Switching phonesFor everyone5 min read

Move everything to your new phone

How to move contacts, photos, apps and WhatsApp chats between Android phones and iPhones, which apps need setting up again, and when to reset the old phone.

In short

Use the right tool: Quick Start between iPhones, Move to iOS for Android to iPhone, and the setup copy option on Android.
WhatsApp, UPI, banking and authenticator apps need extra steps, so do them while the old phone still works.
Leave the old phone as it is until you have checked that everything arrived, then reset it.

01Before you start

Charge both phones, and keep them plugged in during the transfer if you can.
Connect both to the same Wi-Fi network.
Have your Google account or Apple Account password ready.
Keep your SIM with you. Many apps send a code to your number when you set them up on the new phone.
Leave yourself time. Large photo and video libraries take a while.

02Pick the right tool

From	To	Use
iPhone	iPhone	Quick Start during setup, or an iCloud backup
Android	iPhone	Apple's Move to iOS app, during the iPhone's setup
Android	Android	The copy option during setup, a Google backup, or the brand's own app
iPhone	Samsung Galaxy	Samsung Smart Switch
iPhone	Other Android phones	The copy option during setup, by cable, or Google's Android Switch app on the iPhone

Brand apps on Android

Samsung: Smart Switch
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO: Mi Mover
OPPO, OnePlus and realme: Clone Phone
vivo: EasyShare

03Step by step

iPhone to iPhone

01
Put the phones side by side
Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to your old one, with Bluetooth on. The old iPhone offers to set up the new one with your Apple Account.
02
Scan and confirm
Hold the old iPhone over the pattern on the new one, then enter your old iPhone's passcode on the new one when asked.
03
Choose how to transfer
Transfer directly from the old iPhone, or download from your latest iCloud backup. A direct transfer has to finish before you can use either phone.

Android to iPhone

01
Install Move to iOS
On the Android phone, install Apple's Move to iOS app from the Play Store.
02
Start on the new iPhone
During setup, choose to move data from Android. This only works during setup, so an iPhone that is already set up has to be erased first.
03
Enter the code
The iPhone shows a code. Enter it in Move to iOS, pick what to move, including WhatsApp, and keep both phones plugged in and close together until the iPhone finishes.

Newer versions of iOS and Android are adding a built-in transfer that skips the app. If the setup screen on your new phone offers to copy from an iPhone directly, use it.

Android to Android

01
Use the copy option in setup
When you set up the new phone, it offers to copy apps and data from your old phone, by cable or wirelessly. On Samsung phones this is Smart Switch.
02
Or restore a Google backup
Turn on backup on the old phone first. On most phones it is under Settings > Google, then All services > Backup, though menu names vary. Sign in with the same Google account on the new phone to restore it.

iPhone to Android

01
Turn off iMessage
Do this on the iPhone first, or messages from other iPhone users may not reach your new phone.
02
Copy during setup
Use Smart Switch on a Samsung phone. On other Android phones, connect the iPhone with a cable during setup, or use Google's Android Switch app on the iPhone.
03
Bring iCloud photos separately
Photos stored only in iCloud do not come across this way, so download them to the iPhone before you start.

04WhatsApp chats

Your WhatsApp account moves with your phone number, but your chat history only comes along if you transfer it. Use the same number on the new phone.

Same type of phone: in WhatsApp's settings on the old phone, open Chats and choose the transfer option, then scan the QR code on the new phone. Or restore from a Google or iCloud backup.
Android to iPhone: chats come across with Move to iOS during the iPhone's setup, before you open WhatsApp on it.
iPhone to Android: chats usually come across during the new phone's setup, by cable, or with Smart Switch on a Samsung phone. Do it before you set up WhatsApp on the new phone.

05Apps you will set up again

Apps that guard money and logins do not move with a backup, on purpose.

UPI apps: register again on the new phone. The app checks your number by SMS from your SIM, so the SIM has to be in the new phone. Keep your debit card handy in case it asks you to set your UPI PIN again.
Banking apps: log in again and register the new device. Expect a code on your registered number.
Authenticator apps: use the app's own transfer or backup option while the old phone still works, or you can lose access to the accounts they protect.
eSIM: ask your operator to move it to the new phone.

06Check, then reset the old phone

Open photos, contacts, messages and WhatsApp on the new phone and spot-check them.
Make sure UPI, banking and authenticator apps work on the new phone.
Remove the old phone from your UPI and banking apps.
Sign out of your accounts on the old phone, then factory reset it.

Selling the old phone at a Recashy partner shop? Keep your SIM in the new phone, because the shop sends a one-time code to your number to verify it. If you buy the new phone at the same shop, the old one's price can be adjusted against it.