Can you move an iPhone backup from iCloud to Google Drive?

Many guides promise a way to switch your iPhone backup from iCloud to Google. The honest answer is that the backup itself stays with Apple. It contains your apps, settings and messages in a form only Apple's systems can restore. The good news is that the things you care about most, like photos and contacts, can move. Here is how to move each one.

Move your photos to Google Photos

To grab photos that are only in iCloud, see how to download photos from iCloud. To decide which to keep using, read Google Photos vs iCloud.

Move iCloud Drive files to Google Drive

• On an iPhone: install Google Drive, open the Files app, long press a file or folder from iCloud Drive, and copy it to the Google Drive location.
• On a computer: install the iCloud and Google Drive desktop apps, then drag files from one folder to the other.
• On the web: download files from iCloud.com and upload them to drive.google.com. This is slow for many files.

Move contacts and calendar

Add your Google account in your iPhone settings and turn on Contacts and Calendars for it. The exact menu depends on your iOS version, but it is under the settings for Contacts and Calendar accounts. Your contacts and events then sync with Google. Check that they are there before you turn off the iCloud versions.

Back up an iPhone to Google going forward

The Google Drive app on iPhone has a backup option for some data, such as contacts, calendar events and photos. It is not a full device backup, so it cannot bring back your apps, settings or messages the way iCloud Backup does. If you want a full iPhone backup, keep using iCloud Backup or back up to a computer. See how to back up an iPhone.

Moving because iCloud is full?

If you want to switch because iCloud storage is full, you do not have to leave it completely. Moving photos to Google Photos can free most of your iCloud space, and a small iCloud plan still keeps your device backup. See our guide to an iCloud storage that is full before you pay for more.

What you can and cannot move

Apple builds a backup so that only an iPhone or iPad can read it. Google Drive cannot open it, and no app can convert a full iCloud backup into a Google backup. You can move your content, not the device snapshot. Photos, videos, files, contacts, calendars, notes and some app data can all be exported or copied. Settings, app layouts and some app data stay behind.

Use Apple's transfer tool for photos

Apple has a way to copy your photos and videos to Google Photos without downloading them. Sign in at privacy.apple.com, choose Transfer a copy of your data, pick Photos and Videos and choose Google Photos. The transfer can take days for a large library, and Apple may email you when it finishes. Check Google Photos afterward and keep your iCloud copy until you are sure everything arrived.

Switching to Android

If you are moving to an Android phone, use the tools made for it, such as Google's Switch to Android setup flow or Samsung's Smart Switch. They move contacts, photos, messages and more directly. Our guide to how to transfer from iPhone to Android covers each step, including turning off iMessage so your texts follow your number.

If iCloud is full, you may not need to leave

Many people want to move a backup because iCloud storage is full. Deleting old backups, large videos and unused app data often frees enough space. See what to do when iCloud is full and how much iCloud storage you need before you pay for another service. If you still want a second copy, a Google account and a computer backup are better than trying to convert the iCloud file.

Before you delete anything from iCloud

Check three things: open Google Photos and confirm the count looks right, export your contacts as a file as a spare, and save a few important documents to a computer. Only then delete data from iCloud. Once an iCloud backup is deleted you cannot restore it, so a computer backup using backing up an iPhone is a good safety net.

A simple plan for a clean move

Work in this order: first move your photos, then your files, then your contacts and calendar, and only then think about deleting anything. Give each step a day so you can confirm everything arrived. Keep your iPhone and iCloud untouched until you have checked a sample of photos and files on the new service. If you are changing phones as well, finish the move before you reset the old iPhone or trade it in.