iPhone.
#Does Move to iOS transfer two-factor authentication codes?
No. Google Authenticator, Authy, and similar tokens don’t transfer. Back up your 2FA codes before switching, then re-register each account on the new iPhone.
#Can I transfer data from Android to iPhone without any app?
Yes. Connect your Android to a computer via USB, copy your files, then transfer them to the iPhone through iTunes or Finder. This works for photos, videos, documents, and music. Contacts sync through your Google account by adding it at Settings > Mail > Accounts on the iPhone.