Moving to a new smartphone is always an exciting time, but transferring data often turns into a headache. Photos for 5 years, hundreds of contacts, saved passwords, notes and even progress in games - all this needs to be carefully moved so as not to lose anything. Fortunately, owners of Androiddevices have many ways to do this quickly and without loss.

Many people mistakenly think that a computer or special apps are required to transfer data. In fact, 90% of tasks are solved using standard system tools or cloud services. The key is to choose the method that's right for you: whether you want to transfer just your contacts or your entire media library, whether you have access to Wi-Fi, and how quickly you need the process to complete. In this article we will analyze 7 proven methods - from the simplest (via Google Account) to advanced (using ADB and custom recovery).

If you've never migrated data before, don't worry: we'll explain each step in detail, point out possible pitfalls, and give tips on how to avoid common mistakes. And for experienced users, we have prepared advanced methods that will allow you to transfer even system settings and application data that are not available through standard tools.

1. Transfer via Google Account: the easiest way

If both of your phones work on Android 5.0 and higher, then the most reliable and universal method is synchronization via Google Account. This method does not require additional apps, cables or a computer. All data is automatically backed up on Google servers and restored to a new device when you turn it on for the first time.

What exactly can be transferred via Google:

  • 📇 Contact (including groups and tags)
  • 📅 Calendars and events
  • 📝 Notes (from Google Keep)
  • 🔑 Saved passwords (from Chrome and Android)
  • 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi networks, wallpaper, language)
  • 🎮 Data of some games (if they support Google Play Games)

However, there are limitations. You cannot transfer via Google Account cannot be transferred:

  • 📷 Photos and videos (for this you need Google Photos)
  • 🎵 Music and audio files
  • 📄 Documents and files (except for those downloaded to Google Drive)
  • 📱 Installed applications (only a list of them for quick installation)

Enable backup on your old phone|Check your Wi-Fi connection|Remember your Google Account login and password|Make sure there is enough space on your new phone recovery-->

How to enable backup on an old phone:

  1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
  2. Activate the switch Upload to Google Disk.
  3. Click Create a backup now and wait for completion.

On a new phone, when you turn it on for the first time, the system will offer to restore data from the backup. If you have already set up your device, you can do this later:

  1. Go to Settings → Google → Backup.
  2. Select your account and the latest backup.
  3. Click Restore and confirm the action.
💡

If you have a slow Internet, backup can be done via a mobile network, but it is better to wait until you are connected to Wi-Fi - this way the process will go faster and will not waste traffic.

⚠️ Attention: If two-factor authentication is enabled on your old phone, before When resetting, make sure you have backup codes or access to a trusted device. Otherwise, you may lose access to your account.

2. Transferring files via Google Photos and Google Drive

For transfer photos, videos and documents it is most convenient to use cloud services from Google. They are integrated into the system, do not require additional settings and allow you to transfer large amounts of data without loss of quality.

Google Photos automatically backs up all media files if synchronization is enabled. In this case, you can choose:

  • 📸 Original quality (without compression, takes up space in the cloud)
  • 🖼️ High quality (free, but compression up to 16 MP for photos)

How to transfer photos and videos:

  1. On your old phone, open the application Google Photos.
  2. Go to Settings → Backup and synchronization and turn on the function.
  3. Wait for the download to complete (you can check the progress in the section Library → Utilities → Backup progress).
  4. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account and wait for synchronization.

Google Drive suitable for transferring documents, archives and others files. Here you can upload files of any type, but only 15 GB is available for free (shared storage for Photos, Drive and Gmail). To transfer files:

  1. Open Google Drive on the old one. phone.
  2. Click + → Upload and select the desired files.
  3. On the new device, download the files through the same Drive.
Service What can be transferred Limitations Speed
Google Photos Photo, video, GIF, screenshots 15 GB free (compression at "High Quality") Depends on Internet speed
Google Drive Any files (PDF, APK, ZIP, etc.) 15 GB free Slower than Photos
Google Contacts Contacts, groups, tags Contacts only Instantly
⚠️ Attention: If you use Google Photos in the "High Quality" mode, then photos with a resolution above 16 MP and 4K videos will be compressed for original quality, a paid subscription or freeing up space in the cloud will be required.

Google Photos|Google Drive|Yandex Drive|iCloud|Other|I don’t use-->

3. Transferring data via an OTG cable or adapter

If you do not have access to the Internet or want to transfer data as quickly as possible, you can use OTG cable (On-The-Go) or a special adapter. This method is suitable for transferring large files - for example, 4K videos or application backups.

