How to Transfer Everything From Your Old Phone to a New Phone

2026-10-14 · Marion Phone Repair

You have a new phone and need to move everything from the old one — contacts, photos, videos, text messages, apps, app data, music, documents, and settings. The transfer process depends on whether you are staying on the same platform (Android to Android, iPhone to iPhone) or switching between platforms (Android to iPhone or iPhone to Android). Each combination has different tools and methods, and some data transfers more easily than others. Getting the transfer right means your new phone feels immediately familiar rather than like starting from scratch.

Before you start

• Charge both phones: The transfer process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour depending on how much data you have. Both phones should be charged to at least 50 percent, or keep them plugged in during the transfer
• Connect to Wi-Fi: Most transfer methods use Wi-Fi to move data. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network. For cable transfers, you still need power but Wi-Fi is not required
• Know your accounts: Have your Google account (for Android) or Apple ID (for iPhone) login credentials ready. Most of your data is tied to these accounts, and signing in on the new phone restores cloud-synced content automatically
• Update both phones: Run any available software updates on both the old and new phone before starting. Transfer tools work best when both phones are on the latest OS version

iPhone to iPhone

Quick Start (easiest method)

1. Turn on your new iPhone. If you already set it up, go to Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings to start fresh
2. Place the old iPhone next to the new one. A Quick Start screen appears on the old phone showing the new phone detected
3. Tap Continue on the old iPhone. Hold the old iPhone over the animation displayed on the new iPhone (it uses the camera to scan a pattern)
4. Enter the old iPhone passcode on the new iPhone when prompted
5. Choose Transfer from iPhone to transfer data directly between the phones. This transfers everything — apps, app data, photos, messages, settings, health data, and passwords
6. Keep both phones near each other and connected to power until the transfer completes. The time depends on data volume — 64GB of data takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes over a direct wireless connection

iCloud backup method

• On the old iPhone: Settings, tap your name at the top, iCloud, iCloud Backup, Back Up Now. Wait for the backup to complete
• Set up the new iPhone. When you reach the Apps and Data screen, select Restore from iCloud Backup. Sign in with the same Apple ID and select the most recent backup
• The new iPhone downloads and restores the backup. Apps re-download from the App Store. This method works even if you no longer have the old phone, as long as you have a recent iCloud backup

Android to Android

Google backup and setup

1. On the old Android phone: Settings, Google, Backup. Make sure Backup to Google is enabled. Tap Back Up Now to create a fresh backup. This backs up app data, call history, contacts, device settings, SMS messages, and photos and videos (if Google Photos backup is on)
2. On the new phone during initial setup, sign in with the same Google account. The setup wizard offers to restore from a backup — select the most recent backup from your old phone
3. The new phone restores settings, app list (apps re-download from the Play Store), call history, and SMS messages. Photos and contacts sync through Google Photos and Google Contacts respectively

Direct cable transfer

• During new Android phone setup, many phones offer a direct transfer option. Connect the old and new phones with a USB-C to USB-C cable (or USB-C to Lightning if coming from iPhone). The setup wizard guides you through selecting what to transfer
• Samsung Smart Switch: if the new phone is Samsung, Smart Switch is built into the setup process. It transfers apps, photos, messages, contacts, and many app-specific data from any Android phone or iPhone. Smart Switch can also use Wi-Fi direct for wireless transfer if you do not have a cable
• Google Pixel: the Pixel setup wizard includes a transfer option that works with a cable or wirelessly, pulling data from any Android or iPhone

iPhone to Android

• Google Drive method: On the old iPhone, install Google Drive from the App Store. Open Google Drive, go to Settings, Backup. Select what to back up — contacts, calendar events, and photos. Start the backup. On the new Android phone, sign in with the same Google account. Contacts appear in Google Contacts, calendar events in Google Calendar, and photos in Google Photos
• During setup: Many Android phones offer iPhone transfer during initial setup. Connect the iPhone to the Android phone with a USB-C to Lightning cable. The setup wizard guides you through selecting data to transfer — contacts, messages, photos, videos, apps (equivalent Android apps are suggested for iOS apps)
• What transfers: Contacts, photos, videos, calendar events, and text messages transfer well. iMessage history does not transfer (it is Apple-specific). Paid apps do not transfer — you need to repurchase them on Android. App-specific data (game progress, in-app purchases) depends on whether the developer supports cross-platform accounts
• iMessage deregistration: Before switching, disable iMessage on the old iPhone: Settings, Messages, toggle off iMessage. Also disable FaceTime: Settings, FaceTime, toggle off. If you do not do this, text messages from other iPhones may continue going to iMessage instead of SMS, meaning they never reach your new Android phone

Android to iPhone

• Move to iOS app: Apple provides a free Move to iOS app on the Google Play Store. Install it on the old Android phone. During new iPhone setup, on the Apps and Data screen, select Move Data from Android. The iPhone displays a code — enter it on the Android phone. Select what to transfer: contacts, message history, photos, videos, web bookmarks, email accounts, and calendars
• What transfers: Contacts, messages (SMS, not app-specific messages), photos, videos, calendar, and email accounts transfer successfully. Apps do not transfer directly — the iPhone suggests equivalent iOS apps for your Android apps after the transfer. WhatsApp has a separate transfer tool for moving chat history between platforms
• Timing: Run Move to iOS during the initial iPhone setup, not after setup is complete. If you already set up the iPhone, you need to erase it and start over to use Move to iOS

What does not transfer automatically

• App-specific logins: You need to sign back into every app on the new phone — email, social media, banking, streaming services. The apps transfer but your login sessions do not
• Two-factor authentication apps: Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and similar apps need special attention. Many 2FA apps now support cloud backup or transfer — check before wiping the old phone. If you lose access to your 2FA codes, you may be locked out of accounts
• WhatsApp chat history: WhatsApp chats do not transfer through the standard phone transfer tools. Use WhatsApp built-in transfer: open WhatsApp on the old phone, Settings, Chats, Transfer Chats. This works for same-platform transfers and some cross-platform transfers
• Banking and payment apps: Most banking apps require you to set up the device again for security. Payment services (Apple Pay, Google Pay) need cards re-added on the new phone
• Music downloads: Music purchased from iTunes or downloaded from Spotify does not transfer as files. Sign into the same streaming accounts on the new phone to re-download. Locally stored MP3 files need to be transferred manually via computer or cloud storage

After the transfer

• Verify that contacts, photos, and messages made it to the new phone. Open each app and spot-check recent content
• Keep the old phone for at least two weeks after transferring. If you discover missing data or need to redo any part of the transfer, the old phone is your backup
• Once you are confident the transfer is complete, factory reset the old phone before selling, trading in, or recycling it to protect your personal data

Phone data transfer help in Marion

If you need help transferring data from your old phone to a new one — especially for complex situations like switching between iPhone and Android, preserving app data, or transferring from a damaged phone — Marion Phone Repair can handle the complete data transfer, ensure nothing is lost, and set up your new phone ready to use.