The easiest way to transfer your old phone to a new phone on Android is to back up the old one to your Google account, then sign in with the same account while setting up the new one. If both phones are the same brand, the brand’s own transfer app usually copies even more, including settings and home-screen layout.
Back up the old phone first
Do this on Wi-Fi, not bundles: a backup with photos can be many gigabytes.
- On the old phone, open Settings > Google > Backup (on some phones Settings > System > Backup) and tap Back up now.
- Open Google Photos and check that backup is on and finished.
- WhatsApp is separate: open WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat backup and tap Back up. Google’s phone backup does not include your chats.
- Note down passwords for banking and other apps; you’ll log in again.
Check your Google storage at one.google.com first; if it’s full, the backup fails.
Restore with your Google account
This works between any Android brands, such as Tecno to Samsung.
- Turn on the new phone and join Wi-Fi.
- When asked, choose Copy apps & data.
- Pick “Can’t use old device?” to restore from the cloud backup, or follow the steps to connect the old phone directly with a cable or wirelessly.
- Sign in with the same Google account and choose the backup to restore.
You’ll get contacts, apps (they re-download), call history, SMS on most phones, Wi-Fi passwords and settings. Expect to sign in to apps again.
Brand tools: Smart Switch, Phone Clone, Mi Mover
Brand apps copy over Wi-Fi Direct between the two phones, so they don’t use your data bundle:
| App | Made by | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Switch | Samsung | Moving to a Samsung from any Android or iPhone |
| Phone Clone | Huawei / Honor | Moving to Huawei or Honor; works from other brands too |
| Mi Mover / Xiaomi transfer | Xiaomi | Moving to Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco |
Does Phone Clone work between brands? Yes: install it on both phones from the app store and the old phone can be any Android. The new phone should be the brand that makes the app.
Some Tecno and Infinix models have a transfer option in Settings; otherwise the Google restore works fine. Avoid look-alike “phone clone” apps full of ads.
Moving to iPhone? Read transferring data from Android to iPhone and how to use Move to iOS.
What to check before you reset the old phone
Don’t wipe the old phone until you’ve confirmed on the new one:
- Contacts, photos and WhatsApp chats are all there.
- M-Pesa and banking apps work.
- Authenticator apps are moved; these often need a manual transfer.
Then remove your Google account from the old phone and factory reset it, so the next owner isn’t blocked by your account lock.
Quick answers
Back up the old phone to Google, then sign in with the same account when setting up the new phone and choose to copy apps and data.
Google’s backup saves your app list, and the apps re-download on the new phone. You’ll usually need to sign in to each app again.
Yes. The old phone can be most Android brands; the new phone should be Huawei or Honor.
