How to transfer data when you change phones?

Changing phones means transferring your data. Photos, messages, apps: what do you need to do to avoid losing anything?

We never stop advising you on the best way to protect your data from malware. But let's stop thinking about external threats for a moment and refocus on everyday life.

You've just bought a new phone and you're wondering: how do I transfer my data from one device to another?

Which data do you want to transfer?

Draw up a checklist of all the essential items on your phone:

• Contacts, phone numbers
• SMS/MMS messages
• Photos, videos
• Sound recordings

Take into account all the personal items you may have created on your phone. Don't hesitate to sort through them too! Changing phones is the perfect moment for a spring clean: go through your photos, contacts and apps and delete what you no longer use.

Contacts and the SIM card

While a few years ago the SIM card was the go-to method for backing up contacts, that's a bit less true now. All smartphones invite you to create accounts – Google, Apple – that store your data in a secure online space.

It's actually better to link your contacts to your email account or cloud account rather than saving them on your phone. With Apple devices, it isn't even possible to save contacts to a SIM card.

Transferring data: how do you do it?

The procedures for transferring data from one phone to another vary depending on the smartphone's operating system. While there are many phone brands (Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi), almost all of them use the Android operating system, which belongs to Google. It's even the market leader, with over 80% of smartphones.

iPhones, meanwhile, run on iOS, the operating system specific to the Apple brand. iPhone's market share hovers between 11 and 15%. We've therefore chosen to cover the different scenarios involving these two operating systems.

Some carriers offer to transfer your data directly in store, free of charge. Has your new phone been provided by your company? Don't hesitate to ask the IT department for advice if in doubt. But in any case, you can also do it yourself. It's easy – just follow the guide.

Transferring data on the same operating system

Android to Android

Transferring data from one Android phone to another Android phone is fairly simple. We've identified three ways to do it:

1. Use NFC technology – Near Field Communication. This is the technology you use to pay contactless with your phone or validate your public transport pass. Simply enable NFC in your old phone's settings. When you turn on your new phone, select Tap & Go. Bring your two phones close together and let them transfer the data.
2. Use Google Drive. Create a backup of your old phone on Google's cloud and retrieve your data on your new smartphone by entering your login details.
3. Use the brand's app, when both your devices are the same brand:

• Smart Switch, from Samsung
• Xperia Transfer, from Sony
• Phone Clone, from Huawei
• Mi Mover, from Xiaomi
• One Plus Switch, from One Plus

Apple to Apple

No surprises here: Apple is known for its focus on usability and ease of use. Changing phone model and transferring your data is child's play too. Once again, three methods to complete the transfer:

1. Quick Start. You can use your device, running iOS 11 or later, to set up your new device. Follow the on-screen instructions and let yourself be guided!
2. Using the Cloud. First, make sure your old device has been backed up to iCloud, Apple's cloud. Enter your login details on your new device and ask it to restore this version onto your new iPhone.
3. Connecting to a computer. You can transfer your data using a backup of your old device made in iTunes. You don't need an Apple computer to do this transfer. You just need the iTunes software, which you can also download on Windows.

Changing phones? Transferring data to a different system

Android to Apple

Leaving the Android robot to bite into the Apple? We recommend using the Move to iOS app to transfer your data.

Note: while the app successfully transfers your images, messages and content, it's possible that some apps can't be transferred.

Apple to Android

To migrate from Apple to Android, nothing could be simpler: use Google Drive. It's all done in three steps:

1. Download Google Drive on your iPhone. Create and/or sign in to your Google account. If you already have the app, be sure to update it before starting to transfer your data.
2. Back up your data to Drive. In the Drive menu, choose "Settings > Backup". Choose the content, or select everything, and click "Start backup". This may take some time: stay connected to Wi-Fi and check your battery level!
3. Retrieve your data. On your new Android device, sign in to Google Drive with the same login details you used on the iPhone.

Don't hesitate to also check out this very detailed article on migrating data from Apple to Android.

Transferring apps when you change phones

On paper, nothing could be simpler. As you'll read further in this article, transferring data from one device to another is fairly easy. However, some apps can't be transferred from one device to another, especially if you're switching between the Apple system and the Android system.

As we mention in the article "Should you install antivirus software on your smartphone?", Apple is a special case in the market. All programs must be coded specifically for this operating system.

While all the major players, such as your bank, your supermarket or your favourite shopping site, have the means to offer apps on every platform, others can't or don't want to be present on the App Store.

For everything related to emails, social networks, banking apps, insurance, shopping or dating, you just need a username and a secure password to retrieve them. While some connections happen automatically, other apps will ask you to enter your login details again on your new device.

So should you stick with the same operating system for life?

Well, everyone has their own tastes... For the sake of convenience and loyalty, you can stick with Android or Apple. But if you're fed up with paying too much, or disappointed with an operating system, switching to another one isn't a problem.

Brands have no interest in you losing your data when transferring from one phone to another. Everything is designed to make you feel as supported as possible... without losing any data!

As you've seen, many data transfer solutions go through the Cloud. But do you know exactly what that is? Don't hesitate to discover our article on Cloud storage.

Article written in collaboration with We are the Words.