How to transfer Samsung to Samsung with Smart Switch

Moving from one Galaxy to another is easier than any other phone switch, because Smart Switch is built into both and copies far more than a Google backup. Done right, your new phone looks and feels like the old one within the hour: same home screen, same apps, same messages and photos. Here is how to do it, what to check before you start, and how to finish the job afterwards.

What Smart Switch moves

• Contacts, call logs and text messages.
• Photos, videos, music and documents stored on the phone.
• Apps, plus data for many apps, and your home screen layout and wallpaper.
• Phone settings such as Wi-Fi networks, alarms, ringtones and many Samsung app settings.
• Samsung Notes, Calendar and Reminder items stored on the phone.

Between two Galaxy phones, more settings carry over than when moving from another brand, which is why the new phone feels familiar right away.

Before you start

• Charge both phones to at least 50 percent, or keep them plugged in.
• Update Smart Switch on both from the Galaxy Store or Play Store.
• Check the new phone has enough free storage for your photos and videos.
• Move any authenticator app codes to the new phone, or turn on their cloud sync, before you reset the old one.
• Write down your Google and Samsung account passwords; you will need them during setup.

What will not come across

• Banking and some payment apps, which need you to sign in again.
• Samsung Wallet cards, which you add again on the new phone.
• Google Authenticator codes, unless you export them or use cloud sync.

Wireless, cable or computer: which to use?

• Wireless: no cable needed and fine for most people. It slows down with very large photo and video libraries.
• Cable: the fastest and most reliable, especially with a large photo and video library. Use the USB-C cable that came with the new phone, or any good USB-C to USB-C cable.
• Computer (Smart Switch for PC or Mac): best if the old phone is damaged, if you want a full backup kept on a computer, or if you are not moving to the new phone right away.

Secure Folder, Samsung Health and Notes

• Secure Folder: its contents are protected separately. Open Secure Folder on the old phone, go to its settings and back it up to Samsung Cloud, then restore it inside Secure Folder on the new phone.
• Samsung Health: sign in with the same Samsung account and turn on sync, and your history comes across through the cloud.
• Samsung Notes: Smart Switch copies notes stored on the phone; turning on Samsung Cloud sync for Notes keeps them safe going forward.

Coming from an iPhone or another brand?

Smart Switch also works from iPhones and other Android phones, though fewer settings carry over. From an iPhone, it can copy contacts, messages, photos, calendar and a list of matching apps over a cable or from an iCloud backup. Turn off iMessage on the iPhone before you switch, so texts from iPhone users reach your new Galaxy.

Old phone broken or not with you?

If the old Galaxy still turns on and unlocks, install Smart Switch for PC or Mac on a computer, connect the phone with a cable and choose Backup. Then connect the new phone and choose Restore. This also keeps a full copy on the computer, which is a good safety net. If the old phone does not work at all, set up the new one from your Samsung Cloud and Google backups instead; you will get contacts, messages, settings and apps, and Google Photos brings back photos that were backed up.

Your phone number and eSIM

A physical SIM simply moves from the old phone to the new one. With eSIM, many US carriers let you transfer the line during setup or through their app; otherwise contact the carrier to move it. Do this before you reset the old phone, and check calls and texts work on the new one. If the new phone came from a carrier, it should already be set up for your line.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds

Smart Switch moves your Galaxy Wearable app, but a watch is paired to one phone at a time. Back up the watch in the Galaxy Wearable app on the old phone first. Then, on the new phone, open Galaxy Wearable and connect the watch; you may be asked to reset the watch and restore its backup. Galaxy Buds simply need pairing again from the new phone’s Bluetooth settings or pop-up.

After the transfer: checklist

• Open Messages and Phone to check texts and call history arrived.
• Sign in to banking, payment and work apps, which usually need a fresh login on a new phone for security reasons.
• Add your payment cards to Samsung Wallet or Google Wallet again on the new phone.
• Open WhatsApp and confirm chats are there; if not, restore from its Google Drive backup.
• Check that Google Photos backup is on, so new photos are protected.
• Set your default apps, such as browser and keyboard, if they changed.

Transfer stuck or failed?

• Restart both phones and update Smart Switch on each.
• Turn off power saving on both, and keep both screens on during the transfer.
• Move the phones close together and away from microwaves and busy Wi-Fi.
• Use a cable instead of wireless; it is faster and more reliable for large photo libraries.
• Leave out large videos and copy them afterwards with a computer or Google Photos.

Already set up the new phone? Transfer anyway

How long will it take?

Smart Switch shows an estimate before it starts, based on how much you selected. Contacts, messages and settings take minutes. Photos and videos take most of the time, so a phone with years of 4K video can need an hour or more over Wi-Fi. A cable usually cuts that time a lot. Start the transfer when you do not need either phone for a while, such as in the evening, and leave both plugged in. Apps finish downloading from the Play Store and Galaxy Store in the background afterwards, which can take a little longer.

Protect the new phone

A new Galaxy is a good time to set a few things up. Turn on Google Photos backup and Samsung Cloud backup so the next switch is just as easy. Add a case and screen protector before the first drop. If you want accident coverage, Samsung Care+ can only be added within a limited time after purchase, so decide early, and compare it with your carrier’s protection plan.

What to do with the old Galaxy

Keep it for a few days in case something important is missing. Then sign out of your accounts, remove your SIM and SD card, and factory reset it. Samsung, carriers and resale sites all buy used Galaxy phones, and a signed-out, reset phone gets the best offer. See how to factory reset a Samsung phone.