The fastest way to transfer your messages
The quickest route is Samsung Smart Switch, Samsung's official transfer tool. It can move text messages, photos, contacts, and calendar events directly from iPhone to your S25 Ultra over Wi-Fi. The process takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on how many messages you have, and you do not need a computer.
If Smart Switch does not work or you want a backup method, Google Messages (the default SMS app on most Samsung phones) can restore text conversations if you backed them up to your Google account while using iPhone. This method is slower but works if your iPhone backup already exists.
For iMessage threads specifically — the blue bubble conversations between iPhone users — those do not transfer as iMessages to Android. They convert to standard text messages, which means you lose read receipts and typing indicators, but the actual conversation text arrives intact.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Smart Switch is the official tool and handles text messages, photos, contacts, and calendar data in one transfer over Wi-Fi.
- You need both phones, a Wi-Fi connection, and about 30 minutes; no computer or cables are required.
- iMessage conversations convert to regular text messages on Android — the words stay but the blue bubbles and read receipts do not.
- If Smart Switch fails, Google Messages can restore SMS backups made on iPhone if you signed into your Google account there first.
- Third-party apps like Backuptrans or MobileTrans can extract messages as PDFs or move them to cloud storage if you need a permanent record.
Using Samsung Smart Switch to move messages
Start on your iPhone. read Samsung Smart Switch from the App Store, open it, and tap Send Data. Choose iPhone as your source device. The app will ask for permission to access your contacts, messages, photos, and calendar — grant all of these.
On your S25 Ultra, open Smart Switch (it comes pre-installed), tap Receive Data, and select iPhone. Both phones will display a PIN code. Confirm the code matches on both screens. The phones will connect over Wi-Fi and begin transferring. Do not close the app or move either phone until the transfer finishes — you will see a completion message on both devices.
Messages arrive in the default SMS app on your S25 Ultra (usually Google Messages or Samsung Messages depending on your region). Group texts, individual conversations, and timestamps all transfer. If you have thousands of messages, the transfer may take longer, but Smart Switch handles large volumes without losing data.
What happens to iMessage and group chats
iMessages — the blue-bubble conversations between iPhone users — arrive on your S25 Ultra as standard SMS text messages in green bubbles. The actual message text is intact, but you lose iMessage-only features: read receipts (the "Delivered" and "Read" status), typing indicators (the three dots that show someone is typing), and reactions (the emoji responses to individual messages).
Group chats with both iPhone and Android users transfer as group SMS, which works on all phones but may not preserve the original group name or photo. Some carriers limit group SMS to 10 or 20 people, so very large group chats may split into smaller threads.
If you were in a group chat with only iPhone users, that conversation may not transfer at all through Smart Switch because iMessage groups are encrypted and stored on Apple's servers, not on the phone itself. You can still see the conversation history on your iPhone, but it will not move to Android. Screenshot important messages before switching if you need a permanent record.
Using Google Messages to restore backed-up SMS
If you set up Google Messages on your iPhone and enabled backup to your Google account, your S25 Ultra can restore those messages automatically. On your iPhone, open Google Messages, tap your profile icon in the top left, go to Settings, then Advanced, and confirm that Backup to Google Account is turned on.
On your S25 Ultra, open Google Messages, tap your profile icon, go to Settings, then Advanced, and tap Restore from backup. Select the Google account you used on iPhone. The phone will read your backed-up messages — this can take several minutes if you have a large message history. Once finished, all restored messages appear in Google Messages on your S25 Ultra.
This method only works if you already created a backup on iPhone. If you never set up Google Messages on your iPhone, there is nothing to restore. Smart Switch is the better choice for a first-time transfer because it does not require a prior backup.
Transferring messages with a computer
If Smart Switch fails or your phones cannot connect over Wi-Fi, you can use a computer as a bridge. read Samsung Smart Switch to your Windows PC or Mac, connect your iPhone with a USB cable, and let Smart Switch scan it. Then disconnect the iPhone, connect your S25 Ultra, and transfer the data from the computer to the Samsung phone.
This method is slower than direct phone-to-phone transfer but works when Wi-Fi is unstable or one phone has a software issue. You will need a computer with USB ports and enough free storage to hold a temporary copy of your data (usually 1 to 5 GB depending on your message volume).
Alternatively, third-party tools like Backuptrans or MobileTrans can extract messages to a computer and save them as PDFs or CSV files. These are useful if you want a permanent backup of your message history separate from your phone, but they do not move messages directly to your S25 Ultra — they create a file you can store or print.
Troubleshooting Smart Switch transfer problems
If Smart Switch stalls or disconnects, restart both phones and try again. Make sure both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network and that the network is stable — if you are on a public or guest network, switch to a private one. Some networks block the connection type Smart Switch uses.
If Smart Switch says "Connection failed" after the PIN code, move the phones closer together. Wi-Fi range can be weak in some rooms, and the transfer needs a strong signal. Also check that you granted Smart Switch permission to access messages and contacts on your iPhone — if you denied permission during setup, delete the app, reinstall it, and allow all permissions when prompted.
If messages do not appear on your S25 Ultra after a successful transfer, check that you are looking in the correct app. Samsung phones may have both Google Messages and Samsung Messages installed. Messages transferred by Smart Switch usually land in whichever app is set as the default SMS app. Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and confirm which SMS app is active.
Keeping your message history after the switch
Once messages are on your S25 Ultra, set up automatic backup so you do not lose them if the phone is damaged or lost. Open Google Messages, tap your profile icon, go to Settings > Advanced, and turn on Backup to Google Account. Messages will back up automatically once a day.
Alternatively, use Samsung's built-in backup through Settings > Accounts and backup > Backup and restore. This backs up messages along with other phone data to your Samsung account. Both methods are free and run in the background without slowing your phone.
If you want a permanent offline copy, export messages to a file using a third-party app like SMS Backup+ (available on Google Play). This creates a backup file you can store on your computer or cloud storage, separate from your phone. This is useful if you need to prove you received a message or if you want to archive old conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my iMessage conversations stay blue on the S25 Ultra?
No. iMessages arrive as standard SMS text messages in green bubbles on Android. The conversation text transfers, but iMessage features like read receipts and typing indicators do not work. If you message other iPhone users from your S25 Ultra, they will see your messages as SMS, not iMessage.
Can I transfer messages without Wi-Fi?
Smart Switch requires Wi-Fi to work. If you do not have Wi-Fi available, use a computer with a USB cable instead, or wait until you can connect to a stable network. Mobile hotspot from another phone usually works if the signal is strong.
What if I have thousands of old messages?
Smart Switch can handle large message histories, but the transfer will take longer — sometimes 45 minutes to over an hour for 10,000+ messages. Keep both phones plugged in and on the same Wi-Fi network. Do not interrupt the transfer or the process may fail partway through.
Do photos and videos in messages transfer too?
Yes. Smart Switch transfers photos and videos attached to text messages. However, very old messages may have been deleted from iPhone's cache, so only the text remains. Recent messages with media usually transfer completely.
Can I transfer messages to multiple Samsung phones?
No. Smart Switch transfers from one iPhone to one Samsung phone at a time. If you want to move messages to a second Samsung phone, you would need to transfer from the first Samsung phone to the second using Smart Switch's phone-to-phone mode, or restore from a backup you created on the first phone.