Abstract This communication presents the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow of a couple-stress nanofluid over a convective moving wall. The flow dynamics are analyzed in the boundary layer region. Convective cooling phenomenon combined with thermophoresis and Brownian motion effects has been discussed. Similarity transforms are utilized to convert the system of partial differential equations into coupled non-linear ordinary differential equation. Optimal homotopy analysis method (OHAM) is utilized and the concept of minimization is employed by defining the average squared residual errors. Effects of couple-stress parameter, convective cooling process parameter and energy enhancement parameters are displayed via graphs and discussed in detail. Various tables are also constructed to present the error analysis and a comparison of obtained results with the already published data. Stream lines are plotted showing a difference of Newtonian fluid model and couplestress fluid model.