Use this guide when a new iPhone or Android phone arrives and you want everything from the old one on it without losing anything. Have both phones charged, your Wi-Fi password, your Apple or Google account password and any 2-step verification codes to hand.
Step by step
Back up the old phone first
Run a full backup to iCloud or Google before you start, and check the date of the latest backup in settings. Make sure photos are syncing or copied to a computer as well. This is your safety net if the transfer stops halfway.
Check your account sign-ins
Confirm you know the password for your Apple ID or Google account and that you can receive verification codes. If codes go to your old phone number or an authenticator app, note how you will get them on the new phone. Save the recovery codes for important accounts somewhere safe.
Use the built-in transfer tool
Turn on the new phone and follow the setup screens, choosing to transfer from your old phone or restore from a backup. Keep both phones close together, on charge and connected to Wi-Fi. Moving between iPhone and Android is possible, but check the maker's switching app for what can and cannot come across.
Move your SIM or eSIM
Insert your physical SIM, or follow the on-screen prompts or your network's app to transfer an eSIM. If your number does not work after an hour, contact your network provider. Do not reset the old phone until the new one can make calls and receive texts.
Reconnect apps that need extra steps
Open your banking, authenticator and messaging apps one by one, as many need you to log in again or confirm on the old device. Move authenticator codes using the app's own transfer option before you erase the old phone. Check that chat history in apps such as WhatsApp has carried over.
Check everything before wiping the old phone
Look for your photos, contacts, calendar entries and notes on the new phone. Make a test call, send a text and check your email. Only then prepare the old phone for sale or recycling.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Old phone fully backed up
- Apple or Google password confirmed
- Recovery codes for key accounts saved
- Photos and contacts visible on new phone
- SIM or eSIM working for calls and texts
- Banking and authenticator apps set up
- Chat history checked
- Old phone kept until all checks pass
Practical tips
- Do the transfer at home on your own Wi-Fi rather than in a shop or on public Wi-Fi.
- Leave the old phone switched on and untouched for a few days in case you find something missing.
- Set up the new phone's screen lock and Find My or Find My Device straight away.
Common problems
The transfer has been stuck on the same percentage for a long time.
Make sure both phones are plugged in, close together and on the same Wi-Fi. If nothing moves after a long wait, restart both phones and try again, or restore from the backup you made instead.
My banking app will not open on the new phone.
Most banking apps need to be registered again on a new device, often with a code sent by text or letter. Follow the app's re-registration steps or call the number on the back of your card, and never give your full PIN or password to anyone who calls you.
Some photos are missing after the move.
Check whether they were stored only on the phone and not in your cloud backup. Plug the old phone into a computer and copy the missing photos across before resetting it.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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