The easiest time to move data from one Android phone to another is during the initial setup of the new phone. Android can copy apps, photos, videos, contacts, text messages, call history, many settings, and other supported data directly from the old phone. You can usually do it with a cable or wirelessly.
The important part is knowing what Android will transfer automatically, what needs its own backup, and what to check before you erase the old phone.
Before You Start
Have both phones ready and keep the old phone unlocked.
Before starting:
- charge both phones;
- connect them to Wi-Fi;
- make sure you know the old phone’s PIN, pattern, or password;
- sign in to your Google Account on the old phone;
- check that the new phone has enough storage;
- back up anything you cannot afford to lose.
Do not factory-reset or trade in the old phone until you have checked the new one carefully.
Google notes that Android transfers can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on how much data you are moving.
What Android Can Transfer
During setup, Android can usually copy:
- installed apps from Google Play;
- some app data;
- photos;
- videos;
- music;
- contacts stored on the phone or SIM;
- text messages;
- call history;
- multimedia from messages;
- wallpaper;
- many device settings.
The exact result depends on the Android version, phone manufacturer, and individual apps.
What May Not Transfer Automatically
Do not assume everything will move.
Google currently lists several categories that may not copy during setup, including:
- files in Downloads such as PDFs;
- media stored in hidden folders;
- apps installed outside Google Play;
- data from apps that do not support Android backup;
- non-Google accounts and their data;
- some contacts and calendars synced through other services;
- ringtones;
- some manufacturer-specific settings.
This is why I recommend checking your most important apps and files individually after the transfer.
Best Method: Transfer During New Android Setup
For most Android-to-Android upgrades, use the built-in setup transfer first.
Turn on the new phone.
When Android asks whether you want to set up using another device, choose your old Android phone.
Depending on the devices, you may be asked to:
- Scan a QR code.
- Confirm the same pattern or code on both phones.
- Enter the old phone’s PIN.
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- Choose what you want to copy.
Android will then recommend the best transfer method available for those two devices.
Google’s current instructions cover both direct cable and wireless transfers through the setup process.
Use a Cable When Available
A compatible USB cable gives Android a direct connection between the two phones.
For USB-C phones, this will often be a USB-C to USB-C cable.
During setup:
- Connect the old and new phones when prompted.
- Unlock the old phone.
- Approve the connection.
- Sign in to your Google Account if requested.
- Select the data you want to copy.
- Start the transfer.
- Leave both phones connected until Android says the copy is complete.
Google recommends the cable method when it is available, but its current Android documentation also says cable and wireless methods support the same categories of data.
So you do not need to buy an adapter simply because you assume wireless transfer will omit important information.
A cable can still be useful when Wi-Fi transfer is unstable or slow.
Transfer Wirelessly Without a Cable
Android can also copy data directly between compatible phones over a wireless connection.
When the new phone asks for a cable, choose the option such as:
No cable
or:
Transfer wirelessly
The wording varies.
On the old Android phone, you may be prompted to scan the QR code shown on the new phone or follow setup instructions through Google.
Confirm that the devices match, enter the requested PIN, and select the data to copy.
Keep the phones close together and connected to power if the transfer is large.
If Wi-Fi itself is failing, fix that first using Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet on Android.
If You No Longer Have the Old Phone
You may still be able to restore data from your Google backup.
During setup of the new Android phone:
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Sign in to the same Google Account.
- Choose the option to restore from a backup.
- Select the old device backup if more than one appears.
- Enter the old device PIN if Android requests it.
- Choose what you want to restore.
This works only for data that was actually included in the backup.
If the old phone was never backed up, Google cannot recreate files that were stored only on that device.
Check the Backup Before You Switch Phones
On the old phone, a common path is:
Settings > Google > Backup
Menu names vary by manufacturer.
Check when the last backup completed.
Also confirm separately that services you depend on are synced.
For example:
- Google Contacts;
- Google Photos;
- calendars;
- password managers;
- authenticator apps;
- messaging apps.
Do not rely on one “backup complete” message as proof that every third-party app has saved everything.
How to Transfer Photos and Videos
If your photos are already backed up to Google Photos, you usually do not need to manually copy every image.
On the old phone:
- Open Google Photos.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Open the backup settings.
- Make sure backup is enabled.
- Wait for any remaining uploads to finish.
On the new phone, sign in with the same Google Account.
Your backed-up photos and videos should appear in Google Photos.
Be careful with folders that are not backed up automatically.
Screenshots, Downloads, WhatsApp media, or other device folders may have separate backup settings.
If you need to document settings or information before switching phones, How to Take a Screenshot on Android covers the current capture methods.
How to Transfer Contacts
Contacts saved to your Google Account usually appear automatically after you sign in on the new phone.
That is different from contacts stored only:
- on the SIM;
- locally on the phone;
- in another account.
Before wiping the old phone, open your Contacts app and check which account owns the contacts that matter.
If contacts are stored on a SIM, Android’s setup transfer can copy supported SIM contacts, or you can import them separately.
How to Transfer Text Messages
Android’s built-in transfer process supports SMS and MMS data on compatible devices.
Choose messages when Android asks what you want to copy.
