Moving data to a new phone: contacts, photos and apps

A new phone is a joy, until that question comes: how do you get everything from the old one onto it? Contacts, thousands of photos, apps, sign-ins and message history. It sounds like an evening-long chore, but in reality a wizard right in the device handles most of it these days. You just need to know what transfers by itself and what to watch out for, so you do not lose anything.

In this article we will walk you through the transfer step by step, including the few sneaky things that do not transfer by themselves and that people pay for.

The easiest route: the wizard at first startup

When you first turn on the new phone, it offers you a transfer from the old device. In most cases this is the best choice. Between two Androids or two iPhones it can move contacts, photos, apps and settings, often directly by cable between the devices or wirelessly.

You just need both phones charged, to hand and a little patience. If you skipped the wizard, it can usually be started later, or via the cloud backup of the system, that is Google or iCloud, which simply restores on the new device.

What does not transfer by itself (and people pay for it)

This is the most important part of the article. Most data transfers, but three things cause trouble most often:

• Authenticator apps for two-factor sign-in. Codes from apps like Google Authenticator usually do not transfer with an ordinary backup. If you wipe the old phone, you can lose access to your accounts. Before switching, deliberately move the codes via the transfer feature in the app. Why this must not be underestimated we cover in the article on two-factor verification and backup tokens.
• WhatsApp and its history, especially when switching between Android and iPhone. Each system stores its backup elsewhere, so here you have to follow the official transfer wizard exactly, otherwise you lose your message history.
• Paid apps tied to an account. When switching between systems you may have to buy some again in the other store, because licences are not transferable between Android and iPhone.

Switching between Android and iPhone

If you are changing the system, not just the device, it is a bit trickier, but manageable. Both manufacturers offer a tool or app that moves contacts, photos and some other data between the systems.

Do expect, though, that not everything transfers one to one, because the systems differ. Apps have to be reinstalled fresh from the other store, and you set up the home screen layout and some settings again. But photos, contacts and basic data go over reliably.

Insurance at the end: wipe nothing straight away

The most common mistake is to wipe or sell the old phone as soon as the new one is running. Do not do it until you have confirmed you really have everything: contacts, photos, sign-ins and verification codes. Go through the new phone calmly and check you can sign in to your important accounts.

Leave the old phone untouched for a few days as insurance. And when you decide to get rid of it, do not just wipe it casually: before selling or giving it away, securely wipe it and sign it out of your accounts, so you do not send your data on with it. How to do that we cover in the article on securing your phone.

When to leave it to us

Many people manage the transfer themselves, and this guide helps with that. But there are situations where it is calmer to leave it to someone who does it daily: switching between Android and iPhone with message history, transferring from a broken or dead phone, or when the device holds data you cannot afford to lose.

In those cases we do the transfer reliably and, above all, in a way that keeps everything important, including sign-ins and verification codes.

This article is part of our guide to backup and data recovery.