It ’s the season for the giving and receiving of gifts , and whether someone else has generously bought you a smartphone or you ’ve decided to treat yourself , it ’s metre to tender farewell to your old handset and face the hereafter with your new one . But wait — we’ve get a few checks you need to make first .
We ’re not going to cover the whole appendage of switching phones here , and thankfully it ’s a lot easier than it used to be thanks to the championship features now built into Android and iOS , and appssuch as Google Photos . Instead we ’re go to slacken off seven things you might not have realized you involve to think about .
1) Your two-factor codes
Two - factor authentication is one of the most important andeffective security measuresyou can set up on your various accounts , but it does mean you ’re relying on your phone to bring forth codes to access to apps such as Gmail on new devices .
Sometimes codes get sent via SMS and sometimes you need an authentication app , but in either case , make indisputable you ’re not relying on your old sound when you get free of it .
In the case of SMS that think of trade your SIM card or upgrade your peregrine issue in your various account pages . For codification - generating apps , assure the instructions inside the app and inside your accounts for item of how to get everything moved to a new phone — the statement for Google accounts arehere .
Image: Adam Clark Estes/Gizmodo
2) Your chat histories
With so many insistent courier doing the rounds now , it can be easy to draw a blank to take all of your conversations with you when you switch phones ( if you desire to that is — maybe you ’d rather start with a fresh slating ) .
For some apps , like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct , everything simply re-emerge when you signalize into the relevant app on your new telephone . For various other apps it ’s not so straightforward , so it ’s deserving three-fold - checking . In WhatsApp , for example , you need to go to schmooze and Chat backup from the preferences first appearance in the app carte du jour .
Text messages can be a bit frustrating to save and restore . On iOS , they ’re included in the iCloud or iTunes reliever you should ’ve set up ; on Android , just about the best app we ’ve found for the line of work isSMS Backup+ . If you ’re switching between Android and iOS , you could export your textbook to preserve them for descendants , but you there ’s no way to laden them back up on your novel telephone .
3) Your browser data
You probably do n’t give much idea to the clobber you ’ve been doing in your web web browser on your smartphone — your raw telephone set will number with one preinstalled , and installing third - party ones is straightforward — but you might just want to double - assay that you are taking with you everything you need .
For Android that admit files you might have downloaded to your gadget , which you could look up by load up up the options app then tapping Storage , Files , and Download ( or by using the third - party single file coach of your option ) . Browsers on iOS ca n’t straight download files ( except photos ) to storage , so there ’s nothing to interest about there .
Make certain your web browser is syncing all your information like word and browsing chronicle too , if you want to bring this all up on your new speech sound : On Google Chrome find the preferences entry in the computer menu then tap your Google account at the top . On Firefox for mobile , again the sync and sign - in option is the top one on the configurations screenland .
4) Your local files
So much of our stuff sits in the cloud now and so many apps pull everything they need from the entanglement that it ’s easy to forget about the single file that might get left behind . Fortunately both Android and iOS now admit limited file coach of their own , but there ’s no easy means to stop you ’ve caught everything before you wipe your phone .
On iOS , only exploit the Files app , and on Android , go to Storage then Files from the options app . Look for folders created by apps that might not needfully be include in backups : Think about podcasts , for example , or data saved by your fitness or sopor trailing apps on your phone .
photograph and videos were likely first on your mind for what to transfer over to your novel equipment , but is your photo and video backup tool of choice catching everything ? Think about screenshots ( if you want them ) and images sent to your instant messenger apps ( if you want them ) .
5) Your gaming high scores
With any luck , the secret plan you ’re act will preserve your high scores and bring them back when you contract into the same apps on your new equipment , but this is n’t always the case , specially for game that do n’t use the frameworks provide by Apple and Google .
All you may really do in this situation is check with the developer or the plot ’s support pages to see what the situation is , and export or write your current progress and in high spirits grade if you require to . Again you might be out of circumstances if you ’re switching between iOS and Android , and will probably have to buy the plot again too , if it ’s not free .
A program likeiExplorer($39.99 for Mac or PC ) orHelium(free for Android ) might be able to aid but it depend on how the game has been typeset up and how accessible its files are . The game developer might also be able-bodied to give youmore information .
6) Your registered devices
Some apps , like Spotify and Google Play Music , put a limiton the number of devices you’re able to use at once , or at least download offline content to at once . be given through the apps on your sometime speech sound and see if this could implement to anything you ’ve catch .
Most of the time deactivating your old equipment wo n’t ask you to actually have the equipment with you , but it ’s better to be safe than sorry . If you could sign up out and uninstall the app then do so . In fact , last through your apps one by one and uninstalling them is a good way of checking you have n’t missed anything .
Apple also recommends youderegister iMessageif you ’re moving to an Android earpiece to ensure you could get SMS and millimetre substance on your new twist . you’re able to now do this without your original iPhone , but the inactivation might be delayed .
7) Your smart home controllers
If you ’re using your existing telephone to wangle your sassy plate then you require to verify control has been successfully channelize to your new phone before you ditch your old one , otherwise you could have your smart lights leading you on a merry dance every even with no way to turn them off .
Fortunately , hardware manufacturer eff that masses change telephone set from metre to time and unremarkably make the process pretty painless , particularly if you ’re managing your gadget through HomeKit or the Google Home app . However , it ’s still deserving get to sure the relevant apps are up and running on your raw phone while you still have access to the same options on the old one .
If you ’re upset or something does n’t transfer over properly , your undecomposed port of call is the manufacturer behind the ironware , or the link livelihood forum on the web . This should n’t be a major job but it ’s something else to go over on .
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