Switching your phone can be a daunting task. You spent time poring over new phone options, and you may have set up an entirely new phone plan to go along with it. There is suddenly more when you think you have it all figured out. Stick with us, and we’ll make the process of switching to your new phone as easy as using it for the first time, whether it’s a new iPhone or the latest Android device from Samsung or Google.
Before making the switch, there are a few important things you need to do to ensure that you don’t lose any data or settings that are important to you. While it’s understandable to get excited about your new device, it’s crucial to make sure you do it right.
To get started, you’ll need to save and back up everything that you may need, including your settings, preferences, media, and anything essential for using your new device. This guide will show you how to transfer seamlessly from your old device to your new one, regardless of whether you are using Android or iPhone, or switching from one platform to the other.
Things To Do Before Switching Phones
The guide will provide you with answers to most of your queries regarding switching devices, including what might happen if you replace the SIM card in iPhones, and what data you may lose permanently if you do not perform a proper backup before transitioning to a new device.
Back It Up
To set up your new phone, you need to follow several steps. However, to ensure that you do not lose any important data such as text messages or photos, you need to take additional measures. This includes not only transferring your contact list but also preserving all the other data that you do not want to lose when you switch phones. Though it can be challenging, we will try to make it as easy as possible for you.
What are the things that people usually back up?
- Photos and Videos
It is recommended that you upload all the photos and videos you have on your old device to a cloud storage or transfer them to an external storage like a microSD card. The same applies for any other media files you have on your device, such as music or movies. Nowadays, many new devices don’t support an additional external microSD, so most people choose to back up their data using cloud storage. There are several free and paid cloud storage services available.
- Contacts
Secure all your contacts, mainly if you use your phone for your profession or business.
It’s important to keep all of your communication channels open with your family, friends, colleagues, and other important individuals. Contacts don’t just include phone numbers, but also email addresses, social media handles, banking information, and any other important details
If you are asking what to do before changing your SIM card, this is also applicable.
- Other Settings
By “other settings,” this means all other essential things you have on your device.
There are various reasons why settings may differ between phones, such as browser or game settings, personal preferences for apps, and more. If you switch phones and perform a backup, you will lose these settings.
Perform cloud backup
Backing up data is crucial to ensure that important files and information are not lost. One of the most common methods of backing up data is using cloud storage. For Android users, an easy way to back up data is to use Google Drive. Simply open the Settings app, select “Back up & restore,” add your Google account, and turn on the Google backup feature. Your files will then be synchronized to your Google Cloud space. Similarly, for iOS users, iCloud is the ideal choice for backing up data. Go to Settings, tap your name, and turn on the “iCloud Backup” icon to start backing up your data.
Back up data to the computer
Another way is to back up files to the computer. You can try the Coolmuster Android backup tool to back up Android data. It supports multiple data types, such as contacts, apps, text messages, videos, photos, etc. Besides backup, it can quickly restore the backup files to the phone.
To back up data on your old Android phone, you can follow these simple steps. First, you need to install software on your computer. Once installed, connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable. Now, tap on the “Backup” option, select the types of files you want to back up, and click on the “Back Up” icon to start the process. Once the backup is complete, you can check it on your computer.
For iPhone users, you can use iTunes to back up your files to the computer. Firstly, launch iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone to it via a data cable. Next, click on the “iPhone” icon and select “This Computer” from the options available. Finally, hit the “Back Up Now” icon to start the backup process. Once completed, the software will save your data on your computer.
For a New iPhone
It’s always easier to transfer your essential data to your new iOS device with iCloud backup. Just make sure that your automatic backup is turned on and that you don’t perform a factory reset on your old phone until you’re ready. Before you transfer your data to your new smartphone, manually select the option to backup. If you want to be extra safe or don’t have enough space in your iCloud storage, you can always plug your phone into your computer. For MacOS users, there’s a backup option in the Finder, or you can use iTunes to back up your iPhone on PC. One of the best things about the Apple operating system is how simple it is to move your data from your old phone to your new one.
For a New Android Phone
While not as frictionless, Android has a diverse platform with advantages. You can back up more extensively since it is an open platform. Google can even be used to back up most Android phones, making the process more accessible than ever.
Google Photos can transfer videos and pictures, Google Drive can be used for other essential files, and Google One helps with all your phone settings, calls, texts, and more.
There are other options available if you don’t have a Google account, such as Microsoft OneDrive or Amazon Photo storage. You can explore other apps if you wish to. It’s recommended to backup your files to your PC or Mac as a backup for your online backup. You can choose the files you want to save by plugging in your phone. Before resetting your old phone to factory settings, make sure you have backed up the following:
- Phone settings and preferences
- Apps and saved app data
- SMS and call data
- Photos, videos, and music
- Files
- Calendar, contacts, and email
Sync Your Security
Have you ever forgotten your password while trying to log in to a website? Even if you’ve saved your passwords in your favorite browser, it’s still a common occurrence. Now, imagine switching phones and having to reset all your passwords because every website you visit has forgotten your login credentials. It can be a daunting task to reset all your passwords at once. Therefore, let’s explore some ways to ensure that you can access all your favorite websites and apps without any hassle when you switch phones.
