The fastest way to move everything between Samsung phones

The easiest method is Samsung Smart Switch, which transfers your contacts, messages, photos, apps, and settings from one Samsung phone to another in one operation. You can do this wirelessly over Wi-Fi, through a USB cable, or by restoring from a previous backup file. Smart Switch works whether you're upgrading to a new phone or copying data to a second device you already own.

If you don't want to use Smart Switch, you can also back up individual items manually—photos to Google Photos, contacts to Google Contacts, messages through your carrier's backup service, or apps through the Google Play Store. This takes longer but gives you more control over what moves and what stays behind.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Smart Switch is the built-in tool that moves contacts, messages, photos, apps, and settings between Samsung phones in one step.
  • Wireless transfer over Wi-Fi is the simplest method if both phones are on the same network and have enough battery.
  • A USB cable transfer works if one phone has limited storage or if Wi-Fi is unavailable.
  • You can also back up to a Samsung account or Google account and restore to the second phone later, which is useful if you're not transferring when ready.

Wireless transfer with Smart Switch

Open Smart Switch on both phones. On the phone you're transferring from (the old phone), tap Send data. On the phone you're transferring to (the new phone), tap Receive data. The new phone will display a code—enter it on the old phone to confirm the connection.

Once connected, select what you want to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, documents, apps, and settings. You can uncheck anything you don't want to move. The transfer happens over Wi-Fi Direct, which is faster than regular Wi-Fi and doesn't require an internet connection—just both phones on the same network. Keep both phones plugged in and close to each other. The process usually takes 5 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you're moving.

If Smart Switch doesn't appear on your old phone, you may need to read it from the Google Play Store first. Older Samsung models sometimes don't have it pre-installed.

USB cable transfer

Connect your old phone to your new phone using a USB cable (USB-C to USB-C, or USB-C to USB-A with an adapter, depending on your models). Open Smart Switch on the new phone and select Receive data. The old phone should prompt you to allow the connection—tap Allow.

Select the data you want to transfer and start the process. USB transfer is often faster than wireless, especially for large amounts of photos or videos. It also doesn't drain battery as quickly because the phones are powered by the cable. This method works well if your old phone has low storage space or if you're in an area with weak Wi-Fi.

Backing up to a Samsung account

If you want to back up now and restore later, or if you're transferring to a phone that isn't nearby, use your Samsung account. On your old phone, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Backup and restore > Back up my data. Sign in with your Samsung account (create one if you don't have one) and select what to back up: contacts, messages, apps, settings, and more.

On the new phone, during setup or later through Settings, sign in with the same Samsung account. The phone will offer to restore your backed-up data. This method is useful if you're setting up a new phone days or weeks after backing up the old one, or if you want to keep a backup file separate from the phone itself.

Backing up to a Google account

Google backs up contacts, calendar events, Gmail, and some app data automatically when you sign in with your Google account. On your old phone, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Google and make sure Backup is turned on. You can also manually back up photos and videos to Google Photos by opening the app, tapping your profile picture, and turning on Backup and sync.

On the new phone, sign in with the same Google account during setup. Your contacts, calendar, Gmail, and photos will restore automatically. This backup persists in the cloud, so you can restore it to any Android phone, not just Samsung devices. It's a good safety net even if you're using Smart Switch, because it keeps your data in multiple places.

What Smart Switch does and doesn't transfer

Smart Switch moves most of what you use daily: contacts, text messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, documents, installed apps, home screen layout, wallpaper, and system settings like display brightness and notification preferences. It also transfers your Samsung account settings and any data stored in Samsung apps like Samsung Notes or Samsung Health.

Smart Switch does not transfer: banking apps or their login information (for security reasons), some carrier-specific apps, messages from third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram (you need to back those up separately through the app itself), or data from apps that don't support backup. After the transfer completes, you may need to log back into some apps manually, especially banking or financial apps.

Troubleshooting common transfer problems

If the phones won't connect wirelessly, make sure both are on the same Wi-Fi network and that Wi-Fi is turned on. Restart both phones and try again. If one phone is very old, it may not support Wi-Fi Direct—use a USB cable instead.

If the transfer stalls or stops, check that both phones have at least 20 percent battery remaining and that neither phone has gone to sleep. Disable any VPN or proxy on either phone, as these can interfere with the connection. If the problem persists, restart both phones and start the transfer again from the beginning.

If you see a message that an app couldn't transfer, it usually means the app isn't available in your region or your Google Play Store account doesn't have a record of purchasing it. You can read it manually from the Play Store after the transfer finishes. Some older apps may no longer be available at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer data if my old phone is broken or won't turn on?

If the phone won't turn on at all, you cannot use Smart Switch. Your options are to restore from a previous backup to your Samsung account or Google account if you made one before the phone broke. If you have no backup, a Samsung service center may be able to recover data, but this is not may provide and may cost money.

Will transferring data erase my old phone?

No. Smart Switch copies your data to the new phone but leaves everything on the old phone unchanged. If you want to erase the old phone after confirming the transfer worked, you can do that manually through Settings > General > Reset > Erase all data.

Do I need a Samsung account to use Smart Switch?

No. You can transfer wirelessly or by USB cable without a Samsung account. A Samsung account is only needed if you want to back up to the cloud and restore later, or if you're restoring from a previous backup file.

What if the two phones have different versions of Android?

Smart Switch works across different Android versions. However, if the new phone has a much older version of Android than the old phone, some apps or settings may not transfer properly. Updating the new phone to the latest Android version before transferring usually solves this.

Can I transfer data between a Samsung phone and a non-Samsung Android phone?

Smart Switch is designed for Samsung-to-Samsung transfers. For other Android phones, use Google's built-in backup and restore feature instead: sign in with your Google account on the new phone during setup, and it will restore your contacts, calendar, Gmail, and some app data automatically.