How do I move my data to a new phone?

Same-platform transfers are close to automatic now. The things that go wrong are the ones the transfer tool does not handle: authenticator codes, message history, and anything tied to the device rather than the account.

Step by step

1. Back up the old phone first.Before anything else. It is the fallback if the transfer goes wrong and it costs nothing but time.
2. Update both phones.Transfer tools work best on matching, current versions. A mismatch is a common cause of a failed transfer.
3. Move your authenticator app deliberately.This is the single biggest trap. Most authenticator apps do not transfer automatically. Export or re-register your codes before wiping the old phone, or you will be locked out of your accounts.
4. Back up messaging apps separately.Message history often lives in the app's own backup rather than the phone's. Run it manually before switching, or the conversations do not come across.
5. Use the built-in transfer tool.Both platforms have one, usually offered during setup. Keep both phones plugged in and close together — it can take an hour or more.
6. Move the SIM or arrange the eSIM.Physical SIM is a swap. An eSIM needs transferring through the network provider or a QR code, sometimes requiring the old phone to still work.
7. Check everything before wiping the old phone.Photographs, messages, authenticator codes, banking apps, offline files. Keep the old phone intact for a couple of weeks.
8. Then sign out and factory reset the old phone.Sign out of your accounts first, then reset. Leaving an account signed in on a phone you sell or give away is a real problem.

Tips

• Do not rush to wipe the old phone. Keep it for two weeks — something always turns out to be missing.
• Cross-platform moves are much less complete. Purchased apps and some message history do not transfer at all.
• Photograph or note which apps you had. The transfer usually reinstalls them, but the ones it misses are hard to remember later.

Common mistakes

• Wiping the old phone before checking two-factor apps — Authenticator codes are often device-bound. Losing them locks you out of accounts and recovery takes days.
• Assuming messaging history transfers automatically — Most messaging apps keep their own backup separate from the phone's. Run it manually before switching.

Questions people ask