How to transfer data from one phone to another

25/10/2017

Chris Smith

How to transfer data from one phone to another

With a ton of great cell phones on the market, you might be thinking of upgrading… although it isn’t as easy as buying a new phone and going about your day!

One of the biggest problems people face is transferring their data across phones. Although phone manufacturers have made it much easier over the past few years, it’s not always immediately obvious how to get your photos, music and contacts from one phone to another.

So, we’ve compiled instructions on how to transfer data to new phone models, whether you’re going from iPhone to iPhone, iPhone to Android or vice versa!

How to Transfer Data from iPhone to iPhone

Transferring your data from one iPhone to another is super easy and there are a couple of ways to do it.

Before you start, you’ll need to make a backup of your existing data; you can find everything you need to do that in this post!

Transfer data using iCloud

This is probably the easiest way to transfer data from one device to another!

Create an iCloud backup on your old phone (Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Backup > Back Up Now).
On your new iPhone, select ‘Restore from iCloud backup’ from the set up menu.
Sign into your iCloud account.
Choose the most recent backup from the list and re-enter your password.

Transfer data using iTunes

If you prefer cables and computers to the cloud, you can also transfer data using iTunes.

Plug your current iPhone into your computer and launch iTunes.
Click on the iPhone icon and select ‘Back Up Now’
Click ‘Encrypt Backup’ and enter a password.
Connect your new iPhone to the computer (remember to swap the SIM card!)
Select ‘Restore from iTunes backup’ on the start up menu.
On iTunes, click ‘Restore from this backup’ and allow your photos, music and data to download.

iOS 11 Quick Start

If you’re on iOS 11, you can use Quick Start to transfer data too.

Turn on your new iPhone and place it near your current device.
The ‘Set Up New iPhone’ window should appear on your current device. Check your Apple ID is correct then tap continue.
Hold your current device over the new device. An animation will appear; center it in the viewfinder and you should get a message that says ‘Finish on New [Device]’.
Enter your passcode. Then, set up Touch ID and Apple ID on your new device to transfer your data.

How to Transfer Data from Android to Android

Transferring data from Android to Android is ridiculously simple as most of it is synced with your Google account. In most cases, your data will sync automatically if you sign into your Google account on your new device.

Can You Transfer Data From Android to iPhone?

Yes, it’s definitely possible to transfer data from Android to iPhone and vice versa!

Making the big leap from iPhone to Android is a little more difficult but Google have made it much easier.

However, you won’t be able to transfer apps. The good news is that most of your iPhone apps should appear in the Play Store too, although you’ll have to pay for any apps you bought in the past again.

The easy option

Note: this process will use a lot of data and power, so connect your phone to a charger and make sure you have a Wi-Fi connection before starting.

Download Google Drive on iTunes.
Open the app and sign into your Google account.
Tap Menu then go to Settings and tap Backup.
Select everything you want to back up then tap ‘Start Backup’.
Turn your new phone on and sign into your Google account.

Transferring your contacts

Here’s how to transfer your contacts using your Google account:

Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account.
Sign into your Google account and sync your Contacts.
Sign into Google Contacts and check the sync has worked.
Sign into your Google account and your accounts will be imported.

You can also transfer contacts using iCloud:

Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Accounts.
Tap ‘iCloud’ and then switch the ‘Contacts’ toggle to ‘on’. This will merge contacts with iCloud.
Sign into iCloud.com and click ‘Contacts’. Click the ‘gear’ icon, click ‘Select All’ then click ‘Export vCard’.
Sign into Gmail, click on ‘Mail’ then select ‘Contacts’.
Click ‘More’, select ‘Import’ then select ‘Choose File’ and import the vCard file.
Sign into your Google account on your new device to import your contacts.

How to Transfer Data from Android to iPhone

Like Google, Apple has made it much easier to transfer data from Android to an iPhone. You can still can’t transfer apps though…

Anyway, here’s how to transfer data using Apple’s ‘Move to iOS’ app. Remember to connect both of your phones to a charger and a good Wi-Fi connection.

Download ‘Move to iOS’ on Google Play.
Launch ‘Move to iOS’ and tap ‘Next’ on the Find Your Code screen.
On your new iPhone, select ‘Move Data from Android’ from the set up screen.
Wait for a code to appear on your iPhone, then enter it on ‘Move to iOS’. An option to transfer your data will appear shortly after.
Select the content you want to transfer then tap ‘Next’.
Wait for the data to transfer then finish setting up your iPhone.

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