How To Transfer Text Messages From Iphone To Mac Computer For Free

In the world we are living, every day we hear news about new smartphones are being launched. And, due to the human natural extinct, we are tempted to try out new things. For now, Android and iOS are the two popular mobile operating systems that dominate the world. If you switched from Android to iPhone, then it would be a headache to transfer data from the old phone to the new iPhone.

Method 2: How to Transfer Messages from Android to iPhone with Move to iOS App. Apple released an app called Move to iOS in 2016, which is far behind TunesBro PhoneTrans. The main purpose of the app is to help people switching to iPhone more comfortably.

In here, I am going to share three effective yet simple ways to move text messages from Android to iPhone. All of the methods are tested on 2 Android phones (Galaxy S6 and HTC One M8) and iPhone 7. However, due to the diversity of Android devices, I am not sure the methods work on all devices. You should try them out accordingly.

Choose those you want to transfer and click 'Export to PC' icon, then in the pull-down list, choose the wanted format (CSV, HTML and TXT file) to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer. If you choose TXT or CSV as the output format, you will get all images inside your messages in the in the attachment folder. Whatever the reason, iExplorer lets you access and save your iPhone's messages on your Mac or PC. The following tutorial walks you through how to use iExplorer to export your iPhone text messages and message attachements (Images, Contacts, etc) to your computer as a.PDF,.TXT, or.CSV document.

Method 1: How to Transfer SMS from Android to iPhone with PhoneTrans

TunesBro Phone Transfer is a software utility developed in 2014, which is the only one solution at that time for SMS transfer between Android and iOS. In the past two years, there are at least 10 new features added to the program, so it is still the No.1 tool to transfer data between different mobile devices, including Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Blackberry. Besides message, you can also use the program for transferring contacts, music, photos, video, calendar, call history or Ebooks.

The transfer using this utility is risk-free, and there is no quality loss as well. Most of the times, when you switch to a different phone, you sell out the old phone, and when you do it, you must need to delete all of your data from that old phone. This software utility makes it easy for you to erase everything from the old phone. So no one could recover any data from the Android phone.

Support Devices: iPhone X/8/7/6S/6/5S, Samsung Galaxy S8/S7/S6/S5, HTC U11/M10, LG G5/G4/G3, Sony XA/XZ, Moto Z/X/G, OnePlus, Lenovo, Xiaomi and other 2000+ model.s

Step 1Install and Run TunesBro PhoneTrans on PC or Mac

TunesBro PhoneTrans is available on Windows and Mac OS X. Please download the application on your computer and install it later. When installation is over, double click desktop shortcut to launch the program. From the four options, select 'Switch' to get started.

Step 2Connect Android and iPhone 7 to Computer

Take out USB cables of two phones and use it to connect the phone to computer. For Android phones, you need to turn on USB debugging on Android phone and install the latest USB driver if it was the first time attached to that computer. For iPhones, you should make sure iTunes is installed on the computer.

Step 3Select Messages You Wish to Copy

Once the two phones were well connected to computer, their names should be displayed on the main screen. Make sure Android is the original phone and iPhone is the destination phone. If the position was wrong, then click 'Flip' button to switch positions. As you can see from the program, there are a couple of content that can be copied from Android to iPhone. Kindly select the ones you wish to transfer.

4 Start Transferring Android Messages to iPhone 7

Click 'Start Transfer' button once the selection is finished. All selected items will be copied from Android phone to iPhone 7. You can see how the process goes with the progress bar.

Please keep the phones well connected during the transfer process. It usually takes less than 15 minutes to complete the task. After this, all selected items will be synced to iPhone 7 automatically.

Method 2: How to Transfer Messages from Android to iPhone with Move to iOS App

Apple released an app called Move to iOS in 2016, which is far behind TunesBro PhoneTrans. The main purpose of the app is to help people switching to iPhone more comfortably. It is free and recommended by mainstream media sources. But it is not the first choice because of bad reviews in Play Store. It only has average 2.7 scores in reviews, which is a pretty bad indicator.

There are many restrictions in using the app. For example, it only supports Android devices with 4.0+ and iOS 9.0+. So many of old devices are not supported by the app. On the contrary, TunesBro PhoneTrans supports 2000+ devices. However, there is no loss to try it out. The only price is the time you spent on it.

Step 1: Download Move to Android app from Google Play Store and turn on Wi-Fi Settings on Android and iPhone.

Step 2: Set up iPhone according to the wizard and select 'Move Data from Android' once you reached the section of 'App & Data'.

Step 3: Tap 'Continue' on both phones and there is a code generated on iPhone and enter it on your Android phone.

Step 4: On your Android phone, select the data you wish to transfer and tap Next. You can transfer camera roll, messages, Google Account, contacts and bookmarks within the app. A few minutes later, all the selected items will be moved to iPhone.