You will need:

  • 🔌 OTG cable (Micro-USB/USB-C → USB-C, in depending on the phone connectors)
  • 📱 Two phones (one of them must support OTG)
  • 🔋 Charged batteries (the process may take time)

How to transfer files via OTG:

  1. Connect the OTG cable to the new phone (the one to which you will transfer the data).
  2. Connect the old phone to the OTG cable (it will be detected as an external drive).
  3. On the new phone, open File manager (for example, Files by Google).
  4. Find the connected phone in the section Devices or External drives.
  5. Copy the necessary files to the memory of the new one phone.

Advantages of the method:

  • ⚡ High speed (up to 480 Mbit/s with USB 3.0)
  • 🔒 Security (data is not transmitted over the Internet)
  • 📁 Support for large files (no restrictions on size)

Disadvantages:

  • 🔌 You need to buy an OTG cable (if you don’t have one)
  • 📱 Not all phones support OTG (check in the specifications)
  • 🔋 Battery consumption (both phones drain faster)
How to check OTG support on your phone?

Open Settings → System → About phone → Specifications and find the "USB OTG" item. Or connect a flash drive via an adapter - if the phone recognizes it, then OTG is supported.

⚠️ Attention: When copying large amounts of data (for example, 100 GB of video), the phone may overheat. Monitor the temperature and take breaks if the case becomes hot.

4. Using specialized applications (Smart Switch, Clone Phone)

Smartphone manufacturers and third-party developers offer special utilities for transferring data. The most popular:

  • 📱 Samsung Smart Switch (for Samsung devices)
  • 📱 Xiaomi Mi Mover (for Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco phones)
  • 📱 Huawei Phone Clone (for Huawei/Honor devices)
  • 📱 Clone Phone (universal solution)

These applications allow transfer:

  • 📞 Contacts, messages, call log
  • 📷 Photos, videos, music
  • 📱 Applications and their data (not for all applications)
  • 📍 Wi-Fi settings, wallpaper, alarm clocks

How to use Smart Switch (using the example of Samsung):

  1. Install Smart Switch on both phones (available in Google Play).
  2. On the new phone select Receive data → Android.
  3. On the old phone, select Send data → Wireless transfer.
  4. Bring the phones close to each other and wait for connection.
  5. Select data to transfer and click Transfer.

Advantages:

  • 🔄 Data Transfer no loss (including progress in games)
  • 📶 Works on Wi-Fi Direct (no internet required)
  • 📱 Supports system cloning (settings, wallpaper, etc.)

Disadvantages:

  • 📱 Does not work on all models (for example, Smart Switch optimized for Samsung)
  • ⏳ Transferring large volumes may take several hours
  • 🔌 Some data (for example, Wi-Fi passwords) may not transfer
💡

Applications from manufacturers (Smart Switch, Mi Mover) often transfer data faster and more reliably than universal solutions. If you have a phone of the same brand, use the proprietary utility.

5. Transfer via computer (USB cable or software)

If you have a computer at hand (Windows, Mac or Linux), you can transfer data through it. This method is suitable for full backup, including files that are not synchronized with the cloud.

You will need:

  • 🖥️ A computer with USB ports
  • 🔌 Two USB cables (for connecting phones)
  • 📂 Enough space on the hard drive (if the data weighs a lot)

Method 1: Manual copying through Explorer

  1. Connect the old phone to the computer and select the mode File transfer (MTP).
  2. Copy the necessary folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, etc.) to the computer.
  3. Connect a new phone and transfer files to its memory.

Method 2: Using backup apps

  • 🖥️ Samsung Kies (for old Samsung models)
  • 🖥️ HiSuite (for Huawei)
  • 🖥️ Dr.Fone or Moborit (universal solutions)

Example with Dr.Fone:

  1. Install the app on your computer and connect the old phone.
  2. Select a section Phone Transfer.
  3. Connect the new phone and specify the direction of transfer (Old → New).
  4. Select data types and click Start Transfer.
⚠️ Attention: When you connect your phone to a computer in MTP mode, some files (for example, application data) may be hidden. To see them, turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings.

If you are transferring data from your phone on Mac, use Android File Transfer —the official utility from Google. It allows you to view files of Android devices in Finder, but does not support some models (for example, phones with Kirin chips from Huawei).

6. Transfer via local network (Wi-Fi Direct or FTP)

If you don’t have an OTG cable or a computer, but have access to Wi-Fi, you can transfer data via local networkapplications like Send Anywhere, Xender or FTP server.

Method 1: Send Anywhere (wireless transfer)

  1. Install Send Anywhere on both phones.
  2. On the old phone, select files and click Send.
  3. Generated six-digit code or QR code.
  4. On the new phone, enter the code or scan the QR.
  5. Confirm receipt of the files.

