How to Copy Apps & Data from an Old Android Device to a New Device

How to Copy Apps & Data from an Old Android Device to a New Device

How to Copy Apps & Data from an Old Android Device to a New Device

When you set up your new device, you can move your data from your old Android device to your new Android device.

Important:

  • If you are transferring data from an old Android device to a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, visit the Pixel Help Center.
  • Samsung devices offer several data transfer options. Learn more about Samsung Smart Switch.
  • Some of these steps work only on Android 10 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
  • You need an internet connection to copy data from one device to the other. We recommend you connect both of your devices to Wi-Fi.
  • You can use the cable or wireless option to transfer data. Both methods support the same data. If you use a cable, make sure that the cable fits into both of your devices. If it doesn’t fit, you may need to purchase an adapter.
  • You can only perform data transfer once. We recommend you do this during setup as the option may not be available afterwards.
  • If an organization, like a business or school, manages your Android phone, you may not be able to transfer all data.

Before you transfer

  • Make sure both of your phones are charged.
  • Get a SIM card tool to swap SIMs.
  • Set aside some time. Data transfer can take from a few minutes to a few hours.
  • Check storage on both your old and new devices. If you don’t have enough storage on the new device, you can choose which data to transfer.
  • Samsung devices have other ways to copy data from your old phone. Learn more about Samsung Smart Switch.

What copies during setup

  • Apps and certain app data
  • Music
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Contacts stored on your phone or SIM card
  • Text messages
  • Most phone settings (varies by phone and Android version)
  • Multimedia in text messages
  • Wallpaper
  • Call history

What won’t copy during setup

  • Downloads, like PDF files
  • Photos, videos, and music stored in hidden folders
  • Apps that aren’t from the Google Play Store
  • Data from apps that don’t use Android backup
  • Accounts other than Google Accounts and their data
  • Contacts and calendars synced to services other than Google
  • Ringtones
  • Certain phone settings (varies by phone and Android version)

Step 1: Turn on your Android device

Turn on your Android device and tap Start.

Tip: You can change your phone’s language or vision settings now if needed.

Step 2: Connect to Wi-Fi or a mobile network

  1. To connect to Wi-Fi, choose from the list of available networks when prompted.
  2. To turn on your data network, insert your SIM card or download your eSIM from your carrier.

Tip:

  • We recommend you perform both these steps. However, only one of either step is required for data transfer, as long as you have internet.
  • We recommend you connect both phones to an active internet network when you set up your new Android.

Step 3: Copy your apps & data

To copy apps and data on your new Android device, tap Copy.

With a cable (recommended)

Follow the on-screen instructions to connect both devices with a cable.

Important: If you don’t have a compatible cable, you may need to use an adapter or use the wireless method.

  1. On your old device, tap Copy.
    • For a more complete data transfer, we recommend that you sign in to your Google Account.
  2. Choose what to copy.
  3. Tap Copy.
  4. When the copy is in progress, your new device shows the message, “Copying your data…” and when it’s finished, your old device shows the message, “Copying’s done.”
    • Depending on how much data you transfer, this process could take from a few minutes to over an hour.

Tip:

  • If you have WhatsApp installed, chats and data are restored from the Cloud after you sign in to your new Android device and open the app.
  • To restore WhatsApp chats and data, you must first turn on WhatsApp backups on your old device.

With a Wi-Fi connection

If you don’t have a compatible cable or an adapter, you can still copy your apps and data with a wireless connection.

On your new device

  1. When asked to find a cable, tap No cable.
  2. When it shows “Transfer wirelessly,” tap Next.
  3. On your old device, enter your PIN.

On your old device

  1. On your old device, open the Google app .
  2. Search set up my device.
  3. Tap Next.
  4. When it shows, “Get started,” tap Next.
  5. Check that shapes and numbers match on both phones.
  6. Tap Next and then Copy.
    • We recommend that you sign in to your Google Account.
  7. Choose which apps and data you want to copy.
  8. Wait for data to finish copying and you get a message that shows it’s complete.

Tip:

  • If you have WhatsApp installed, chats and data are restored from the Cloud after you sign in to your new Android device and open the app.
  • To restore WhatsApp chats and data, you must first turn on WhatsApp backups on your old device.

Restore data from Google One

If you don’t have your old device available, you can restore from a previous backup of your old device stored in your Google Account. Learn how to back up or restore data on your Android device.

  • When asked to copy apps and data, tap Next.
  • When asked to connect a USB cable, at the bottom left, tap Cable doesn’t fit or No adapter?.
  • If you have backup from multiple devices, you may be asked to select the backup version you want.
    1. To confirm your selection, you may be asked to enter your PIN for your old device.
    2. Select the types of data you want to restore from your Cloud backup.
    3. Tap Restore.

Tip: To find backups available to restore, you need to turn on backups on your old device.

Related resources

Source

Similar Posts