Method 3: How to Move SMS from Android to iPhone with Android App

Transferring text messages from Android to iPhone is just as easy as installing a new app. Yes, it can be done using an Android app called SMS Backup+, which automatically backups your SMS to your Gmail account. All you need to do is to enable IMAP in your Gmail Account, which you can do on your computer using Gmail.

On your computer, within your Gmail, go to Settings -> Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and Enable IMAP. Before using SMS Backup, this IMAP enabling stuff should be done. If not, then do it, and then install the app.

Now, since your messages are backed up into your Gmail, you can access them on any device on which you use Gmail. So, when you start using iPhone and set up your Gmail on that, you will be able to get the access of your all messages there on your iPhone.

Note: However, you can only view the messages via Email attachment. The messages won't appear on iMessage app. So basically, it is not a valid solution for sms transfer.

To do a work, there are various ways available nowadays because technology is growing rapidly but which one is the best for you is something you should care about, and that is the reason we made TunesBro Phone Transfer, which is the best tool for transferring messages from Android to iPhone. Use it, and share your experiences here with us. In case you get some issues, do let me know, I will try my best to help you out to solve your issues.

Dec.20, 2016 15:20 pm / Posted by Candie Kates to Android Solution

Related Articles & Tips

When we get a new iPhone, like the newest iPhone XR/XSMax or former or iPhone X/8/8 Plus, I think most people have the demand for moving the precious text messages of the old iPhone to the new iPhone quickly. Perhaps most of them have tried many ways but ended up failing because of unknown reasons. Well, please do not be discouraged! Transferring messages from iPhone to iPhone is much easier than you thought! Here are several effective methods may be helpful for you.

How To Export Text Messages From Iphone

  • Method 1: Transfer Text Messages from iPhone to iPhone with iCloud Backup
  • Method 2: Transfer Messages from iPhone to iPhone via Gihosoft Mobile Transfer (not working for iOS 12)
  • Method 3: Transfer Messages from iPhone to iPhone via iCloud Syncing (iOS 12)
  • Method 4: Transfer iMessages & Text Messages from iPhone to iPhone via iTunes
  • Bonus: Transfer/Save Messages from iPhone to PC via Gihosoft iPhone Recovery

Method 1: Transfer Text Messages from iPhone to iPhone with iCloud Backup

One of the easiest ways to transfer messages as well as other content from an old iPhone to your new iPhone XS/XR/X/8 is by using an iCloud backup. First back up your old iPhone with iCloud and you can easily restore all text messages to the new iPhone without iTunes or computer with the steps below:

  1. Connect the old iPhone to a power source and turn on Wi-Fi.
  2. On the old iPhone, tap Setttings > [Your Name] > iCLoud, and turn on iCloud Backup (for iOS 10 & ealier: Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup).
  3. Tap Back Up Now and wait for the backup process to complete (Wifi connection is needed during the process).
  4. Turn on your new iPhone. If you haven’t set it up, then tap ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’ and Next. If you have already been through the setup process, you’ll need to reset your iPhone: tap on Settings > General > Reset and Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. Enter your Apple ID and Password, and all your old messages will be transferred to a new iPhone.

Method 2: Transfer Messages from iPhone to iPhone via Gihosoft Mobile Transfer

Gihosoft Phone Transfer is a professional phone to phone data transfer software, which can be used to switch contacts, messages, photos, music, videos, etc from iPhone to iPhone effortlessly. And its supports are provided for almost all kinds of iOS devices, such as iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, as well as iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4/2, etc. Here the steps for how to transfer text messages iPhone to iPhone (not working for iOS 12 now due to its limitations):

Step 1: Install and Launch Gihosoft Mobile Transfer
Go to Gihosoft official site to download this iPhone to iPhone messages transfer software, then install and launch it on your computer.

Step 2: Connect both iDevices to Computer via USB
Tap “Phone to Phone” and connect the two iPhones to the computer via USB cables respectively. When the two iPhones are connected successfully, the name will be shown on the interface. And you can press “Flip” to change their places.

Note: Make sure that the latest version of iTunes has been installed on your computer so that the iPhone can be recognized by the program.

Step 3: Copy Messages from iPhone to iPhone
Now You can select the “SMS” to transfer, then click “Start Copy” to transfer messages from iPhone to iPhone.

Note: This method is not working for iOS 12 now due to its limitations. You can also backup your iPhone messages to PC to survive from accidentally data loss caused by iOS upgrade, jailbreak, or even iPhone is broken, lost or stolen. It is very easy to do the backup: Run Gihosoft Mobile Transfer > Choose Backup Your Phone > Connect iPhone to PC > Tap Start Copy to Backup iPhone SMS.