After setup, open the Messages app and verify that older conversations are present.
If the new phone receives no new messages after the transfer, that is a different problem. Use Not Receiving Text Messages on Android rather than repeating the data transfer.
How to Transfer WhatsApp Chats
WhatsApp deserves separate attention because its chat history is controlled by WhatsApp rather than Android alone.
Google’s Android transfer guidance currently notes that WhatsApp chats and data can restore after you sign in to WhatsApp on the new device, provided the required backup or transfer process was set up on the old phone.
Before switching:
- Open WhatsApp on the old phone.
- Check the current chat backup or device-transfer option.
- Confirm the correct Google Account and phone number.
- Complete the transfer or backup before erasing the old device.
Do not assume that seeing the WhatsApp app on the new phone means the chat history has transferred.
Open it and verify.
How to Move Data to a Samsung Galaxy
If the new phone is a Samsung Galaxy, Smart Switch is another strong option.
Samsung Smart Switch can transfer data from an Android phone to a Galaxy using:
- a USB cable;
- wireless transfer;
- microSD storage on supported devices;
- USB storage;
- a Windows PC or Mac backup.
For a direct wireless transfer:
- Open Smart Switch on both phones.
- On the old phone, choose Send from this phone.
- Choose Wireless.
- On the new Galaxy, choose Receive on this phone.
- Select Galaxy/Android.
- Approve the connection.
- Choose the data to transfer.
- Start the transfer.
For a wired transfer, choose Cable instead.
Samsung says wired transfer can support the widest range of transferable data, while wireless transfer is convenient for larger migrations because both phones can remain connected to chargers.
You can check Samsung’s current Smart Switch transfer guide if your Galaxy menus differ.
What About the SIM Card?
Moving data and moving cellular service are separate jobs.
A physical SIM can usually be moved from the old phone to the new phone if:
- both phones support the same SIM size;
- the carrier allows it;
- the new phone is compatible and unlocked where required.
An eSIM may need to be transferred or activated through the carrier during setup.
Do not erase the old eSIM until you know the new phone has service.
If the new Android phone says No SIM or fails to recognize the physical SIM after the move, use SIM Card Not Detected on Android.
Authenticator Apps Need Special Attention
This is one of the easiest things to forget during a phone upgrade.
Two-factor authentication apps may require:
- account sync;
- an export/import process;
- a QR transfer;
- recovery codes;
- re-registration with individual services.
Do not erase the old phone until you can successfully access accounts protected by two-factor authentication from the new phone.
This includes:
- email;
- banking;
- cloud services;
- social accounts;
- business tools.
What Happens to Apps After the Transfer?
Android can restore many Google Play apps automatically.
That does not guarantee every app will be ready exactly as it was.
You may need to:
- sign in again;
- grant permissions;
- download offline files again;
- reconnect Bluetooth accessories;
- restore app-specific backups;
- complete banking or security verification.
Apps installed from outside Google Play generally will not be restored automatically through the standard Android transfer.
If Play Store apps remain stuck instead of installing on the new phone, see Google Play Store Download Pending.
What to Do if the Transfer Stops
If the copy process freezes or disconnects, do not immediately reset either phone.
First:
- Charge both phones.
- Restart them if the setup has clearly failed.
- Reconnect the cable securely if using a wired transfer.
- Try a different compatible cable if Android says the cable is unsupported.
- Move the phones closer together for wireless transfer.
- Switch to a cable if wireless transfer repeatedly fails.
Google notes that an interrupted transfer can usually be started again.
Some phones also let you retry from Settings after setup, but on others you may need to reset the new phone and repeat initial setup if you want to use the full setup migration again.
Do not reset the old phone.
The New Phone Has Less Storage
Android lets you choose what to transfer.
If the new phone cannot hold everything, prioritize:
- contacts;
- messages;
- important photos;
- documents;
- authenticator access;
- app data that cannot easily be restored elsewhere.
Large cloud-backed media does not necessarily need to be stored locally.
Google Photos, streaming services, and cloud drives can often make that content available again without copying every file to internal storage.
Check These Things Before Erasing the Old Phone
Do not judge the transfer only by the Home screen.
Open the important apps and verify:
- contacts;
- recent and older photos;
- videos;
- SMS/MMS conversations;
- WhatsApp chats;
- documents and Downloads;
- calendar events;
- notes;
- password manager;
- authenticator codes;
- banking apps;
- email;
- mobile service;
- important app logins.
Also check that the new phone can:
- make a call;
- receive a text;
- connect to Wi-Fi;
- install an app.
If apps start crashing after the migration or after an Android update, use Apps Keep Crashing After Android Update for that separate problem.
When It Is Safe to Reset the Old Phone
Reset the old phone only after you have used the new phone long enough to confirm that the important data is present and accessible.
For critical information, I would also keep an independent cloud or computer backup.
Once you are satisfied:
- Remove or transfer any remaining SIM/eSIM service.
- Sign out of accounts where appropriate.
- Remove the old phone from sensitive services if required.
- Factory-reset it before selling, trading, or giving it away.
The safest Android transfer is not the one that finishes fastest. It is the one you verify before the only remaining copy of your data is erased.
