A new phone is easy to unbox. The slower part is moving everything that matters from the old one: photos, WhatsApp chats, contacts and the small apps you only notice once they are missing.
Apple, Google and Samsung all include tools to transfer data to a new phone, and most of the work happens while you set the new phone up. A few things, like WhatsApp chats, authenticator codes and banking apps, need their own step.
Here is how each route works, plus a short checklist so nothing gets left behind.
Before You Start: A Short Checklist
- Back up the old phone: iCloud Backup on an iPhone, Google backup on Android.
- Update the old phone to the latest software it supports.
- Charge both phones and keep them plugged in during the transfer.
- Use a stable Wi-Fi connection and keep the phones close together.
- Know your passwords: Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), Google account, Samsung account if you have one, and the old phone’s passcode.
- Keep your SIM card within reach, because many apps send a verification code by SMS.
Also check that the new phone has room for everything. If you are still choosing a storage size, our guide on how much phone storage you need can help.
Plan around power cuts too. A large transfer can take a while, and a generator switch-over that drops your router can interrupt it. A mini router UPS can keep the router running through a short cut; its DC output can be set to 5V, 9V or 12V, so check that it matches your router’s adapter. Our guide to choosing a power bank for power cuts covers backup power in more detail.
1. iPhone to iPhone: Use Quick Start
Quick Start is built into recent iPhones and is usually the simplest route.
- Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to your old one, with Bluetooth on.
- Your old iPhone offers to set up the new one with your Apple Account. Tap Continue.
- An animation appears on the new iPhone. Hold the old iPhone over it so its camera can scan it.
- Enter your old iPhone’s passcode on the new one, then set up Face ID or Touch ID.
- Choose to transfer directly from your old iPhone, or download from an iCloud backup instead.
Both phones are busy during the transfer, so start when you will not need your old phone for a while.
Quick Start normally works wirelessly, but Apple also supports a wired transfer, which can help when Wi-Fi is slow. If both iPhones have a USB-C port, a cable such as the Apple USB-C to USB-C charge cable can connect them. For older models, ask our team at H2 Group which connection suits your two phones.
2. Android to iPhone: Use Move to iOS
Apple’s Move to iOS app, available on Google Play, copies your data from an Android phone while you set up a new iPhone.
- Install Move to iOS on the Android phone, turn on its Wi-Fi, and plug both phones into power.
- Start setting up the iPhone. Skip Quick Start, and when it asks how to transfer your apps and data, choose From Android.
- A code appears on the iPhone. Open Move to iOS on the Android phone and enter it.
- Join the temporary Wi-Fi network the iPhone creates, choose what to move, and leave both phones alone until it finishes.
Move to iOS can bring across contacts, messages, photos and videos, calendars, mail accounts, web bookmarks and WhatsApp chats, among other things. Some free apps are added too if they also exist in the App Store.
One catch: it only works during setup. If you have already set up the iPhone, you would need to erase it and start again, or move your content manually.
3. Moving to a Samsung Galaxy: Use Smart Switch
Samsung’s Smart Switch moves data to a Galaxy from both Android phones and iPhones. A new Galaxy offers it during setup. On a Galaxy that is already set up, you will find it in Settings > Accounts and backup > Bring data from old device.
From another Android phone, Smart Switch can transfer wirelessly or over a cable, with Smart Switch installed on the old phone too. From an iPhone, it can use a cable or bring content in from iCloud.
For a wired transfer from an iPhone with a Lightning port, a cable such as the Apple USB-C to Lightning charge cable is the usual way to connect it to a Galaxy. Between two USB-C phones, a USB-C to USB-C cable does the job. If you are still choosing, browse our Samsung Galaxy phones.
4. Android to Android: Let Your Google Account Do the Work
Between two Android phones, your Google account carries a lot on its own: contacts saved to it, your calendar, Gmail, Google Photos, and your apps with some settings.
