New phone essentials

Step 1 of 3 · Account and transfer

Connect your account and choose what to carry over

Before arranging the home screen, decide which Google Account should be the main account on this phone. If you have several, use the one associated with the contacts, purchases and backup you intend to keep. Have its password and a working way to complete two-step verification available. During initial setup, connect to a trusted Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions for copying information from another phone or restoring an available backup. Read each selection screen rather than accepting every item automatically.

Give your information a reliable starting point

Signing in provides access to Google services and information already stored in that account. Copying from another phone and restoring a backup are related but distinct processes, and neither guarantees that every app will return exactly as it was. What is available depends on the source phone, its backup, the Android versions involved and the individual app. Some apps keep information in their own online accounts; others need a separate transfer process. Getting these decisions right first helps you avoid setting up apps under the wrong account or mistaking an incomplete restore for missing information.

The three taps

Add account. Follow the Google sign-in screens during initial setup. If you already reached the home screen, open Settings and look for the accounts section, then choose Add account and Google. The section may be called Passwords & accounts or have another name. Enter your details only in the expected sign-in flow, and complete any verification request yourself. If you cannot access the account, use Google's account recovery guidance before relying on that account for the new phone.
Copy apps & data. When this choice appears during initial setup, follow the on-screen instructions for your old device. Use a suitable cable if the setup flow offers that option, or follow the wireless instructions if available. Review the categories and apps offered for transfer, and leave out anything you no longer need. If restoring a cloud backup, check that you selected the intended device backup. Keep both phones available until the transfer reports completion; apps and other information may continue appearing afterward.
Account sync. After signing in, open the accounts section of Settings, select the relevant Google Account and look for Account sync. Review the services listed there, such as contacts or calendar, and keep the ones you want synchronized. Available entries depend on the phone and installed apps. Open Contacts and Calendar to confirm that expected information appears under the right account. Treat photo backup separately: check the photo app's account and backup settings rather than assuming that account sync covers your entire photo library.

Keep a route back into your accounts: do not erase or trade in the old phone yet. A text message, an authenticator app or a prompt on a signed-in device may be needed to authorize access. Arrange your mobile service with your carrier if the new phone cannot receive calls or texts. Separately follow any banking, messaging or authenticator app's transfer instructions; a general Android transfer is not proof that those apps are ready.

Continue

Up nextBuild a small app collection around your routine