Phone Data Transfer Help

Prepare both phones

• Back up the old phone and confirm the latest backup date.
• Charge both phones and keep power connected for a large move.
• Use stable Wi-Fi or a known-good data cable.
• Know the old phone’s screen-lock PIN.
• Keep the source phone unlocked when approval is requested.
• Compare the selected data size with free storage on the new phone.

Do not erase the old phone merely because the new phone has reached its home screen.

Choose a supported transfer path

Current Pixel setup can offer cable, wireless, QR-assisted transfer or cloud restore depending on the source phone and software.

For Android, follow the copy-apps-and-data flow, approve the connection on the old phone and leave both devices powered until the selected data is copied.

For iPhone, follow the offered cable or wireless flow and review services that need their own transfer. Encrypted messages, authenticator apps, health data and some app records may not move with ordinary phone content.

For cloud restore, confirm the backup belongs to the intended account and old device before accepting it.

If the transfer stops

1. Connect both phones to power.
2. Unlock the source phone and look for a permission prompt.
3. Reseat the cable or use another known-good data cable.
4. Keep wireless devices close and on stable Wi-Fi.
5. Check free storage on the new phone.
6. Reduce the selected data when it does not fit.
7. Retry the same supported method before switching to a reset.

If some data is missing

First distinguish data that is still downloading from data that was never selected or supported.

• Open the transfer summary if it is available.
• Check the original cloud service for photos, contacts or files.
• Open apps and sign in to the same accounts.
• Review each security-sensitive app’s own transfer steps.
• Keep the old phone unchanged while you compare important records.

Google documents post-setup Android Switch for Pixel 9 and later. Some post-setup restore flows allow only one previous source device before a reset is required.

What not to do

• Do not delete the backup after one failed transfer.
• Do not reset either phone before checking power, permission, storage and connection.
• Do not assume every app’s data is included.
• Do not erase the old phone based only on a progress indicator.