Check that Google backup is on and has run recently. It is usually in Settings under Google or System, or under Accounts and backup on a Galaxy.
During setup, the new phone offers to copy apps and data from the old one, with a cable or from your Google backup. Many Android brands also have their own transfer app, so if you are moving to an Honor, Xiaomi, Infinix or Tecno phone, look for that option on its setup screens.
5. WhatsApp Chats Need Their Own Step
WhatsApp uses its own backup: iCloud on an iPhone and your Google account on Android. Restoring needs the same phone number and the same iCloud or Google account.
Between two phones on the same system, WhatsApp also has a direct chat transfer option in its settings, under Chats. Between iPhone and Android, the WhatsApp chat transfer happens while you set up the new phone: Move to iOS handles Android to iPhone, and Smart Switch or the new phone’s setup tools handle iPhone to Android. WhatsApp’s help pages list the current requirements for each direction.
Either way, make a fresh backup on the old phone just before you verify your number on the new one. Once your number is verified on the new phone, WhatsApp stops working on the old one.
6. Photos and Videos: Make Sure the Upload Has Finished
If you use iCloud Photos or Google Photos, your library follows your account. Before you rely on that, open the app on the old phone and check that the backup has finished.
If you are switching between iPhone and Android, photos in iCloud stay there unless you move them. The transfer tools above can copy photos stored on the phone, and the Google Photos app works on both systems.
A local copy of the photos you care most about is a sensible safety net. The COTECi 4 Interface High-Speed Flash Drive has USB 3.0, Lightning, Micro USB and Type-C connectors and supports OTG, so it can plug straight into phones with any of those ports. An OTG card reader and USB adapter is another option; check that its connector matches your phone.
7. Contacts, Authenticator Apps and Banking Apps
Contacts: check where they are saved on the old phone. Contacts in your Google account, Samsung account or iCloud follow you when you sign in. Contacts saved only to the phone or SIM card may not, so move them into your account first.
Authenticator apps: if you use an app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator for two-step verification, move those accounts before you wipe the old phone. Many authenticator apps have a transfer, export or backup option. If the old phone is erased first, getting back into those accounts can be slow.
Banking apps: many are tied to one device, so expect to sign in again and verify the new phone, often with an SMS code.
eSIM and iMessage: if your number is on an eSIM, moving it is a separate step, so ask your operator, alfa or touch, how to move your line before you reset the old phone. If you are leaving iPhone for Android, turn off iMessage in the iPhone’s Messages settings first, so texts from iPhone users reach your new phone.
After the Transfer: Keep the Old Phone for a Few Days
Do not reset the old phone as soon as the progress bar finishes. Use the new one for a few days and check that:
- Your WhatsApp chats, photos and media are all there
- Contacts, calendar and notes look complete
- You can sign in to your email, banking and work apps
- Your authenticator app gives working codes for every account
- Your SIM or eSIM line works for calls, SMS and mobile data
Once everything checks out, the old phone can be signed out of your accounts and erased before you sell it or hand it down.
Quick Answers
How long does a transfer take?
It depends mainly on how much data you have and on the connection. A phone full of photos and videos simply takes longer.
Will my apps come across?
Apps usually download again from the App Store or Google Play, and many will ask you to sign in again. Some app data only comes across if the app backs it up to your account.
Find Your New Phone and Accessories at H2 Group Beirut
Whether you are moving to an iPhone or a Galaxy, the right cable and enough storage make the move easier.
If you are looking for a new phone in Beirut, visit H2 Group. Our team can help you choose a phone that suits your budget and needs, and the cables and adapters that work with it.
H2 Group Hamra
Bliss Street, Hamra, Beirut
Phone: 71 26 25 26
H2 Group Tareek Al Jadidah
Tareek Al Jadidah, Beirut
Phone: 71 26 25 24
Have a question about the right cable or adapter for your two phones? Call either branch or reach us through our contact page.