It's something we all fear: losing our precious files when we get a new phone or device. Luckily, the Smart Switch app makes it easy to transfer content from your Android phone to another phone. You can even create a backup on a computer that you can use later in case of of an emergency, like if you break your phone.
Transferable content from Android
You can transfer many different types of files using Smart Switch. However, some can only be transferred between two Galaxy phones.
Personal content:Contacts, S Planner, Messages, Memo, Call logs, Clock, and Internet.
App data:Images, Music (DRM free content only), Videos (DRM free content only), Documents, Story Album, and Applications.
Settings, etc:Email, Wallpaper, Lock screen, Radio, and Preferences.
Transfer content wirelessly from an Android phone
A wireless transfer is usually most people's preferred way to copy data to a new phone because it's fast and lets you keep the phones plugged into chargers during the transfer.
First, make sure the Smart Switchapp is installed on both phones, and plug them into their chargers.
When you're ready, place the phones within 4 inches of each other. Launch Smart Switch on both phones.
Tap Send data on the old phone, tap Receive data on the new phone, and then tap Wirelesson both phones.
On your new phone, select the type of your old phone (Galaxy, iPhone, etc.).
Follow any on-screen instructions; some devices may have additional steps.
Next, complete the connection by tapping Allow on the old phone.
On your new phone, choose the content you want to move, and then tap Transfer.
Once the transfer is complete, tap Done on the new phone, and then tap Close on the old phone. Now you're good to go.
Create a backup on a computer
If you don't want to transfer your files right now but would like to create a backup that you can use later, you can make one using Smart Switch and a computer.
First, make sure Smart Switch is installed on both your phone and computer. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable, and then tap Allow on your phone. Next, navigate to and open Smart Switch on your computer, and then click Backup. Your computer will automatically start backing up your phone's data, which may take several minutes. When it's done, a screen will appear informing you it's complete. Click OK.
Default save location on a computer
When you back up your old phone's content on a PC or Mac, the files are automatically stored in a default location (unless you've chosen a different location). Here are the default locations, so you'll know where everything is stored:
Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Samsung\Smart Switch PC
Windows 10: C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Samsung\SmartSwitch
Mac OS X: /Users/[username]/Documents/Samsung/SmartSwitch/backup
To quickly access the AppData folder on a PC, click Start. In the search bar, type appdata and press the Enter key.
Sync your data with a computer
Here's another way to get content from your computer onto a new Galaxy phone - you can synchronize data on your phone with your computer. Syncing ensures you have the same content on your PC or Mac and your phone.
On a PC, open Smart Switch, and then click Outlook Sync. If you are not already logged into your account, sign in with your Microsoft Outlook credentials. Next, click Sync Preferences for Outlook, select what you want to sync, and then click OK. Click Sync Now, and then click Confirm when finished.
On a Mac, open Smart Switch, and then click Sync. Choose specific content to sync from your computer, and then click Sync Now. When syncing is complete, click Confirm.
Other answers that might help
- Content that can be transferred with Smart Switch
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