Method 2: FTP server (for large files)

  1. Install on your old phone FTP Server (for example, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
  2. Start the FTP server and write down the address (for example, ftp://192.168.1.100:2221).
  3. On the new phone, open a file manager with FTP support (the same Solid Explorer).
  4. Connect to the server at the recorded address and copy the files.

Advantages of wireless transfer:

  • 📶 No cable or computer needed
  • ⚡ The speed is higher than through the cloud (up to 10-50 Mbit/s)
  • 📁 You can transfer files of any type

Disadvantages:

  • 🔋 Battery consumption (Wi-Fi and data transfer drain the phone)
  • 📶 Requires a stable connection to one networks
  • ⏳ Large files take longer to transfer than via cable
💡

If you have slow Wi-Fi, try using Wi-Fi Direct —it creates a direct connection between phones without a router. To do this, enable Wi-Fi Direct in the Wi-Fi settings on both devices.

7. Advanced methods: ADB and custom recovery (for experienced)

If you need to transfer system data, application settings or backupsthat are not transferred using standard methods, you can use:

  • 🖥️ ADB (Android Debug Bridge) — to copy data via command line line
  • 📱 TWRP or OrangeFox —custom recovery to create a full backup

Transfer via ADB

  1. Install ADB and Fastboot on your computer (instructions for Windows: official website).
  2. Enable USB debugging on the old phone (Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times) → For developers → USB debugging).
  3. Connect the phone to the computer and run the command: 
    adb pull /sdcard/ path_on_computer

    To transfer all data (including applications) use:

    adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab
  4. Connect a new phone and restore data: 
    adb restore backup.ab

Transfer via TWRP

  1. Install TWRP Recovery on both phones (an unlocked bootloader and root access is required).
  2. Create a backup on the old phone: Backup → Select partitions (System, Data, Boot) → Swipe to confirm.
  3. Copy the backup file to a computer or external drive.
  4. On a new phone, restore the backup via Restore.
⚠️ Attention: Methods with ADB and TWRP require unlocking the bootloader, which may lead to Loss of warranty and reset of all data. In addition, not all applications are restored correctly from a backup (especially banking applications and those with DRM protection).

If you transfer data between phones with different processors (for example, with Snapdragon on Mediatek), backup via TWRP may not work due to differences in architecture. In this case, use ADB or selective transfer via Titanium Backup.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to transfer WhatsApp from one Android to another?

Yes, but for this you need to back up your chats to WhatsApp:

  1. Open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → Chat → Backup.
  2. Create a backup (it will be saved in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases).
  3. Copy the folder WhatsApp to a new phone (via cable, cloud or file manager).
  4. Install WhatsApp on a new phone and restore chats on the first start.

Important: The backup file name must be in the format msgstore.db.crypt14 (for new versions, if the backup is not restored, check that it matches). phone number on both devices.

Why are some applications (for example, banking) not transferred?

Banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, etc.) and games with DRM protection (for example, Pokémon GO) block data transfer via backup due to security reasons. To transfer them:

  • Download the application again from Google Play.
  • Log in to it (banking applications may require re-activation via SMS).
  • For games with progress, use linking to Google Play Games or social networks.

If the application does not install due to the error "Device is not certified", check the certification status in Settings → Google → Google Play Services → Certification.

How to transfer SMS and call log?

There are several ways:

  • Via Google Account: Enable SMS backup in Settings → Google → Backup → Enable SMS copying (not available on all phones).
  • Through applications: Use SMS Backup & Restore or Super Backup. They save the SMS to a file that can be transferred to a new phone.
  • Via Smart Switch: If you have a Samsung, the application will transfer the SMS automatically.

The same application is suitable for the call log Super Backup or manual export via Contacts → ⋮ → Contact management → Import/export → Export call log (not available on all firmwares).

How long does data transfer take?

Time depends on the method and amount of data:

Method 10 GB of data 50 GB of data 100+ GB of data
Google Account (Wi-Fi) 30-60 min 2-4 hours 5+ hours
OTG cable 10-20 min 40-80 min 1.5-2 hours
Smart Switch (Wi-Fi) 20-40 min 1-2 hours 3+ hours
Computer (USB 3.0) 5-10 min 20-30 min 40-60 min

The speed is also affected by the performance of the phones and the stability of the connection. If the transfer is interrupted, you can resume it from the same place (except for ADB backup).

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

If there is not enough memory, try:

  • 📁 Transfer files to SD card (if the phone has supports).
  • ☁️ Upload part of the data to cloud (Google Photos, Drive, Yandex Drive).
  • 🧹 Clear cache and unnecessary files on the new phone (Settings → Storage → Clear).
  • 🔄 Transfer only essentials (contacts, photos for the last year), and add the rest later.

If you are transferring data via cable or Smart Switch, the app usually shows how much space is required. If space is critically short, consider the option with external drive (flash drive via OTG).