How to transfer all data from Android to Samsung: a complete guide

Moving to a new smartphone Samsung Galaxy is always an exciting moment. But along with the joy of updating a gadget comes a headache: how to transfer all the data from the old one Android devices so that nothing is lost? Contacts, photos, messages, applications - all this has accumulated over the years, and the loss of even part of the information can become a serious problem.

Fortunately, Samsung has its own tools for migration, and Android provides universal solutions. In this article we will look at data transfer, from official to manual methods for experienced users. You'll find out which option is right for you - whether it's wireless, cable, or cloud services. We will also tell you how to avoid common mistakes that can cause data to be damaged or not copied. 5 proven methods data transfer from the official Smart Switch to manual methods for advanced users. You'll find out which option is right for you - whether it's wireless, cable, or cloud services. We will also tell you how to avoid common mistakes that can cause data to be damaged or not copied.

If you are switching from Xiaomi, Huawei, Google Pixel or another brand, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that both devices work on Android 6.0 and higher (on most modern smartphones this condition is met automatically). For owners of old models Samsung (before Galaxy S7) additional steps may be required - we will also talk about this separately.

We will warn you in advance: not all data can be transferred automatically. For example, some application settings, call history from an operator, or data from banking apps may not be copied due to security restrictions. But the main body of information - photos, videos, contacts, SMS - will move to the new one Samsung without problems.

1. Smart Switch - the official solution from Samsung

Samsung Smart Switch is a proprietary utility that the company develops specifically for data migration. It supports transferring almost everything: from contacts and messages to screen settings and wallpapers. The application works both on Windows/Macand between smartphones via cable or Wi-Fi.

Main advantage Smart Switch — maximum compatibility with the Samsung ecosystem. For example, it correctly transfers data from proprietary applications like Samsung Health or Samsung Notes, which universal tools cannot. There is only one minus: for full operation, both devices need at least 30% battery charge -otherwise the process may be interrupted.

• 📱 Wireless transfer: suitable for transferring up to 10 GB of data (photos, contacts, messages). The speed depends on the Wi-Fi network.
• 🔌 Cable transfer: faster and more reliable, but requires an original USB cable (or a high-quality analogue with support OTG).
• 💻 Via computer: relevant if your old phone has little space or is very slows down.

To use Smart Switchdownload the application from Google Play on both devices On the new Samsung it is usually preinstalled (look in the folder Samsung or through the menu search). Next, follow the instructions:

1. Open Smart Switch on both phones.
2. On the old device, select Send data, on the new one - Receive data.
3. Select the connection method (cable or Wi-Fi).
4. On your old phone, check the boxes for the types of data to transfer.
5. Confirm the start of the transfer and wait for completion.

⚠️ Attention: If you are transferring data from Huawei or Xiaomi, before using Smart Switch disable the function Battery optimization for this application. Otherwise, the transfer may be interrupted due to energy saving.

Install Smart Switch on both phones

Charge devices to at least 50%

Disable VPN and energy saving modes

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (for wireless method)

Free up space on the new Samsung (minimum 10% of free space)-->

2. Transfer via Google account (cloud)

If you actively use services Google, then most of your data is already synchronized with the cloud. This method does not require additional applications works even if you don’t have a cable or a second phone at hand. However, there are nuances: not all types of data are synchronized automatically.

By default Google saves:

• 📇 Contacts (via Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendars (Google Calendar)
• 📧 Letters (Gmail)
• 📸 Photos and videos (if the function Backup to Google Photos)
• 🎵 Music and books (if they were downloaded to Google Play)

But what not transferred via Google:

• 💬 SMS/MMS messages (separate backup required)
• 📱 System settings and wallpaper
• 🎮 Game data (if the game does not support cloud saves)
• 📁 Files from internal memory (except for those downloaded to Google Drive)

To transfer data via Google:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and archiving → Data archiving.
2. Enable backup for the required categories (contacts, calendar, photos, etc.).
3. On the new one Samsung When you turn it on for the first time, select Copy data and log into the same account Google.
4. Confirm restoring data from the backup.

Important: if you have not used a backup before, the synchronization process may take several hours - especially for high-resolution photos. Also note that the free cloud Google provides only 15 GB of space. If you have more data, you will have to either clear space or pay for additional volume.

