Unable to use "Move to iOS" app to transfer text messages

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Level 1

5 points

Unable to use "Move to iOS" app to transfer text messages

Good morning,

After 12 years on android phones I finally decided to make the switch to an iPhone. After spending 2 days trying to transfer my content from my Galaxy S10 to an iPhone 13 Pro using Apple's "Move to iOS" app, i'm beyond frustrated at the amount of time wasted and severely unimpressed with Apple software and the competency of their programmers.

When I first attempted to transfer the phones would connect, and then just sit there authenticating without ever getting started. After reading a few reddit forums I found out that to get the app to work I needed to delete all home WiFi networks from my Android, turn off mobile data, connect the phones together using the app, disconnect from the temporary WiFi network that the iPhone will create to transfer, then reconnect with the password being the name of the temporary WiFi network. Seemed a little odd, but it worked and the phones started transferring data.

The initial transfer estimate was 2 hours which was a little long but didn't seem too bad. Finally 6 hours later.... the estimate was at 1% remaining. Way slower than I was expecting from Apple software, but oh well. 20 minutes went by.... still at 1%. 1 hour goes by. 2 hours go by. I go to bed and wake up the next morning and it's still at 1% remaining. I try the whole process again yesterday evening and when I woke up still at 1% remaining. I cancelled the process and finished setting up the phone both times. Almost everything transferred except for the majority of my text messages. The text messages that did go through appeared to be the same ones both times.

Looking online it appears that this is a known and ongoing problem for a while now with many people having identical issues. Apparently you can buy 3rd party programs for $50 that'll transfer everything in a span of minutes. Yet Apple can't manage the same?

For a company with a net worth of $3 TRILLION DOLLARS in 2022, this is embarrassingly pathetic of Apple and screams of incompetence.

I'm debating whether I should just return this phone and get the Galaxy S22. I've never had an issue like this with an android phone in 12 years, and currently I can't even start using my new iPhone because there's no way to use the "Move to iOS" app after you set the phone up.

What a great introduction to iPhones that totally doesn't destroy my confidence and attitude towards Apple products. After wasting hours and hours of my time, is my only option really to spend an extra $50? All because Apple's development team is too incompetent to do what a low budget 3rd party app easily can?

Posted on Feb 18, 2022 10:44 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

SN802 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 18, 2022 11:16 AM in response to MrTech_123

Hi MrTech_123,

Thank you for the reply, however I did virtually all of those things. I plugged in both devices to power. I closed out of all apps on the Android phone, changed the screen setting to always stay on, deleted all known nearby WiFi connections, and turned off cellular data for both of these attempts. Doing all those steps was the only way I was even able to get the phones to properly connect to begin with. I did not attempt to use the Android phone for anything else during this time.

On the iPhone you can't adjust the screen timeout during setup, so the screen would still time out after 30 seconds of inactivity which is incredibly frustrating. I also restarted both devices before the 1st attempt that they finally connected, and restarted both devices before the 2nd attempt. No luck.

Both times after letting the phones attempt to transfer during the evening and overnight, I did have to end the process the following morning so that I could use my phone during the day. Both attempts allowed a window of 10-12 hours with the transfer being stuck at 1% remaining for the last 6-8 hours of each attempt. Both times it appeared to be the same text messages that came through.

If the issue is me not allowing the phone more than 12 hours to transfer including being stuck at 1% for 6-8 hours, while a 3rd party paid app can apparently do the transfer in minutes, then the problem is still Apple's "Move to iOS" app development team. Reading Reddit, it appears that a lot of people with my same problem eventually just gave up. That seems pretty sad.

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Answer 2

Siarose

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2022 5:12 PM in response to SN802

I’ve been having the same issue. I don’t want to lose all my text messages. May I ask what 3rd party did you use that was able to transfer the texts from Android to iPhone? At this point I’m willing to do anything to keep my data.

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Answer 3

Feb 18, 2022 10:57 AM in response to SN802

From the article Move from Android to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support:

If you need help with the transfer

Make sure that you leave both devices alone until the transfer finishes. For example, on your Android device, the Move to iOS app should stay onscreen the whole time. If you use another app or get a phone call on your Android before the transfer finishes, your content won't transfer.
On your Android device, turn off apps or settings that might affect your Wi-Fi connection, like the Sprint Connections Optimizer or the Smart Network Switch. Then find Wi-Fi in Settings, touch and hold each known network, and forget the network. Then try the transfer again.
Restart both of your devices and try again.
On your Android device, turn off your cellular data connection. Then try the transfer again.

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Answer 4

SN802 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 18, 2022 6:30 PM in response to SN802

Transfer failed again. Looking into 3rd party applications, and now apparently in the TOS for most 3rd party apps it says they can take data from me including my text messages. So now because Apple, a $3 Trillion dollar company, can't manage to create an app to reliably transfer data between phones I need to use a 3rd party application who can easily do it, but might steal some of my data in the process.

This is a disgustingly pathetic first Apple experience that's really making me want to just return the phone.

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Answer 5

Mar 18, 2022 5:57 AM in response to SN802

I am having the same problem! Just switched from always android to iphone. I'm ready to take it back! Did you try this 3rd part app? I've googled different ones, and just want to try one that's the safest.

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Answer 6

pebotuwa

Level 1

4 points

Apr 7, 2022 6:01 PM in response to SN802

I agree 💯

I experience same issue with no fix from Apple for ages despite repeated posts by all those who suffer.

Apple should either provide working solution or withdraw this crap from app stores.

I wonder why Google Play allowed such a crappy software there.

This continued issue shows the total incompetence of the software team.

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Answer 7

SN802 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 18, 2022 4:10 PM in response to SN802

I just attempted it again following all the directions in Move from Android to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support.

Several hours in I received an error this time which caused the transfer to fail. A quick Google search of "move to ios not working reddit" provides dozens and dozens of people with the same issue over the past months to years.

Is level of absurdly poor quality assurance and neglect of product support really what I should expect as a new Apple customer going forward? To waste hours and hours of your customer's time? This is sad.

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Unable to use "Move to iOS" app to transfer text messages

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