Ranking updated
How to move everything to a new phone
The new phone is on the table, still in its film. The old one holds years of photos, your chats and the codes that let you into your bank. Rush the switch and one of those goes missing. Do it in the right order and it takes an evening, not a week of recovery emails.
A switching order, then phone transfer apps. Use the transfer tool from your phone maker first; it moves apps, photos and settings in one go. Move authenticator apps and chat backups before you reset anything, and keep the old phone until the new one works for every login.
Back up before anything
Make a full backup of the old phone and check it finished. See how to back up your phone.
Move the fragile things first
Authenticator apps and chat history are easy to lose in a switch and hard to get back. Use each app’s own export or transfer option, and check the codes work on the new phone. See how to set up two-factor authentication.
Let the phone do the heavy lifting
Keep both phones charged and side by side, then follow the transfer tool on setup. Switching between iPhone and Android needs the official move app. Compare apps in phone transfer apps.
Wipe the old one last
Open your bank, email and messaging apps on the new phone. Then sign out of accounts on the old one, remove it from your phone maker’s finding service and erase it before you sell or give it away; see how to sell things locally online.
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Back up | old phone, fully | a safety copy |
| 2. Codes and chats | authenticator, chat backup | hardest to recover |
| 3. Transfer tool | phone to phone | apps, photos, settings |
| 4. SIM or eSIM | with your carrier | calls and texts work |
| 5. Check, then wipe | every key app first | nothing left behind |
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer everything to a new phone?
Back up the old phone, move authenticator codes and chats, then use your phone maker’s transfer tool during setup.
Will my authenticator codes move automatically?
Not always. Use the authenticator app’s own transfer option and check the codes work before resetting the old phone.
When can I erase my old phone?
Only after your key apps and logins work on the new phone and you have signed out of accounts on the old one.