Switching to a new phone

What's inside

1. Don't wipe or sell the old phone yet

   The golden rule of switching phones: keep the old one intact and working until absolutely everything — banking, 2FA, messengers — runs on the new phone. It's your fallback if something didn't transfer.

2. Make a fresh backup of the old phone

   Run an iCloud or Google backup right before the switch, not an old auto-backup from last week — that way the freshest photos and data actually make it in.

3. Transfer data with the built-in migration tool

   Quick Start on iPhone or Android's data transfer tool — keep both devices plugged in and side by side, it can take an hour or more with a large photo library.

4. Explicitly transfer your 2FA authenticator apps

   Google Authenticator and similar apps do NOT come along automatically with the rest of your data — you need to export accounts manually from within the app. Skip this and you risk getting locked out of a bank or email account — the single most expensive mistake on this list.

5. Check your 2FA backup codes

   Important accounts (email, banking) should have backup codes saved somewhere other than the phone. If the transfer goes sideways, they're your only way back in.

6. Find out how you'll log back into banking apps

   Many banking apps are tied to a specific device and SIM, and will demand re-verification when you switch phones — sometimes via a support call or branch visit. Check the process in advance so you're not locked out of your money mid-trip.

7. Transfer your eSIM through the carrier

   An eSIM doesn't come across with the migration tool — you need a fresh activation request or QR code from your carrier. A physical SIM just moves over.

8. Check that messenger chat history transferred

   WhatsApp chat history transfers through its own separate process (a cloud backup, or a direct transfer on first launch) and doesn't just ride along with the system migration — verify it right after installing.

9. Make sure every photo is actually uploaded to the cloud

   Some photos and videos can sit "waiting for Wi-Fi" for months and never make it into a backup or the cloud. Check the upload status in settings before you part ways with the old phone.

10. Confirm you're logged into email on the new phone

    Email is the key that restores almost everything else: password resets, accounts, subscriptions. Confirm the login and sync are working before moving on to anything else.

11. Reissue transit cards and passes in your Wallet

    Some passes (transit cards, work badges, loyalty cards) don't just move over — they need to be reissued for the new device. Check with the issuing app, or you might find yourself locked out of the subway or the office.

12. Re-pair your watch, earbuds and trackers

    Unpair your smartwatch, NFC-enabled earbuds and fitness trackers from the old phone before pairing with the new one — some models refuse to connect to two phones at once.

13. Confirm access to your password manager

    It's what unlocks almost every other account on the new phone. Make sure cloud sync is working and you have the master password on hand.

14. Check that app purchases and subscriptions restored

    Paid apps and subscriptions on the App Store / Google Play usually reattach automatically to your account — but open a couple of them and confirm they're not asking you to buy again.

15. Double-check your contacts after the transfer

    Contacts saved "only on the phone" (not synced to Google/iCloud) sometimes get lost in the migration. Scroll through the list on the new phone and compare it to the old one.

16. Test that calls, texts and mobile data actually work

    Call yourself, send a text and load a page without Wi-Fi — do this before you say goodbye to the old phone for good, not after.

17. Sign out of accounts on the old phone

    Sign out of Apple ID / Google account, unlink from Find My / Find Hub, and only then factory reset — skip this and the old phone can stay locked for its next owner, or even locked to you.

18. Keep the old backup for at least a week

    Whatever didn't transfer usually surfaces in the first week: a forgotten app, a missing note. With the backup still around, you can still fix it.