Setting up a new Android phone is exciting for about ten minutes. Then you remember everything that lives on the old one: photos, chats, passwords, two-factor codes, app logins and years of small settings you never think about until they disappear. The good news is that moving to a new Android phone is far easier than it used to be. The bad news is that a few things still do not move by themselves, and those are exactly the ones that can lock you out of accounts. Here is how to do it properly.
Before you start: prepare the old phone
Ten minutes of preparation saves hours of frustration later. Do these things while the old phone still works normally:
- Charge both phones. A transfer can take a while, especially with a large photo library. Keep both phones plugged in if you can.
- Update the old phone. Install any pending system and app updates so both devices are running current software.
- Check your Google account. Make sure you know the password for the Google account on the old phone and that you can still receive verification codes. Almost everything in the transfer depends on it.
- Turn on backup. In the settings of the old phone, find the backup section and make sure your Google backup is on and has run recently. This gives you a safety net if the direct transfer fails.
- Write down what is not backed up. Make a quick list of apps that hold important data: banking apps, authenticator apps, messaging apps and anything work related.
Method 1: Transfer during setup
For most people, the easiest route is the one built into Android’s setup. When you turn on a new Android phone for the first time, it offers to copy apps and data from your old device. You can usually connect the two phones with a cable, which is the fastest option, or transfer wirelessly. The setup then walks you through signing in to your Google account and choosing what to copy.
This method typically brings over your Google account, many apps, contacts, calendar, photos and videos (if they are on the device), text messages, call history and a number of settings. The exact list varies by phone and Android version, so read each screen rather than tapping through.
If you skipped this step during setup, most phones let you restart it or use the manufacturer’s own transfer tool later. As a last resort, a factory reset of the new phone brings the setup back, which is reasonable if you have only just started using it.
Method 2: The manufacturer’s transfer app
Many brands offer their own migration tools, and they often move more than the standard Android setup does, particularly when you are moving between two phones from the same brand. Samsung’s Smart Switch is the best known example, and other manufacturers have their own apps built into their setup screens. If your new phone offers one, it is usually worth using, because it can carry over brand-specific settings, home screen layouts and some app data that the generic process leaves behind.
Method 3: Restore from a Google backup
If the old phone is lost, broken or already wiped, you can still restore from your Google backup when setting up the new phone. Sign in with the same Google account and choose to restore from the backup when offered. You will get back the data that was included in that backup, which is why checking that backups are switched on is so important before anything goes wrong.
What usually does NOT transfer automatically
This is the part that catches people out. Plan for these separately, and ideally before you wipe or sell the old phone.
Authenticator apps and two-factor codes
If you use an app that generates login codes, do not assume the codes will move with the phone. Some authenticator apps can sync to an account or export codes to a new device; others require you to set up each account again. Check your app’s transfer option first. For accounts where that is not possible, sign in on the new phone and re-enroll two-factor authentication before you reset the old one. Keep your backup codes somewhere safe for exactly this situation.
Messaging apps
Chat apps often keep their own backups separate from the Google backup. WhatsApp, for example, has its own chat backup setting, and your chat history will only follow you if that backup exists and you restore it when you set the app up on the new phone. Check each messaging app’s backup setting on the old phone and run a fresh backup just before you switch.
Banking and payment apps
For security reasons, banking apps usually need you to sign in again and verify the new device, sometimes with a code sent by text message or a card reader. Contactless payment cards stored in a wallet app also need to be added again. Allow time for this, and do not reset your old phone until you have confirmed you can log in to your bank on the new one.
Photos stored only on the device
If your photos are backed up to a cloud service, they will appear on the new phone once you sign in. If they are stored only on the device, they need to be transferred directly or copied to a computer first. Check your photo app’s backup status before you assume they are safe.
Files, downloads and app data
Documents in your downloads folder, voice recordings, game progress and data in some apps may not be included. Copy important files to a computer or cloud storage, and check whether each game or app has its own sign-in or save sync.
After the transfer: a checklist
- Open your most important apps and confirm you are signed in.
- Test your authenticator codes and log in to key accounts, such as email and banking.
- Check that your contacts, photos and messages are all there.
- Add your payment cards back to your wallet app.
- Pair your Bluetooth devices again: earbuds, watch, car.
- Review app permissions and notifications, since some settings reset during a transfer.
Wiping the old phone safely
Only once everything on the new phone works should you prepare the old one to sell, give away or recycle. Remove your Google account from the old phone first, then perform a factory reset from the settings menu. Take out any SIM card and memory card. If you are selling it, a phone that has been properly reset and signed out is also far easier for the next owner to set up. And if you are thinking of buying a used device next time, our guide to buying last year’s flagship explains how to get more phone for less money.
The short version
Prepare the old phone, use the transfer offered during setup or your manufacturer’s app, and then deal separately with the things that do not move on their own: authenticator codes, chat histories, banking apps and local files. Keep the old phone intact until the new one is fully working. Follow that order and switching phones becomes a minor chore rather than a crisis.
