Move to iOS not working? 8 fixes for stuck transfers and missing codes

You are moving from Android to a new iPhone, you open the Move to iOS app, and nothing goes the way the screens promised. The code never shows up. The transfer sits on one minute remaining. The app says it could not connect. These failures are common, and almost all of them come from one of a short list of causes. Apple has a support page for moving from Android, and it includes an error section. This guide follows that section, adds the checks that make each step clearer, and shows what to do when the iPhone will not give you a code at all.

Why does Move to iOS stop working?

Move to iOS makes a temporary Wi-Fi network on the iPhone and sends your content across it. That makes it sensitive to anything that disturbs the connection or the transfer. The usual causes are these:

• An interruption. A phone call or a different app on the Android phone can stop the transfer.
• An Android feature that switches networks. Smart Network Switch and similar optimizers move the phone off the temporary network.
• Saved Wi-Fi networks. The phone may try to join a known network instead of the iPhone's.
• No code on the iPhone. The iPhone is not ready to pair, or setup was started the wrong way.
• Not enough space on the iPhone. The content will not fit.
• A software glitch. A restart often clears it.

Fix 1: Check the basics before you retry

Apple's requirements are simple. Keep Wi-Fi turned on on the Android device, and plug both phones into power. You can also connect the two phones with a USB-C cable for a faster transfer, which Apple lists as optional. Confirm that the content you are moving, including anything on an external Micro SD card, will fit on the new iPhone. If you want your Chrome bookmarks, update Chrome on Android first. A transfer that runs out of power or space half way is one of the most common reasons for a failure.

Fix 2: Keep Move to iOS open and avoid calls

This is the one that catches most people. Apple's error section says that if you use another app or get a phone call on your Android before the transfer finishes, your content will not transfer. Keep the Move to iOS app on the screen of the Android phone for the whole transfer. Switch on Do Not Disturb so a call does not interrupt, and leave the phone alone until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes, even if the Android phone says it is done.

Fix 3: Turn off Smart Network Switch and mobile data

Apple tells you to turn off Wi-Fi-affecting features on Android, such as Smart Network Switch or connection optimizers, and to turn off mobile data on the Android phone, then try again. The names differ by brand. On Samsung phones, look in Settings under Connections, Wi-Fi, and its advanced settings for Switch to mobile data or Smart network switch. On other phones, search the Settings for network optimizer or adaptive connectivity. The idea is simple: the Android phone must stay on the iPhone's temporary network and not jump to your mobile data.

Fix 4: Forget saved Wi-Fi networks on the Android phone

Fix 5: Restart both phones and retry

Restart the Android phone and the iPhone, then start the transfer again. If you are partway through setup on the iPhone and the Hello screen is still there, you can often continue. If the iPhone has finished setup, Apple says you must erase it and start over, or move the content by hand. It is better to restart before you begin than to find that out after an hour.

Fix 6: Ignore the weak connection alert, but not a lost connection

Apple says you can ignore a weak connection alert on Android. It does not mean the transfer has failed. A lost connection is different: if the app says it lost the connection, or the loading bar on the iPhone stops for a long time, restart the transfer from the beginning. Keep the two phones close together and plugged in, and avoid walking away with either. If a long wait worries you, our guide on how long an iPhone transfer takes explains what is normal.

Fix 7: Reset the iPhone if no code appears

On the iPhone, you tap Continue on the Move from Android screen, and a six-digit or ten-digit code appears. If it does not, Apple has a separate page that explains how to reset the iPhone and get the code. The steps use a computer.

On a Windows PC, Apple says to use the Apple Devices app, or iTunes if you do not have it, and choose Restore. If you have no computer, Apple has a separate guide for resetting an iPhone with iOS 15.2 or later without one. This is the most useful fix for a missing code, because it makes the iPhone start the pairing again from a clean state.

Fix 8: If the iPhone runs out of space, start over or use another method

If the iPhone says it is full, Apple says to erase it and restart the transfer, and to make sure the Android content will fit. You can check storage with Apple's guide on iPhone storage. If your Android phone has a large library, move photos and videos by another route first, then transfer the rest. If the app keeps failing, there is another way. Apple describes a transfer without the app for Android 17 or later, which we cover in our guide on moving to iPhone without the Move to iOS app.

What transfers, and what does not?

Apple lists what moves across: contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, accessibility and display settings, web bookmarks, mail accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, Voice Memos, call history and calendars. Matched free apps can also come across. Music, books and PDFs do not. Apple says to move them manually. Apps are not transferred directly, so you download them again from the App Store. If you cannot sign in to Messages after the move, Apple has a separate article for that. A missing item is not always a failed transfer, so check this list first.

What if the transfer works but the numbers or eSIM are not set up?

Apple says you can activate your phone number and SIM or eSIM during the transfer, and your carrier may need to finish activation on its website. If your number does not work on the iPhone afterward, contact your carrier. Our guide on how to transfer an eSIM to a new iPhone covers the iPhone side of that move.

Still not working?

Try a different Wi-Fi band by turning off any other nearby hotspot, and keep other Bluetooth devices away. Use the cable option if you have one. If every attempt fails, move the content manually, starting with contacts and photos through your Google account and the Photos app. Our full guide on how to transfer from Android to iPhone lists those routes, and the Apple page we used here is linked in the sources.