How to Transfer Data from Your Old Phone to a New Phone

Getting a new phone is exciting — but one of the first questions people ask is: "How do I get everything from my old phone onto the new one?" The good news is that both iPhones and Android phones have built-in tools that move your photos, contacts, apps, settings, and text messages automatically. You do not need to know anything technical to do this.

This guide covers the three most common situations:

• iPhone to iPhone
• Android to Android (most brands)
• Samsung to Samsung (using the Smart Switch app)

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What transfers automatically

Before you start, here is what you can expect to move over without doing anything extra:

• **Contacts** — your saved names and phone numbers
• **Photos and videos** — all the pictures stored on your phone
• **Text messages** — your entire message history
• **Apps** — the apps you have installed (though some large apps may need to re-download)
• **Settings** — Wi-Fi network names and passwords, wallpaper, display settings
• **App data** — progress in games, saved settings inside apps

What you will need to set up again manually:

• Banking app PIN or fingerprint (banks require you to re-verify for security)
• Some app passwords if the app does not support automatic login
• Any two-factor authentication apps (such as Google Authenticator — see the tip below)

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iPhone to iPhone: the fastest method — Quick Start

Quick Start is Apple's built-in phone-to-phone transfer feature. It works by holding your new iPhone next to your old one. This is the recommended approach if both phones are nearby and charged.

1. 1**Turn on your new iPhone.** A "Hello" screen appears.
2. 2**Place your new iPhone next to your old iPhone** (within a few inches). Your old iPhone should automatically detect the new one and show a message: "Set Up New iPhone."
3. 3**Tap Continue** on your old iPhone.
4. 4**Point your old iPhone's camera at the swirling pattern** that appears on the new iPhone's screen. This pairs the two phones.
5. 5**Enter your old iPhone's passcode** on the new iPhone when prompted.
6. 6**When asked how to transfer your data, select "Transfer from iPhone."** Your old iPhone will transfer its contents directly to the new one over a wireless connection.
7. 7**Wait for the transfer to finish.** Depending on how many photos and videos you have, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Keep both phones plugged into chargers and side by side during the transfer.
8. 8**Sign in with your Apple ID** on the new iPhone when prompted and complete the remaining setup steps.

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iPhone to iPhone: alternative method — iCloud Backup

Use this method if you no longer have your old phone, or if the Quick Start transfer did not work.

Step A: Back up your old iPhone to iCloud

1. 1On your old iPhone, open **Settings** and tap your name at the top.
2. 2Tap **iCloud**.
3. 3Tap **iCloud Backup**.
4. 4Tap **Back Up Now**. Wait for the backup to finish. You will see the date and time of the last successful backup when it is done. Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi before starting.

Step B: Restore your new iPhone from the iCloud backup

1. 1Turn on your new iPhone and go through the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data."
2. 2Tap **Restore from iCloud Backup**.
3. 3Sign in with your Apple ID.
4. 4Select the most recent backup from the list. The restore will begin. Keep the phone connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in until it finishes.

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Android to Android: Google Backup

Most Android phones use Google to back up and restore your data. During setup of your new Android phone, Google walks you through copying everything from your old phone.

1. 1**On your old Android phone**, open **Settings**, search for "Backup," and make sure **Google One backup** (or "Back up to Google Drive") is turned on. Tap **Back up now** to create a fresh backup before switching phones.
2. 2**Turn on your new Android phone** and go through the setup steps.
3. 3When you reach the "Copy apps & data" screen, tap **Next**.
4. 4You will be asked if you want to copy from a nearby phone or restore from a Google account backup. **If your old phone is nearby:** tap "A backup from an Android phone" and follow the on-screen steps to connect the two phones with a cable or wirelessly.
5. 5**Sign in with your Google account** and your apps, contacts, photos (if backed up to Google Photos), and settings will restore automatically.

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Samsung to Samsung: Smart Switch

Samsung phones include an app called Smart Switch that is specifically designed for transferring data between Samsung devices. It works wirelessly or with a cable and transfers more data than a standard Google backup.

1. 1On your old Samsung phone, search for **Smart Switch** in the app drawer. If it is not installed, search for it in the Google Play Store and install it (it is free).
2. 2Install Smart Switch on your new Samsung phone the same way.
3. 3Open Smart Switch on both phones.
4. 4On the old phone, tap **Send data**. On the new phone, tap **Receive data**.
5. 5Choose **Wireless** to transfer over Wi-Fi (slower but no cable needed) or **Cable** (faster) if you have the right USB cable.
6. 6Follow the on-screen instructions on both phones. Smart Switch will show you a list of what it plans to transfer. You can uncheck anything you do not want to move.
7. 7Tap **Transfer** and wait. A progress screen shows how much has moved and how much is left.

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How long does a phone transfer take?

| Amount of data | Approximate time | |---|---| | Light use (mostly contacts, few photos) | 15–30 minutes | | Moderate use (a few thousand photos) | 1–2 hours | | Heavy use (10,000+ photos, lots of apps) | 2–5 hours |

Keep both phones plugged into chargers and do not use them during the transfer.

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What to do if the transfer gets stuck

• Make sure both phones are charged and plugged into power outlets.
• Keep both phones within arm's reach of each other — do not move them far apart during a wireless transfer.
• Check that Wi-Fi is on and connected to the same network on both phones (for wireless transfers).
• If the transfer freezes for more than 30 minutes without any progress, restart both phones and try again.
• If Quick Start fails repeatedly, use the iCloud Backup method instead. It is more reliable in some situations.

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After the transfer: what to check

Before you sell or trade in your old phone, verify that everything arrived safely on the new one:

• Open Photos and scroll through to make sure your pictures are there.
• Open Contacts and confirm your saved numbers transferred.
• Open a few apps and check that your data (settings, login status) is intact.
• Send a test text message to confirm messaging works.

Once you are satisfied, you can safely erase your old phone. On iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. On Android: Settings → General Management → Reset → Factory Data Reset.