How To Move App Data From One Android To Another

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Mobile phones are an important part of daily life for many of us. They often contain images of the kids' milestones, essential contact numbers, the app we do our weekly shop on, and much more.

So, when you upgrade your handset, you're likely to want to move all of this digital data and content over with you.

Here we explain how to transfer the things that are important to you over to a new phone, whether you're switching from iPhone to iPhone, iPhone to Android, Android to iPhone or Android to Android.

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First things first…

Before you start moving anything, it's wise to back-up everything that's on your phone in case anything goes wrong.

On an Android device, you can back-up content, data and settings using your Google account. Find out how to do this here.

On an iPhone, you can back-up the content on your phone to the iCloud or to a computer. Find out how to do this here.

Prepare for the switch

In order to transfer content and data from one phone to another as easily as possible, make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi signal and your devices are connected to a power source.

You should also check that you have enough space on your new device to fit all of the content you wish to transfer over.

How to transfer from iPhone to iPhone

Apple offers a Quick Start facility which allows you to set up your new phone using your current device. If your current phone is using iOS 12.4 or later, this will give you the option of using device-to-device migration.

To use Quick Start:
Turn your new phone on and put it close to your current phone. A Quick Start screen should appear on your current phone giving you the option to set up your new iPhone using your Apple ID. If this doesn't happen, check your Bluetooth is turned on tap continue and you'll see an image on your new phone.

Hold your current phone over this using your viewfinder and centre it if this works, you should see a message "Finish on New iPhone". If this doesn't work, you should get the option to Authenticate Manually enter your current password on your new phone when prompted and follow the set-up steps when you reach the Transfer Your Data screen, tap "Transfer from iPhone" keep the devices close to each other until the migration is complete.

You should see a "time to transfer time" which will vary depending on how much you're transferring and your network connections.

Find out more about Quick Start on Apple's site.

You can also transfer data using iCloud, iTunes or Finder. Find out more here.

How to transfer from an iPhone to Android

To transfer the contents of your existing iPhone to an Android phone, you'll need to:

Download Google Drive to your existing iPhone.
Sign in to your Google account if you have one or create one
Use Google Drive to back-up your content by going to Menu then Settings then Backup. You can choose certain things to back-up or back everything up.
When this is complete (again the time this takes will depend on how much you're backing up and your Wi-Fi connection), sign in to your Google account on your new Android device. Your content, from photos and events to contacts should be there.
Before you remove the SIM card from your iPhone, switch off iMessage, otherwise messages could continue going to your old phone.

Find out more here.

Your apps won't automatically move over, so you'll have to redownload them from the Google Play store.

How to transfer from an Android to an iPhone

If you're swapping your Android phone for an iPhone, here's how to transfer the content from your existing phone over:

download the Move to iOS app on to your Android phone
while setting up your new iOS phone, click "Move Data from Android" when you get to the Apps & Data screen
open your Move to iOS app on your Android phone, tap continue, and read and agree to the terms and conditions (if you are happy to)
tap "next" when you reach the Find Your Code screen on your Android device
tap "continue" on your iOS device when you see the Move from Android screen and wait for your code to appear – this should be six or 10 digits long
enter this code into your Android phone then wait for a Transfer Data screen to appear
select the content you want to transfer from your Android phone and press "next"
leave the content to load – wait until your iOS phone's loading bar is complete then tap done on your Android phone
you can now finish the set-up on your new phone.

You may have to download your apps again from the App store and music will have to be moved over manually. Find out more here.

How to transfer from Android to Android

If you're upgrading your Android phone and want to move content over from your existing Android phone (Android 10 and up), follow these steps:

sign in to your Google account on your existing phone – or create one if you don't already have one
back up your data if you haven't already
turn on your new phone and tap start
when you get the option, select "copy apps and data from your old phone"
you can either do this with a cable to connect the phone or by selecting "A backup from an Android phone"
follow the remaining instructions you're given to copy your data over.

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Cathy Toogood is Forbes Advisor UK's travel expert. With more than 15 years' experience across national newspapers and online, Cathy covers everything from the best destinations, right through to the personal finance aspects of getting the right insurance and avoiding rip-offs.