3. Using an OTG cable and a file manager

If you need to transfer large files (4K videos, archives, disk images), but Smart Switch refuses to copy them due to restrictions, you can use direct connection via cable OTG. This method requires a little technical skill, but it gives you complete control over the process.

You will need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C to USB-C (or Micro-USB to USB-Cif the old phone has a connector Micro-USB)
• 📱 File manager (for example, Solid Explorer, FX File Explorer or standard My file on Samsung)
• ⚡ Charging (both phones must be connected to the network during copying)

Instructions:

1. Connect the old phone to the new one Samsung via OTG cable.
2. On the new device, a notification will appear in the notification line USB connection. Tap on it and select File transfer (or MTP).
3. Open file manager on the new Samsung —the internal memory of the old phone will appear in the list of devices.
4. Copy the necessary folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to the new smartphone.

This method is suitable for transfer:

• 📷 Photos and videos in original quality
• 🎵 Music and podcasts
• 📄 Documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX)
• 🎮 Game saves (if they are stored in a folder Android/obb)

⚠️ Attention: Do not copy the folder Android/data entirely - this may cause applications to malfunction on the new phone. It is better to reinstall the apps via Google Play and restore data from their cloud services (if supported).

Data type	Smart Switch	Google account	OTG cable
Contact	✅	✅	❌
Photo/video	✅ (compressed)	✅ (if there was a backup)	✅ (original quality)
SMS messages	✅	❌	❌
Applications	✅ (APK only)	✅ (list of installed ones)	❌
Wi-Fi settings	✅	❌	❌

4. Transferring messages and calls through third-party applications

If it is critically important for you to save history of SMS, MMS and call logbut Smart Switch for some reason you have not transferred them, you can use specialized utilities. The most reliable of them:

• 📲 SMS Backup & Restore - saves messages to a file .xml, which is then restored on the new phone.
• 🔄 Super Backup & Restore - supports not only SMS, but also call logs, contacts, calendars.
• 📧 SMS to Text — exports messages to a text file (.txt or .csv), which can be opened on a PC.

Instructions for SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the application on your old phone from Google Play.
2. Run backup: Backup → Select SMS/MMS → Create backup.
3. Copy the received file (usually in a folder SMSBackupRestore) to a new one Samsung (via cloud, cable or Smart Switch).
4. Install the same application on a new phone and restore the data: Restore → Select file → Restore.

Suitable for call log Super Backup:

1. Open the application and select Calls.
2. Click Backup —the file will be saved in the format .ab.
3. Transfer the file to a new phone and restore through the same application.

⚠️ Attention: Some banking and instant messenger applications (for example, WhatsApp or Viber) block message backups through third-party utilities. For them, use the built-in export functions (usually in the chat settings).

How to transfer WhatsApp history?

1. On your old phone, open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → Chat → Backup.

2. Create a backup copy in Google Drive (linked account required).

3. Install WhatsApp on your new Samsung and log in to the same account.

4. When prompted, restore chats from Google Drive.

⚠️ Important: the phone number must remain the same!

5. Transferring data using a computer (for experienced users)

If you have a PC or a PC at hand, you can transfer data via a computer. This method Windows-PC or Mac, you can transfer data via a computer. This method the most reliable for large amounts of information (for example, if you have 100+ GB of photos and videos), but it takes more time.

You will need:

• 💻 A computer with USB ports
• 🔌 Two cables for connecting phones
• 📁 Enough hard drive space (at least 50 GB of free space is recommended)

Step-by-step guide:

1. Connect your old phone to the computer and select the mode File transfer (MTP).
2. Copy all the necessary folders (DCIM, Pictures, Downloads etc.) to your hard drive.
3. Disconnect the old phone and connect the new one Samsung.
4. Transfer the previously copied data to the new one smartphone.
5. For contacts and calendars, export them via Google Contacts and Google Calendar (format .vcf and .ics respectively).

The advantages of this method:

• 🔐 Maximum reliability - data is stored on your PC until you delete it.
• 🔄 You can selectively copy only the files you need.
• 🛠️ It’s easy to restore data if something goes wrong.

Disadvantages:

• ⏳ Takes a lot of time (especially if the data is more than 50 GB).
• 💻 A computer with sufficient memory is required.

