Keep your dataFor sellers4 min read

How to back up photos, contacts and files

Save your photos, contacts, messages and files with Google, iCloud or a laptop before you sell, and move authenticator and UPI apps so you aren't locked out.

In short

Turn on Google Photos or iCloud Photos backup and wait until it says it has finished.
Make sure your contacts are saved in your Google account or iCloud, not just on the phone or SIM.
Move authenticator codes before you reset, and be ready to set up UPI and banking apps again.

01Photos and videos

On Android, with Google Photos

01
Turn on backup
Open Google Photos, tap your profile picture at the top right, then Photos settings > Backup, and switch backup on.
02
Wait for it to finish
Tap your profile picture again. When it says Backup complete, everything has been uploaded.

On iPhone, with iCloud Photos

01
Turn on iCloud Photos
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and turn on Sync this iPhone.
02
Check it's done
In the Photos app, tap your profile picture at the top to see whether syncing has finished.

Brand clouds such as Samsung Cloud or Xiaomi Cloud are handy if your next phone is the same brand, but they usually can't restore onto a different one. Google or iCloud is the safer choice.

02Contacts

Contacts saved in your Google account or iCloud come back as soon as you sign in on the new phone. Contacts saved only on the phone or the SIM don't.

01
Check what's saved
On a computer, open contacts.google.com for Android or iCloud.com for iPhone, and see whether all your contacts are there.
02
On Android, move the rest
In the Google Contacts app, open Fix & manage and use Import from SIM for contacts on the SIM. For contacts stored only on the phone, your contacts app usually has an option to move or export them. Move them to your Google account, or save them to a file you keep.
03
On iPhone, check iCloud Contacts
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure Contacts is switched on. On newer versions you may need to tap See All first.

03Messages, call history and files

On Android, Google's backup covers your SMS and MMS messages, call history, contacts, device settings and apps. Go to Settings > Google > All services > Backup and tap Back up now. The menu can differ by phone, and Google says a backup can take up to 24 hours.

On iPhone, an iCloud backup keeps your messages, settings and app data: Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now.

Copy files to a laptop with a cable

01
Android to a Windows laptop
Connect the phone with a USB cable, tap the Charging this device via USB notification, and choose File transfer. Copy the DCIM folder, where camera photos are kept, plus Pictures, Download and Documents.
02
iPhone to a Windows laptop
Install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, connect the iPhone, and tap Trust on the phone. Then import your photos with the Windows Photos app.
03
iPhone to a Mac
Connect the iPhone, open the Photos app on the Mac, and choose what to import.

04Apps that need extra care

Authenticator apps. Their codes don't come back from a normal backup. In Google Authenticator, sign in with your Google account so the codes sync, or use Transfer codes > Export codes to show a QR code for the new phone to scan. Other authenticator apps have their own transfer or backup option.
Sign-in codes. If your Google account or Apple Account sends sign-in codes to this phone, make sure your new phone or number can receive them before you reset.
UPI apps. Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and BHIM are tied to your phone and SIM. On the new phone they verify your bank-registered mobile number by SMS, so that SIM needs to be in it. Log out of them on the old phone.
Banking apps. Most make you register a new phone again. If the app lets you remove the old phone, do that before you reset.

05Final check before you sell

Google Photos says Backup complete, or iCloud Photos has finished syncing.
Your contacts show up at contacts.google.com or in iCloud.
WhatsApp's last backup is from today.
Your authenticator codes work on the new phone.
Anything else you need is copied to a laptop.

Then remove your accounts and reset the phone. Recashy's free pre-sale checklist keeps these steps in order, and when you sell through a Recashy partner shop, the phone is checked in front of you and the price is agreed after the check.