Use Samsung Smart Switch to move everything at once

Samsung Smart Switch is the fastest way to move your photos, contacts, messages, apps, and settings from your old Samsung phone to a new one. The app handles the transfer automatically — you do not have to pick and choose what moves. On your new phone, open Smart Switch during setup, select "Receive data," and choose whether you want to transfer wirelessly or with a USB cable. On your old phone, open Smart Switch, select "Send data," and follow the prompts to connect to the new device.

Wireless transfer works best when both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network and fully charged. The process usually takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have. If your old phone has a cracked screen or will not turn on, you can still transfer data using a USB cable and a computer running Samsung Smart Switch for Windows or Mac — the desktop version can read from a backup file even if the phone itself is damaged.

Smart Switch moves your home screen layout, wallpapers, and app arrangement exactly as they were. Some apps may need to be reinstalled from the Google Play Store if they were sideloaded or came from a third-party store, but your login information and in-app data usually transfer without extra steps.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Smart Switch transfers photos, contacts, messages, apps, and settings in one operation without requiring you to manually select what moves.
  • Wireless transfer works over Wi-Fi and takes 10 to 30 minutes; USB cable transfer is faster and works even if your old phone will not power on.
  • Your home screen layout, wallpapers, and app arrangement move with you, so your new phone looks and feels like your old one.
  • Apps from the Google Play Store reinstall automatically, but sideloaded apps and third-party store apps may need manual reinstallation.
  • The desktop version of Smart Switch can restore from a backup file if your old phone is damaged or unavailable.

Set up your Samsung account before transferring

Before you start the transfer, sign into your Samsung account on the new phone. This ensures that your Samsung-specific services — like Samsung Cloud, Samsung Health, and Samsung Notes — sync properly during and after the transfer. If you do not have a Samsung account, create one on the new phone by going to Settings > Accounts and selecting "Add account" > "Samsung account."

Your Samsung account also stores backups of your data in Samsung Cloud. If you backed up your old phone to Samsung Cloud before switching, you can restore from that backup instead of using Smart Switch. This is useful if your old phone is no longer available or if you want to restore only certain data types rather than everything at once.

Transfer contacts and messages manually if Smart Switch does not work

If Smart Switch fails or you prefer to move specific data types, you can transfer contacts and messages through your Google account or Samsung account. Contacts stored in your Google account automatically sync to your new phone once you sign in — go to Settings > Accounts > Google, select your account, and toggle "Contacts" on. Messages are trickier because Samsung Messages does not sync through Google, but you can export them from your old phone using a third-party app like SMS Backup+ and then import them on the new phone.

For contacts stored only on your SIM card, insert the SIM card into the new phone and go to Settings > Accounts > Import from SIM. This copies all SIM contacts to your phone's internal storage. If you have contacts in multiple places — some on Google, some on Samsung, some on your SIM — sign into each account on the new phone and let them sync separately.

Move photos and videos using Google Photos or Samsung Cloud

Photos and videos transfer automatically through Smart Switch, but you can also move them manually using Google Photos or Samsung Cloud. Google Photos is the most reliable option because it works on any Android phone and backs up to your Google account. Install Google Photos on both phones, sign into the same Google account, and turn on "Backup and sync" on your old phone. Once the backup is complete, sign into Google Photos on your new phone with the same account and your photos appear automatically.

Samsung Cloud also backs up photos, but only if you have a Samsung account and enough free storage (Samsung gives 5 GB free, then charges for more). If you use Samsung Cloud, sign into your Samsung account on the new phone and go to Settings > Accounts > Samsung account > Backup to restore your photos. The advantage of Samsung Cloud is that it backs up your entire phone state, not just photos — but Google Photos is faster and does not require paid storage for most people.

Reinstall apps from the Google Play Store

Smart Switch reinstalls most apps automatically, but some may not transfer if they were removed from the Play Store or came from outside Google's official store. Check your new phone's app drawer to see which apps are missing. For any missing apps, open the Google Play Store, search by name, and install them again. Your login information for each app usually transfers with Smart Switch, so you should not have to sign in again — but some apps require you to re-enter your password for security reasons.

If you had paid apps on your old phone, they install free on your new phone as long as you use the same Google account. You do not have to buy them again. Apps that require a subscription — like Netflix or Spotify — also transfer, but you may need to sign in again to confirm your subscription is active.

Check your settings and customize your new phone

After Smart Switch finishes, spend a few minutes checking that everything moved correctly. Go through your home screens to make sure all your apps are there and arranged the way you want. Check Settings > Display to confirm your wallpaper and lock screen transferred. Open a few apps to make sure you are still signed in and your data is there — especially email, banking apps, and messaging apps.

Some settings may not transfer perfectly, particularly network settings, security settings, and app permissions. If you use a VPN, you may need to reinstall it and sign in again. If you have fingerprint or face recognition set up, you will need to re-register your fingerprint or face on the new phone because biometric data does not transfer for security reasons. Check Settings > Apps > Permissions to make sure each app has the permissions it needs — location, camera, microphone, and so on.

Use Samsung Cloud to restore if you switch phones later

Once your new phone is set up, back it up to Samsung Cloud so that if you switch phones again in the future, you can restore everything without needing your old phone. Go to Settings > Accounts > Samsung account > Backup and select which data types to back up — apps, settings, messages, contacts, and more. Samsung backs up automatically once a day if you turn on automatic backup, so you do not have to remember to do it manually.

You can also use Google's built-in backup system, which backs up your Google account data, app data, and some system settings. This backup happens automatically in the background and restores when you sign into a new Android phone with the same Google account. Having both Samsung Cloud and Google backups gives you options if one service has problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer data if my old Samsung phone will not turn on?

Yes. Use the desktop version of Samsung Smart Switch on a Windows or Mac computer. Connect your old phone with a USB cable, and Smart Switch can read the data even if the phone is powered off or has a broken screen. If the phone is too damaged to connect, you can restore from a Samsung Cloud backup if you made one before the phone broke.

Will my text messages transfer with Smart Switch?

Yes, but only if they are stored on your phone's internal storage. Messages stored only on your SIM card will not transfer. After Smart Switch finishes, check your Messages app to confirm all your conversations moved. If some are missing, they may have been on your SIM card — you can import those separately by inserting the SIM into the new phone and using Settings > Accounts > Import from SIM.

Do I have to use the same Google account on my new phone?

No, but using the same account makes the transfer easier because your contacts, email, calendar, and app data sync automatically. If you want to use a different Google account, you can still transfer data with Smart Switch — just sign into your old account temporarily during setup, let Smart Switch finish, then add your new account afterward.

What happens to apps I bought from the Samsung Galaxy Store?

Apps from the Samsung Galaxy Store reinstall automatically through Smart Switch if they are still available in the store. If an app was removed from the store, Smart Switch cannot reinstall it, but you may be able to find it in the Google Play Store under a different name. Check your old phone's Galaxy Store purchase history to see which apps you owned.

How long does Smart Switch take to transfer everything?

Wireless transfer usually takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have and how fast your Wi-Fi is. USB cable transfer is faster — typically 5 to 15 minutes. Desktop transfer from a backup file can take longer if the backup is large, but it is the most reliable method if your old phone is damaged.