- Both phones, charged and plugged in
- Your home Wi-Fi name and password
- Your Apple Account or Google/Samsung account password
- 30 to 60 minutes (more if you have lots of photos)
Before you start: update and charge both phones
Plug both phones into chargers and keep them side by side. Update the old phone first (see our update guide) and make sure you know your account passwords. Don't erase or trade in the old phone until the new one has everything.
💡 Tip: Use your home Wi-Fi, not a café or hotel network, and pick a time when you won't need either phone for a while.iPhone to new iPhone: use Quick Start
Turn on the new iPhone and set it next to your old one. A Set Up New iPhone card pops up on the old phone; tap Continue and follow the screens. You'll scan a swirl pattern with the old phone's camera, enter the old phone's passcode on the new one, and set up Face ID.
When asked how to move your data, Transfer from iPhone copies straight across (both phones are busy until it finishes), while Download from iCloud lets you start using the new phone right away while things download in the background. Apple's steps: Quick Start.
Samsung or Android to new Samsung Galaxy: use Smart Switch
On both phones, open Settings, search for Smart Switch and open it (the new Galaxy also offers it during setup). Place the phones within about 4 inches of each other.
On the old phone tap Send data > Wireless. On the new Galaxy tap Receive data > Galaxy/Android > Wireless. Tap Allow on the old phone, pick what to bring over (or Everything) and tap Transfer. Samsung's steps: wireless transfer with Smart Switch.
Switching brands? There's a free official tool both ways
Android to iPhone: during iPhone setup tap From Android on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, then use Apple's free Move to iOS app on the old phone and type the code the iPhone shows. Some newer Android phones can do it without the app. Apple's steps: Move from Android to iPhone.
iPhone to Samsung Galaxy: Smart Switch can copy from an iPhone with a cable (Samsung says a cable moves the most kinds of data), wirelessly or from iCloud. Samsung's steps: Smart Switch.
⚠️ Careful: Only use the free apps from Apple and Samsung linked here. You don't need to pay for a "phone transfer" app.Leave them alone until it finishes
Keep both phones close together and plugged in. Don't take calls or open other apps on the old phone until the new one says it's done. Lots of photos can take an hour or more.
Check, then wipe the old phone
On the new phone, open Photos, Contacts and Messages and spot-check a few things. Sign in to your banking and email apps again (they often ask). Then see our guide to recycling or trading in your old phone so you erase it safely first.
💡 Tip: Turn on backups on the new phone right away: see back up your phone photos.
Next: turn on Find My and block scam texts on your new phone. Checked against the official help pages as of October 2026. Menu names can change with updates; if a label looks different, look for a similar one.
Related game: Safe or Risky?. Related explainer: How to pick a phone: a plain-English buying guide .