6. Features of transfer for old Samsung models

If you are moving to a new one Samsung from an old model (for example, Galaxy S5, Note 4 or Galaxy A3 2016), difficulties may arise. The fact is that:

• 📵 Outdated versions of Android (below 6.0) do not support modern protocols Smart Switch.
• 🔌 Connectors: old models may have Micro-USB, and new ones - USB-C, which complicates direct connection.
• 📱 Limited memory: older phones may not have enough space to create a backup.

Solutions for older devices:

• 💾 Use SD card (if it is supported by both phones) to transfer files.
• 🖥️ Transfer data via computer —it’s more reliable than trying to connect the old phone directly.
• ☁️ Upload the data to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox) from the old phone, and then download to the new one.

For models Samsung on Android 4.4–5.1 (for example, Galaxy S4 or Note 3) there is a special version Smart Switch — Samsung Kies. It can be downloaded from the official website Samsung, but keep in mind that the app is not updated since 2021 and may not support new models Galaxy.

⚠️ Attention: If your old one Samsung works on Android 5.0 and below, before transferring data, update it to the latest possible software version. This will increase the chances of a successful migration.

7. What to do if the data has not been transferred?

Sometimes, even with the correct actions, some of the data may not be copied. Here are typical problems and their solutions:

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
Photos were transferred, but without dates	Time stamps are stored in metadata, which may not be saved when copying	Use Google Photos for transfer - it saves dates
Applications were not restored	Smart Switch transfers only APK, but not application data	Reinstall applications from Google Play and restore data from their cloud (if supported)
SMS not transferred	Message synchronization is disabled on the old phone	Use SMS Backup & Restore (see section 4)
The process is interrupted at 99%	Lack of space on the new phone or low battery	Free up space on Samsung and connect both phones to charger

If none of the methods worked, try alternative solutions:

• 📱 Cloneit - an application for cloning data between Android devices.
• 🔄 Send Anywhere - transferring files over Wi-Fi without size restrictions.
• 💾 Titanium Backup (requires root) - for a full system backup.

As a last resort, you can manually transfer the most important data:

• Contacts - export to file .vcf via Google Contacts.
• Photos - copy the folder DCIM to your computer and then to a new phone.
• Messages - use SMS Backup & Restore (see section 4).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about transferring data to Samsung

Is it possible to transfer data from iPhone to Samsung?

Yes, but for this you need to use Smart Switch with an additional adapter Lightning to USB-C. The process is almost the same as with Android, but there are nuances:

• 📧 Mail and contacts are transferred via iCloud.
• 📸 Photos are copied in original quality.
• 💬 iMessages are not transferred - only SMS.

For detailed instructions, see the official guide Samsung to switch from iOS.

How long does data transfer take?

The time depends on the amount of data and the transfer method:

• 🔌 By cable: 5–20 minutes (for 10–50 GB).
• 📶 By Wi-Fi: 20–60 minutes (depending on network speed).
• ☁️ Via the cloud: from 30 minutes to several hours (upload + download).

If the data is more than 100 GB, we recommend using a computer - it will take longer, but is more reliable.

Will data from games be transferred (for example, progress in Genshin Impact)?

It depends on the game:

• ✅ Cloud saves: If the game supports synchronization via Google Play Games, Facebook or your own account (for example, MiHoYo for Genshin Impact), progress will be restored after logging in.
• ❌ Local saves: If the data is stored only on the phone (for example, in a folder Android/obb), you need to transfer it manually via OTG or a computer.

Before transferring, check in the game settings whether it is supported cross-platform.

What to do if there is not enough space to transfer on the new Samsung?

Here are some solutions:

• 🗑️ Clean up unnecessary files on the new phone: go to Settings → Device care → Memory and remove garbage.
• ☁️ Use an SD card (if the model Samsung supports it). Transfer photos, videos and music to it.
• 🔄 Transfer data in parts: first contacts and messages, then photos, then videos.
• 💻 Save the data to your computer and transfer only the most necessary.

If space is critically short, consider the option with Google One (paid cloud) or an external SSD drive with OTG.

Is it possible to transfer data from a phone that does not turn on?

If it’s old phone does not turn on, but responds to charging, try:

• 🔌 Connect it to the computer and check if it is recognized as a removable disk.
• 🛠️ If the screen is broken, but the phone works, use ADB (skills required).

If the phone shows no signs of life at all, contact the service center - they can extract the data using special equipment (for example, JTAG or Chip-Off).