Method 3: Transfer iMessages from iPhone to iPhone via iCloud Syncing (iOS 12)

Since iOS 11.4, Apple has also introduced iCloud syncing for Messages on Apple device, but this feature only supports iMessage, not for all SMS text messages. Though it does have defects, you can use iCloud syncing to transfer all your iMessages to the new iPhone from the old one.

  1. On your old iPhone go to Settings > [Your name] > iCloud.
  2. Find the Messages option and toggle it to green (Two-factor authentication should be enabled).
  3. On your new iPhone XS/X/8, sign in with the same iCloud account and make sure that both of the iPhones are connected to Wifi network.
  4. Once your iPhone has finished syncing, you will be able to view all your iMessages from your old iPhone on your new one.

Once you enabled this ‘Message in iCloud’ feature, your message won’t be included in a separate iCloud backup; and every edit or deletion you do to your iMessages will be immediately synced over all of your Apple devices.

Also Read: How to easily recover deleted iMessages on iPhone & iPad with/without backup.

Method 4: Transfer iMessages & Text Messages from iPhone to iPhone via iTunes

If you want to transfer all your iMessages as well as text messages from an old iPhone to your new iPhone without iCloud, then iTunes would be your best choice. Besides media library, iTunes is also set to transfer all data including texts from iPhone to iPhone. And you just need an iTunes backup for your old iPhone to start the transferring process.

How To Transfer Text Messages From Iphone To Mac Computer For Free

First, Create a Backup of Your Old iPhone with iTunes:

  1. Connect your old iPhone to your computer via lightning cable, and then launch the iTunes app on your Win/Mac PC.
  2. Click on File > Devices > Back Up at the menu bar to start syncing, or tap on the iPhone icon to go to the Summary page and then click on ‘Back Up Now’.
  3. Wait for your old iPhone finishes backing up its data,
  4. Once it’s done, you can see the updated backup shown on iTunes, or you can check it at the menu Edit > Preferences > Device.

Second, Restore Messages from Your Old iPhone to iPhone XS/X/8:

  1. Turn on your new iPhone and connect it to the computer.
  2. If you have not set up your new iPhone, select ‘Restore from iTunes Backup’ at the ‘App & Data’; if you’ve set it up’, then just click on ‘Restore Backup’ at the Summary page on iTunes.
  3. Select the backup you just created and confirm your action, then wait for it to finish.

Compared with iCloud backup, iTunes backup can hold more comprehensive data of your iPhone, which is better if you want to completely move all your old iPhone data to the new one, though it won’t preserve the music and TV programs on your iPhone.

Bonus 1: Transfer/Save Messages from iPhone to PC via Gihosoft iPhone Recovery

In addition to iTunes, Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery is also a good option to transfer and permanently save your old iPhone messages onto PC or Mac. It is a powerful software expert on iOS data recovery, which can recover 20 more types of lost/deleted data from iOS devices, including contacts, notes, photos, videos, voicemails, voice memos, etc. And you can use it to easily save and extract all your messages from iPhone or iPhone backup.

Apple Iphone Text Message Transfer

  • Step 1: Download and install Gihosoft iPhone Data Recovery on your Win/Mac PC.
  • Step 2: Select ‘Messages & Attachments’ among all file types and click Next.
  • Step 3: connect your iPhone to the computer, or choose ‘View iTunes Backup’ or ‘View iCloud Backup’ if your iPhone is lost or stolen.
  • Step 4: click Next to start scanning and later preview the scanned result.
  • Step 5: Click ‘Recover’ to transfer all of your text messages and iMessages from old iPhone and save them onto the computer for permanent backup.

This method can also be used to recover lost/deleted texts from your iPhone even without backup. All the exported messages will be saved in TXT, CSV, HTML for a better view, and you can directly print the iPhone texts to PDF for court or other using.

Bonus 2: Selectively Export Messages from iTunes backup to PC with Gihosoft iManager

You are not allowed to view and open Messages in iTunes backup as the backup of Messages is an encrypted file. Gihosoft iManager, a useful iPhone manager for iPhone backup, will help you view and browse both texts and iMessages on your computer just like that on iPhone devices. It also allows you to export messages onto your computer as you like. You can finish this task by following steps.

Messages
  • Step 1: Download and run the Gihosoft iManager on your computer.
  • Step 2: Choose the iTunes backup you want to view and click the Messages icon. Then all of the Messages in iTunes backup will be presented in a category.
  • Step 3: Check the small box next to the Messages you want to export and click Export to Text or Export to CSV option as you need to save them to your computer.

You can rest assured to use Gihosoft iManager without the iPhone backup overwritten or corrupted.

The End

It’s understandable that you want to transfer messages from your old iPhone into your new one, for the messages you held may be confidential or important. With above-listed methods, hopefully, you have already successfully transferred your precious messages to the new iPhone XS/X/8 from the old one. If you have any question or suggestion, welcome to comment below.

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