To transfer data to a new Android phone, start the new phone, choose Copy data during setup, and connect your old phone with a USB-C cable or over Wi-Fi to move your apps, photos, messages, and settings.
Setting up a new Android phone no longer means reinstalling everything by hand. Google’s built-in transfer tool, backed by your Google account, moves the bulk of your digital life in one guided step, and Samsung adds its own Smart Switch for Galaxy owners. This guide walks through the main path and the important extras, like chat apps that need their own backup.
Before you begin
A little preparation makes the transfer smoother:
- Charge both phones or keep them plugged in during the transfer.
- Connect to Wi-Fi and know your Google account password.
- On the old phone, make sure it is backed up (Settings → Google → Backup) and that Google Photos backup is on if you use it.
- Have a USB-C to USB-C cable ready if possible; the one in the new phone’s box often works.
Backing up first means that even if something goes wrong, your data is safe in the cloud, the same principle behind our advice on backing up before a big change on any smartphone.
The main method: Copy data during setup
When you power on a new Pixel or most other Android phones for the first time, the setup wizard offers to bring your data across.
- Turn on the new phone and follow the prompts until you reach Copy apps & data.
- Tap Next and choose to copy from an Android phone.
- Connect the two phones with a USB-C cable, or select the wireless option if you have no cable.
- On the old phone, open the prompt (or the Google app) and confirm the connection.
- Choose what to copy: apps, photos and videos, messages, contacts, call history, and settings.
- Wait for the transfer to finish, then continue setup on the new phone.
Apps download in the background from the Play Store while you finish setting up, so the phone is usable quickly even if large apps are still installing.
Cable versus wireless: which should you pick?
| Method | Speed | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C cable | Fastest, most reliable | Large photo/video libraries | Less likely to be interrupted |
| Wi-Fi / wireless | Slower for big data | When no cable is available | Keep phones close and awake |
| Google account only | Depends on connection | Old phone lost or broken | Restores backup, not everything |
If you have the old phone in hand, use a cable. If the old phone is lost, damaged, or already traded in, you can still restore from your Google account backup by signing in during setup, though items like SMS and exact home-screen layouts may be less complete.
Samsung Galaxy: Smart Switch
Galaxy phones can use the standard Google tool, but Samsung’s Smart Switch offers extra coverage for Samsung-specific data such as certain settings, home screen layouts, and secure folder content. During Galaxy setup, choose Bring data from old device, or open the Smart Switch app later from Settings. Smart Switch supports cable, Wi-Fi, and even transfers from an iPhone, making it the go-to for anyone moving between the two ecosystems. Switching platforms is a two-way street; if you are ever heading the other direction, our guide to transferring data to a new iPhone covers that path.
Apps that need a separate backup
The standard transfer covers most things, but a few apps manage their own data and need attention:
- WhatsApp: Back up chats to Google Drive first (Settings → Chats → Chat backup), then restore on the new phone after verifying your number.
- Authenticator apps: Some two-factor authenticator apps require you to export or re-add accounts manually, so do this before wiping the old phone. Understanding two-factor authentication helps you avoid being locked out.
- Banking and payment apps: These often require you to log in again and re-verify on the new device for security.
After the transfer
Once the copy completes, sign in to your accounts, check that photos and messages arrived, and confirm your most important apps work. Reconnecting to networks is part of settling in, and you may want to review our tip on sharing your Wi-Fi password to get other household devices back online quickly. Keep your old phone until you are certain everything transferred; only then should you sign out of your Google account on it and factory reset it before selling or recycling.
How long does the transfer take?
Transfer time depends mostly on how much data you have and the connection you use. A modest setup of a few gigabytes over a cable can finish in ten to twenty minutes, while a large photo and video library moving wirelessly can take an hour or more. Apps continue downloading from the Play Store in the background afterward, so the on-screen progress bar finishing does not always mean every app is fully installed. To avoid interruptions, keep both phones plugged in, leave them unlocked and close together, and do not start heavy downloads on the same Wi-Fi network during the transfer. If the process stalls, you can usually resume or re-run it rather than starting from scratch, and anything already backed up to your Google account remains safe in the meantime.
Quick recap
The new-phone setup wizard’s Copy data step does the heavy lifting: pick it, connect your old phone by cable or Wi-Fi, and choose what to move. Samsung owners get bonus coverage through Smart Switch, a Google account backup fills the gap when the old phone is gone, and chat apps like WhatsApp plus authenticator apps need their own backup steps. Back up first, verify everything arrived, and reset the old phone only once you are sure.
