How to transfer contacts, music and apps from Windows Phone to iPhone

Make the switch from Windows Phone to iPhone as painless as possible with our guide to transferring contacts, music and apps. This migration guide shows you how to transfer all your personal data from Windows Phone to iPhone

By Lucy Hattersley, Contributor | 25 Jan 16

Leaving Windows Phone 1
Save contacts 2
Microsoft Account 3
Outlook on iPhone 4
OneDrive 5
OneDrive on iPhone 6
Set up OneDrive 7
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Step 1 of 7: How to transfer from Windows Phone to iPhone

If you've grown tired of Windows Phone, or have been seduced by the merits of Apple's iOS ecosystem, you may be pondering the best methods for switching from a Windows smartphone to an iPhone. You certainly wouldn't be the first.

It's actually quite straightforward to migrate from one platform to another, but it's important to follow the procedure carefully so you don't lose any important data, from contacts and calendar data to music and photos. Apps are more difficult, but when moving in this particular direction you'll virtually always find that an iOS equivalent or alternative is available on your new device; iPhone owners switching to Windows Phone might not always be so lucky.

In this article we walk disillusioned Windows Phone users through the process of transferring to an iPhone. Good luck!

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In this article we walk disillusioned Windows Phone users through the process of transferring to an iPhone. Good luck!

Step 2 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: It's easy to get started

The first step to transferring your Windows Phone data and accounts to an iPhone is to get your contacts (as well as your calendar) moved over. Fortunately this is pretty easy, because Microsoft uses Microsoft Account to store Calendar, Contacts and Mail information and Apple's iPhone supports Microsoft Account straight out of the box.

In the following steps we'll look at how to sync all of the information on your Windows Phone to the cloud, and how to sync this with your iPhone.

We'll start with Contacts…

Step 3 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: Set up Microsoft Account

The first thing to do is to ensure that your Windows Phone is syncing all of its data to Microsoft's Servers. You've probably done this already, but if not, here's how to set up a Microsoft Account:

Open Settings
Tap Add an Account > Outlook.
Fill out the Email Address and Password fields with your Outlook or Office 365 Account.
Tap Sign In.

More detailed information on setting up a Microsoft Account can be found at WindowsPhone.

Step 4 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: Set up Outlook on your iPhone

With all your Windows Phone information uploaded to your Microsoft Account, it's time to bring it over to your iPhone. The easiest way to do this is to set up Outlook on your iPhone:

Open Settings.
Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
Tap Add Account.
Select Outlook.com.
Enter your Email and Password.
Tap Next.

Step 5 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: Set up OneDrive to transfer documents

Any documents you've created on your Windows Phone will be stored using Microsoft's OneDrive service. First make sure all the information you want is on the OneDrive app in Microsoft Windows. Open OneDrive and check that all the files you want to save are stored there.

Some important files are likely to be missing. Here's how to move files from apps (including Photos) to OneDrive:

Tap Add.
Choose an app you want to upload files from.
Tap the checkbox next to each file from that app to upload.
Tap OK.

Step 6 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: Install OneDrive

Now that you've got all your files and documents from Windows Phone to OneDrive, it's time to install OneDrive on your iPhone.

Open App Store.
Tap Search.
Enter "onedrive" and tap Search.
Tap Get and Install.
Tap Open.

Step 7 of 7: Switch from Windows Phone to iPhone: Set up OneDrive

Now that you have OneDrive installed on your iPhone, you need to set it up using the same account details you are using on Windows Phone.

Open OneDrive.
Enter the same Microsoft Account ID you use on your windows Phone and tap Go.
Enter your Microsoft Account password and tap Sign In.
Tap OK or Don't Allow to the Alert screens.

You'll now see a list of files and folders stored in your OneDrive account. Tap on a folder, then on a file to view it.

You can use the Share button to save photos to your camera roll, open Microsoft Office documents in Office apps or choose other apps to open documents.

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