- Secure your Passwords
It can be difficult to remember all of your passwords, especially if you have many of them. It’s not recommended to use the same password for all of your online accounts. That’s why many people save their passwords on their devices. Web browsers and some apps can do this for you by default. However, some people prefer to use third-party password management applications to store their login credentials.
- Secure your Two-factor Authentication
If you are someone who values online security, you probably have enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) for most of your accounts. However, before switching to a new device, it is important to take care of this. Failing to do so can be problematic, as you may need to remember to switch your 2FA credentials, such as your phone number and authenticator app, to the new device. If you forget to do this, you could end up being locked out of your accounts and it may be difficult to regain access. As your 2FA may be linked to your phone number, it is also important to ensure that it is correctly set up for the transition when changing your SIM card.
- Use a password manager to save all of your information reliably.
- Browsing info and website cookies can be saved when transferring phones, but it might not be done reliably, which means you will lose your automatic login preferences. A password manager can help get around this.
- Also, consider that you may be switching internet browsers, in which case you will only have your passwords automatically saved with a 3rd party password manager app instead of an in-browser manager.
- If you are switching phone numbers, double-check all of your two-factor authentications.
- You will want a backup way to authenticate your identity until you can switch it to your new phone number.
- Hang onto your old phone number to avoid this. Read on for details on what you need to keep your number.
Be Prepared To Switch
There are a few steps that you can take to prepare yourself for switching phones. Some of these steps might seem insignificant, but they can go a long way in ensuring a seamless transfer and avoiding any potential problems. We have already discussed some of these steps, but there are other little things that you might want to consider as well.
Before you start setting up your new phone, make sure to follow these steps:
- Charge your phones fully. The transfer process can take some time, and you do not want your old device to die in the middle of moving files or your new device to run out of charge before it can finish the setup.
- Connect your phone to Wi-Fi. If you are transferring data using a cloud service, you will be moving large quantities of data, and you likely want to avoid using up all of your data plans before you even have your phone up and running.
- Avoid setting up your phone before you have completed steps one and two. Make sure you have all of your data ready to be transferred for the easiest switchover. If you have already bypassed the setup process, reset your iPhone to follow the most common transfer steps during setup.
- Have any essential logins and passwords ready. Try to log in beforehand so you know if you need to reset them or not. We’re talking about your Google account, iCloud account, or any other account you might use to store your data.
- Use a SIM card. If you want to avoid losing your phone number and are switching carriers, remember to use the SIM card that should have been sent to you. If your carrier still needs to send you all three sizes of SIM cards, then verify which size you will need ahead of time so that you do not have to wait for an extra delivery.
- Trade-in your old phone, but wait. You can trade in your old phone and get a rebate for your device with Decluttr. However, don’t trade in your phone until you are sure you have all that you need to be transferred to your new phone.
Install SIM Card and SD Card
Once you have your new phone in hand, it’s natural to be excited to switch it on and start using it right away. However, before you do so, it’s important to ensure that you have transferred your SIM card and SD card from your old phone to the new one. To do this, first, turn off your old mobile phone. Then, locate the SIM tray and remove the SIM and SD cards from it. Once you have these cards in hand, carefully insert them into the corresponding slots on your new smartphone. By doing this, you can ensure that all your contacts, data, and media files are available on the new device.
Set Up Your New Phone
After inserting your cards, you can set up your new phone. First, press and hold the Power button on the new device until the logo appears. First, select a language and connect to a secure Wi-Fi network. Your cellphone will automatically check for software updates.
Next, add your Google or iCloud account and set up your Face ID, PIN, password, or fingerprint. Once that’s done, you can sign in to your existing account or create a new one on this phone, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
Different phones may have their own specific setup process, but the steps mentioned above should be a helpful guideline to follow. Don’t worry, the on-screen guide will make it easy!
Transfer Data to Your New Phone
It’s time to transfer your data from your old phone to your new phone. You can back up your data on cloud services and restore it during setup. You can also transfer backup files from your computer to your new phone using a USB cable and software.
Additionally, you can use Samsung Smart Switch, Huawei Phone Clone, Move to iOS, OnePlus Switch, and other apps to transfer data from your old phone. Simply download the app on your old phone and connect it to your new phone to start sending data over.
Remove Information from Your Old Phone
You can begin erasing your old handset when the data migrates to the new phone. To reset an Android device, open the Settings app and tap on “General management”, then select “Reset” and click on “Factory data reset”. After confirming, the wiping procedure will be activated.
For iPhones, go to the Settings app and click on “General”, then select “Reset” and click on “Erase All Content and Settings”. You will be asked to enter your passcode for confirmation. Once the process is complete, all data on your iPhone will be removed.