Switch from Android to iPhone Duo with Move to iOS

The Android path is not the same as Quick Start. Use the tool Apple provides, then verify the carrier line separately.

Verification note: Apple’s iPhone Duo page identifies Move to iOS as the transfer route from Android. Exact item coverage, app availability, and carrier activation should be checked in Apple’s current support flow.

Quick answer

The short version

Start iPhone Duo setup, choose the Android transfer option when shown, use Apple’s Move to iOS app on the Android device, keep both phones nearby and powered, and do not erase the Android phone until data and cellular service are verified.

Prepare both phones

  • Back up important Android data and make sure the Android phone is unlocked and charged.
  • Install Apple’s Move to iOS app from the official Android app store path, not an unknown mirror.
  • Keep account credentials and recovery methods available without sending them to anyone.
  • Plan eSIM activation separately; a data migration does not guarantee cellular activation.

Run the migration

  1. Start iPhone Duo setup

    Use the setup flow until Apple presents the transfer-from-Android option.

  2. Use Move to iOS

    Open Apple’s app on Android and follow the code and connection instructions shown by the iPhone Duo.

  3. Keep the devices still

    Leave both phones near each other and powered while the transfer runs. Do not switch to other tasks unless Apple’s flow permits it.

  4. Verify

    Check the data categories you care about, then complete eSIM activation and test calls and messages before erasing Android.

If the move fails

Record the exact stage and message, preserve the Android data, and retry only after checking Apple’s current requirements. Do not treat a failed transfer as evidence that iPhone Duo is defective. For the final handoff, use the first-day checklist.

Evidence boundary

Confirmed

  • Apple’s iPhone Duo page identifies Move to iOS as the migration path from Android.
  • Apple identifies iPhone Duo as eSIM-only, so cellular activation needs its own check.
Needs context

Provisional

  • The exact Android data categories and carrier activation path can vary by OS version, app version, region, and carrier.
Questions covered here

FAQ

Can I use Quick Start from Android?

No. Apple’s Android migration route is Move to iOS; Quick Start is the iPhone-to-iPhone path.

When can I erase my Android phone?

Only after the data you need, the phone number, messages, and critical sign-ins work on iPhone Duo and you have a separate backup or recovery path.

Primary reading

Sources

  1. Apple iPhone DuoMove to iOS and setup context.
  2. Apple iPhoneApple’s migration entry point.
  3. Apple iPhone Duo specificationseSIM-only constraint.
Editorial responsibility

Maya Bennett

Independent technology editor for iPhone Duo Help. The byline means this page was checked against its cited sources and its uncertainty is stated; it does not claim Apple employment, repair credentials, or personal testing.

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