Getting a New Phone? How to Move Your Data Without Losing Anything

Fall and the holiday season are when a lot of people upgrade their phones. Unboxing a new device is fun. Discovering a week later that your text history, two-factor codes or a year of photos didn't come along is not.

The good news is that iPhones and Android phones have solid built-in tools for moving data. The key is preparing before you start and checking your work before you wipe the old phone. Here's a practical walkthrough from We Fix Phones N More.

Before You Start: Prepare the Old Phone

Make a fresh backup

On an iPhone, check that an iCloud backup completed recently, or back up to a computer. On Android, look for Google backup in Settings and confirm it ran recently. Samsung owners can also use Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch to a computer. A fresh backup is your safety net if the direct transfer hiccups.

Know your passwords

Make sure you know your Apple ID or Google account password, plus your email password. You'll need them on the new phone, and recovering a forgotten account in the middle of setup is a hassle.

Charge both phones

Transfers can take a while, especially with lots of photos and videos. Keep both phones plugged in or well charged, and use a strong Wi-Fi connection.

The Built-In Transfer Tools

iPhone to iPhone

Apple's Quick Start appears when you turn on a new iPhone near your old one. It can move your settings, apps and data directly from phone to phone, or you can restore from an iCloud backup during setup.

Android to Android

During setup, most Android phones offer to copy apps and data from your old phone using a cable or wirelessly. Samsung phones use Smart Switch for this, which works from many other Android brands too.

Switching between iPhone and Android

Moving to an iPhone? Apple's Move to iOS app on your Android phone transfers contacts, messages, photos and more during setup. Going the other way, Google offers tools to move data from an iPhone to an Android phone, and Samsung's Smart Switch can also import from an iPhone. Not everything transfers across platforms, so expect to redownload apps and set some things up again.

The Things People Most Often Forget

• Two-factor authentication apps. Codes in authenticator apps don't always move automatically. Check each app's transfer or export option, or update your sign-in settings on important accounts, before you wipe the old phone.
• Chat apps. WhatsApp and some other messaging apps have their own backup or transfer steps. Follow them so your chat history comes along.
• Banking and payment apps. Many require you to sign in again or re-verify on a new device. Cards in Apple Pay or Google Wallet usually need to be added again too.
• Photos that only live on the phone. If you don't use iCloud Photos or Google Photos, make sure those pictures are included in the transfer or copied to a computer.
• Your SIM or eSIM. If your carrier uses eSIM, you may need to transfer it during setup or through your carrier. Have your account info handy.
• Voicemails, notes and saved files in individual apps. Open the apps you rely on and check that their content made it.

Keep the Old Phone Until You've Checked Everything

Give yourself a few days. Make calls, send texts, open your banking and work apps, and scroll back through your photos. Once you're confident everything is on the new phone, you can wipe the old one. Our guide to wiping your phone before you sell it covers how to do that properly, including signing out of your accounts so the next owner isn't locked out.

What to do with the old phone

A working older phone can still be useful as a backup device, a kid's first phone, or something to sell or trade. We Fix Phones N More buys and sells phones, so stop in if you'd like to see what yours might be worth.

When the Old Phone Is Broken

A cracked screen, a phone that won't charge, or one that won't turn on can make a normal transfer impossible. In many cases a repair to the screen, charging port or battery gets the old phone working long enough to move your data. If the phone is badly damaged, ask about data recovery before you give up on those photos and contacts.

Need a Hand With Your Upgrade?

If your transfer stalled, your old phone needs phone repair first, or you just want a second set of eyes before you wipe it, visit We Fix Phones N More at 801 County Line Rd in Horsham. Call 215-323-4750 or request a quote online. We're glad to help customers from Bucks and Montgomery counties start fresh with their new phones.