How to transfer data from one phone to another
updated 11 July 2026
Quick answer
On a new Android phone, sign in to the same Google account and restore your backup, or connect both phones with a cable during setup. On Samsung phones, the Smart Switch app transfers the most. Before you wipe the old phone, secure your 2FA codes and banking apps.
Step by step
- 1
Make a fresh backup of the old phone
On the old Android, go to Settings → Google → Backup and run it manually so you have an up-to-date restore point. The backup covers contacts, settings, SMS history, and your app list. Back up photos and videos separately in Google Photos with backup turned on.
- 2
Secure your 2FA codes and logins
If you use Google Authenticator or a similar app, export your accounts to the new phone (in Authenticator, choose Transfer accounts / Export accounts) - the codes are tied to the device and won't come back after a wipe. Also write down any passwords you don't keep in a password manager.
- 3
Choose a transfer method
During the new phone's initial setup, pick the option to copy apps and data. A USB cable connecting both phones is fastest (add an adapter if needed), but restoring from your Google cloud backup over Wi-Fi works too. Samsung to Samsung: use Smart Switch, which transfers more than a standard Google backup.
- 4
Run the transfer
Follow the on-screen instructions: sign in to your Google account, pick the backup to restore, and select what should move over. With a cable, keep both phones plugged into power. Apps will keep downloading in the background after setup finishes - give them 15 minutes or so.
- 5
Reactivate banking apps and 2FA
Banking apps are tied to your old device and won't switch over automatically. Sign in to each one again and complete activation, usually with an SMS code or a confirmation in online banking. Check that your authenticator app generates valid codes.
- 6
Verify your data before wiping the old phone
Compare contacts, photos, messages, and signed-in apps on the new phone. Send a test text and check that you can log in to your bank and email. Only when everything works, factory reset the old phone - the exact path depends on the model, so look under System or Reset.
Three ways to do it on Android
A Google backup over Wi-Fi is the simplest route - you don't need a cable or the second phone at hand, just a Google account and an internet connection. It moves contacts, settings, SMS history, and apps, but not always the data saved inside those apps.
A USB cable between the phones is faster and more complete, especially with a large photo library. During the new phone's setup, choose the wired transfer and connect the devices - you'll often need the USB adapter included in the box.
Smart Switch is Samsung's tool. It transfers the most, including your screen layout, settings, and some app data, works wirelessly or over a cable, and accepts data from a regular Android or an iPhone too. If your new phone is a Samsung, it's usually the best choice.
What no backup will transfer
Treat banking apps and mobile payments, including BLIK, as a setup from scratch. For security reasons they are pinned to a specific device and require reactivation on the new phone. Don't deregister the old one until you've confirmed the new one works.
Two-factor (2FA) codes from authenticator apps don't migrate on their own. Google Authenticator can export accounts via a QR code, and other apps keep their own cloud backups. If you wipe the old phone without exporting, you can lose access to the accounts those codes protect.
Bluetooth is no good for moving a whole phone. It only makes sense for single files - one photo or a document - and it's slow. To move everything, use a Google backup, a cable, or Smart Switch.
From an iPhone or to an iPhone
Between two iPhones, use Quick Start: place the phones next to each other during the new one's setup and follow the instructions, or restore from an iCloud backup. Going from Android to iPhone, use the Move to iOS app during the iPhone's setup.
Going from iPhone to Android, Smart Switch (to a Samsung) or Google's Switch to Android app transfers the most. After the move, turn off iMessage on the old iPhone, otherwise texts from other iPhone users may not reach you.
Frequently asked questions
›How do I transfer data to a new Samsung phone?
Install Smart Switch on both phones or use it during the new Samsung's setup. Choose a wireless or cable connection, set the old phone as the source, and select the data to transfer. Smart Switch also accepts data from another Android and from an iPhone.
›How do I transfer data from an old phone to a new one without a cable?
Use a Google backup: run it on the old phone, then sign in to the same Google account on the new one during setup and restore the backup. Photos move over through Google Photos. Everything happens over Wi-Fi, no cable needed.
›Will my texts and call history transfer?
Yes, a Google backup and Smart Switch both move SMS and MMS history. Chats from messengers like WhatsApp restore separately from their cloud backup after you sign in on the new phone. The call log usually comes across too.
›Will my banking app work after the transfer?
Not right away. Banking apps are tied to the device, so sign in again on the new phone and complete activation, usually with an SMS code or a confirmation in online banking. Wipe the old phone only after checking that the bank works.
›When can I safely wipe the old phone?
Only once you've confirmed contacts, photos, messages, bank logins, and working 2FA codes on the new one. Export accounts from your authenticator app first. Then do a factory reset on the old device.