Android

How to Transfer Data from an Old Android to a New One

February 14, 2024

How to Transfer Data from an Old Android to a New One

Transferring data from an old Android phone to a new one doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. With a few simple steps, you can easily move your contacts, photos, apps and more to your new device. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to transfer data from an old Android to a new one.

Back Up Data on Old Phone

Before beginning the transfer process, it is highly recommended to back up the data on your old Android phone. This provides an extra layer of protection in case anything goes wrong during the transfer.

Here are some ways I back up an Android phone:

Use the built-in Android backup option – Go to Settings > System > Backup and tap on “Back up to Google Drive”. This will backup contacts, messages, apps, settings etc.
Copy data to a computer – Connect your Android phone to a computer via USB and copy important files like photos, videos, documents etc. to your computer.
Use a cloud storage service – Upload files such as photos, videos and documents to a cloud storage platform like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Back up text messages – Use an app like SMS Backup & Restore to back up text conversations.

Backing up ensures I have a copy of all crucial data before transferring it to the new phone.

Transfer Options

There are a few different methods to transfer data from an old Android device to a new one. Here are some of the main options:

Use Cable Transfer

Connect both phones using the charging cable provided with the new phone.
On the new phone, follow the on-screen setup prompts which will guide you through the data transfer process.
Select the data like contacts, messages, photos, videos, call logs, apps etc. that you wish to transfer.
The data transfer will happen directly from the old phone to the new one.

Transfer via Cloud Storage

Back up data on old phone to a cloud storage platform like Google Drive.
Download the same cloud storage app on the new phone.
Sign in with same account and the data will sync from the cloud to the new device.

Use File Transfer Apps

Install a file transfer app like ShareIt on both phones.
Select files/data to transfer and send from old phone.
Receive the data on the new phone via the same app.
Apps like ShareIt transfer data over WiFi direct so no internet required.

Transfer via SD Card

Copy required data from old phone to an SD card.
Insert the SD card into the new Android phone.
Transfer data from SD card to the internal storage on new phone.

Transfer Contacts

Contacts can be transferred in a few simple steps:

Export contacts from old phone – Go to Contacts app > Menu button > Settings > Export > save .vcf file on internal storage or SD card.
Import to new phone – On new phone, open Contacts app > Menu button > Settings > Import from .vcf file.
Sync with Google account – Syncing your Google account contacts on new phone will also transfer all contacts automatically.
Additionally, contacts can also be transferred directly when connecting both phones via cable transfer.

Transfer Photos and Videos

Back up photos/videos from old phone to a computer or cloud storage.
Save media files to external SD card from old phone.
Insert SD card in new Android phone and transfer photos/videos to new phone’s storage.
Upload photos to Google Photos on old phone. On new phone, sync same Google account to download all photos.
Use file transfer apps like ShareIt to directly send media files from old to new phone.
The cable transfer method also allows direct Android to Android photo/video transfer.

Transfer Music Files

To move your music collection to the new Android device:

Connect old phone to PC and copy song files to computer.
Connect new phone to same computer and transfer song files.
Upload songs to cloud services like Google Play Music from old device. On new device, download songs by syncing same account.
Use an app like Music Mate to transfer music over WiFi between both phones.
The direct cable transfer method can also migrate music files during initial setup.

Transfer Apps

To reinstall apps on your new Android:

Export a list of installed apps from old phone before doing a factory reset. Apps like AppMgr III can create that app list.
On new phone, go through the list and re-download apps from Google Play Store. Log in using same account for easy installs.
Back up app data from old phone to Google Drive. On new phone, restore app data from cloud storage.
The cable transfer method also allows you to move apps and associated data directly to new phone.

Transfer Files and Documents

To move your files and documents:

Copy files (documents, ebooks etc.) from old phone’s storage to a laptop or cloud storage.
On new phone, transfer files from laptop to new phone’s internal storage or SD card.
Download cloud storage app on new phone and sync files from cloud storage.
Use file transfer apps like ShareIt to send files from old phone to new over WiFi.
The direct cable transfer method will also port files and docs from old Android to new one.

Factory Reset Old Phone

Once all the required data has been transferred and backed up, the final step is to do a factory reset on the old Android phone.

This will wipe all data from the phone and make it fresh for handing over or selling off.

To factory reset, go to Old Phone Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

This will erase all data and reset the old Android to factory settings.

By following this comprehensive guide, you can seamlessly transfer all your data from an old Android phone to a new one without any hassle. Just be sure to backup important data, use suitable transfer methods for each data type, and factory reset the old phone once the transfer is completed.