The new phone has your wallpaper and the apps are appearing. It is tempting to assume the move is finished. Before wiping the old phone, check the things that are harder to replace: account access, local files, messages and the mobile service itself.
Use the phone maker’s transfer process, let it finish, then open your important apps and files on the new phone. Check authentication codes and your mobile service separately. Keep the old device until those checks pass, and use its official erase procedure rather than manually deleting synced photos.
Choose the Transfer Route Before Setting Up
For iPhone to iPhone, Apple’s Quick Start is the official starting point. Keep both devices close and connected to power until migration finishes. The time needed varies with the connection and amount of data, so avoid starting just before you need to leave with the new phone.
Put both chargers where you can reach them before starting. If you choose an iCloud download, Apple says apps and data can keep arriving in the background after you can use the new phone. Check that the items you need have actually arrived.
Source: Apple: Transfer with Quick Start.
Moving Between Android Phones
Google’s Android setup process can copy supported data including photos, messages, contacts and some app data. It does not copy everything. Google specifically lists downloaded files such as PDFs, hidden-folder media, apps outside Google Play and data from apps that do not use Android backup among the omissions.
Open the old phone’s Downloads folder before the move and look for anything you could not easily download again. Tickets, scanned forms and saved attachments are less obvious than the photo library. Choose a suitable way to copy the files you need, then open the copies on the new phone.
Source: Google: Copy apps and data to a new Android device.
Switching From Android to iPhone
Apple documents Move to iOS during iPhone setup, and a newer app-free route for compatible Android devices. Check Apple’s current requirements for the method your phone offers. The Move to iOS route transfers supported content, but Apple says music, books and PDFs need to be moved manually.
If you already finished setting up the iPhone, Apple’s app-based instructions require erasing that destination device to restart the process, or moving content manually instead. Do not erase a phone containing new information you have not saved elsewhere just to restart the wizard.
Source: Apple: Move from Android to iPhone.
Switching From iPhone to Android
Google’s setup guide says to turn off iMessage on the iPhone and keep both devices connected throughout the move. Follow the new phone’s copy-data prompts and check the transfer-method table in the linked guide: classic wireless, cable and newer supported transfer methods do not copy the same things.
Before starting, pick the three things you would most miss—perhaps your messages, WhatsApp history and photos—and check that your chosen method covers them. A transfer can finish successfully without including everything you wanted.
Source: Google: Move from iPhone to Android.
Treat Authentication Codes as a Separate Job
For Google Authenticator, codes sync to the new device when you use the app signed into the same Google Account. If you use Authenticator without an account, Google documents a manual export on the old device and QR import on the new one.
Those are Google Authenticator instructions, not a rule for every authenticator or banking app. Open the apps you rely on and follow their own transfer or registration procedure. Complete a real sign-in to an account you control before deciding the old phone is no longer needed. Keep recovery codes private; do not send an authenticator export QR code to someone offering to help.
Source: Google: Google Authenticator codes.
The Before-You-Erase Checklist
Do Not Delete Synced Photos to Clear the Old Phone
Apple warns that manually deleting items such as photos and contacts while signed into iCloud can delete them from iCloud and other connected devices too. Its sell-or-give-away procedure is to back up, transfer the information and then remove personal information using the documented steps.
Once you are satisfied with the new phone, use the official erase or trade-in instructions for the old device. Do not turn a cleanup session into a manual deletion of your shared library. If you have a trade-in deadline, leave time for these checks before packing the old phone.
Source: Apple: Before selling or giving away your device.
If Something Is Missing
An app is present but signed out: installation and account access are separate checks. Use the app’s normal sign-in or device-registration flow.
A file is missing: check where it lived on the old phone. A download stored only on that device may not be in the transfer set.
The mobile number still works only on the old phone: finish your provider’s SIM or eSIM transfer before clearing it.
The transfer is still running: let the official process finish before judging what is missing. Keep both phones available while you work through the relevant support instructions.
Sources and How This Was Checked
Checked against the official pages below on 11 September 2026. We have not performed these steps on a device or tested a customer account. The suggested test order and final checklist are editorial advice; provider and device requirements come from the linked documentation.
Apple: Transfer with Quick Startsupport.apple.com
Google: Copy apps and data to a new Android devicesupport.google.com
David Everson is Tech X Telco's mobile and broadband writer. He compares Australian mobile plans, NBN providers and prepaid deals, and tests the recharge processes, apps and tools readers ask about most. His focus is simple: helping Australians pay less for their phone and internet without losing the coverage they need.
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