Getting a new phone is the fun part. Moving years of photos, messages, contacts and apps onto it is the part people dread, usually without reason. Modern phones are built to do this for you, and the single best moment to start is right at the setup screen, before you tap past it. The exact tool depends on which phone you are leaving and which one you are joining, so this guide is split by direction. Find your combination, follow the steps, and keep both phones charged and on the same Wi-Fi throughout.

A quick word of honesty up front: no transfer is ever one hundred percent. Apps re-download rather than copy across directly, and a handful of things always need manual attention afterwards. There is a section at the end on exactly what does not come over, so read that before you wipe your old phone. If you have not backed up the old one yet, start with our guide on how to back up your iPhone, since a fresh backup doubles as a safety net if the direct transfer goes wrong.

iPhone to iPhone with Quick Start

This is the most complete transfer of all, because it copies almost everything directly from one iPhone to the other, including app layouts and most settings. Start it when the new phone is freshly out of the box or has just been reset to the Hello screen.

  1. Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to your current one. A Quick Start screen appears on the old phone offering to set up the new device with your Apple Account.
  2. Tap Continue, then hold the old phone’s camera over the swirling animation on the new phone to pair them.
  3. Enter your old phone’s passcode on the new iPhone, then set up Face ID or Touch ID when asked.
  4. Choose Transfer from iPhone to copy data directly between the two devices, rather than restoring from iCloud, for the fastest and fullest result.
  5. If you have the right cable and adapter you can connect the two phones for an even quicker wired transfer, otherwise leave them on Wi-Fi.
  6. Keep both phones close together and plugged in until the progress bar finishes.

When it completes, your apps re-download in the background from the App Store and your new iPhone ends up looking just like the old one, home screens and all.

Android to Android

Android phones include a copy tool during setup, and most big brands add their own app that moves even more across, including over a cable. The built-in tool is fine for most people; the maker’s app is worth using if you want everything.

  1. Power on the new phone and connect it to Wi-Fi. On the Copy apps & data screen, tap to begin.
  2. Connect the two phones with a USB cable if one came in the box, or choose the wireless option, then follow the prompts to sign in to your Google account.
  3. Unlock the old phone and approve the connection when it asks.
  4. Pick what to bring over: apps, photos, messages, contacts, call history and settings, then start the copy.
  5. For Samsung, use Smart Switch; for other makers look for their equivalent, which often moves extra items the generic tool skips, such as certain settings and home-screen layouts.
  6. Keep both phones unlocked and nearby until it finishes, then let the apps finish downloading.

Your Google account also restores contacts, calendar and photos automatically once you sign in, so even a partial copy is backstopped by the cloud. If the new phone needs your home network and you cannot remember the key, our guide on how to find your WiFi password will get you connected.

Android to iPhone with Move to iOS

Apple makes a free Android app for exactly this switch, and it is the method to use. Note that it runs during the iPhone’s setup, not afterwards, so do not race through the welcome screens.

  1. On the new iPhone, go through setup until you reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, then tap From Android.
  2. On your Android phone, install Move to iOS from the Play Store and open it, then tap through its opening screens.
  3. Tap Transfer with App on the iPhone to show a one-time code, then enter that code on the Android phone.
  4. Join the temporary Wi-Fi network the iPhone creates when prompted.
  5. Choose what to move, such as contacts, message history, photos and videos, mail accounts, WhatsApp data and compatible free apps, then tap Continue.
  6. Leave both phones alone until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes, even if the Android phone says it is done first.

Apps that exist on both platforms will offer to download from the App Store; apps that are Android-only simply will not come across, and anything you paid for on Google Play you may need to buy again on the App Store.

iPhone to Android

Going the other way, you use Google’s tools or your new phone maker’s app. Samsung’s Smart Switch, for example, can pull data from an iPhone either wirelessly or over a cable.

  1. Make sure your iPhone content is backed up to iCloud, or have a Lightning-to-USB-C cable ready to connect the two phones directly.
  2. During the Android phone’s setup, choose to copy from an iPhone or iOS device when offered, then follow the prompts to connect by cable or to sign in to iCloud.
  3. On Samsung, open Smart Switch and select the iPhone as the source; on a Pixel, use the supplied cable and the built-in copy tool.
  4. Grant the permissions it asks for, then choose which categories to bring over and start the copy.
  5. Before you finish with the old iPhone, turn off iMessage (Settings > Messages) and deregister your number at Apple’s site, so texts from other iPhones reach your new Android number.
  6. Sign in to your Google account on the new phone to keep everything syncing from here on.

Be aware that iMessage conversation history does not move to Android, so screenshot any important threads first. Photos, contacts and calendar transfer reliably; some app data will not.

Using a cloud backup as your transfer method

If a direct transfer stalls, or you have already finished setting up the new phone, a cloud backup is a dependable fallback. It is also how most of your photos survive any switch, regardless of which method you choose.

  1. On the old phone, confirm a recent backup exists: iPhone under Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup, or Android under Settings > Google > Backup.
  2. On the new phone during setup, choose Restore from iCloud Backup (iPhone) or sign in to your Google account (Android) to pull everything down.
  3. Stay on Wi-Fi throughout, as backups can be several gigabytes and painfully slow on mobile data.
  4. If you set the iPhone up as new by mistake and want to use Quick Start instead, you can erase it and start setup over.
  5. Understand how your storage works first; our explainer on what is cloud storage is a useful primer on where all this actually lives.

Cloud restores are slower than a direct transfer but need no cable and no second phone switched on at the same time, which is handy if the old phone is already gone.

What transfers and what you will redo by hand

This is the honest part most guides gloss over. Knowing it now saves a panic later, and tells you not to wipe the old phone too soon.

  1. Apps re-download from the store rather than copying, so have your App Store or Play Store and app logins ready before you start.
  2. Most app data comes back when the app syncs to the cloud, but not always, so open each of your key apps afterwards and check you are still signed in.
  3. Two-factor authenticator codes (Google Authenticator, Authy and similar) usually need a manual export or full re-setup, because they are deliberately locked to one device for security.
  4. Banking and payment apps often require you to log in and re-verify from scratch on the new phone, and saved cards in a mobile wallet must be added again.
  5. Some content like downloaded music, podcasts and offline maps may need re-downloading, and iMessage history does not move to Android at all.
  6. Keep your old phone intact and working for a week or two before wiping it, so you can grab anything that slipped through.

Follow the right method for your two phones, stay patient while apps finish downloading in the background, and check your banking and authenticator apps before you let the old phone go. Do that and the move to a new phone is far less stressful than its reputation suggests.