For us Android lovers, I think we can all agree that one of the best feelings in the world is unboxing a brand-new smartphone and turning it on for the first time. There’s an entirely new experience in there, especially when moving from one manufacturer to another, so it can be quite exciting.
One thing you might have noticed with new phones though, is that the moment you leave the setup wizard, you no longer have the option to transfer data from an old phone—at least not without a factory reset to start over. The good thing is, that’s going to change.
The Pixel 9 Series Lets You Transfer Data From Your Old Phone At Any Point, With More To Join
There are a million and one reasons why you might not be able to transfer data from your old device to your new one at the very moment that you plan to set up the new one. I’ve been there before. I didn’t have all my affairs in order on my previous device, so I had to hold off until I did before finally switching over. That meant that I had to resist the craving to use my new device right away.
The good thing is that Google has had that in mind and is finally going to allow you to transfer data from an old device at any point in your new device’s lifetime. Now, you can move your old data over when you’re ready and not solely at the setup wizard.
The coolest part is that the Google Pixel 9 series already supports this behavior, and you can find it by going into the Settings app on the device or using the Android Switch app. And it won’t be Pixel exclusive either, as Google has stated that more Android OEMs will start supporting this major change in 2025.
Google Is Also Introducing Several Other Features To Improve The Switching Experience
There are other ways that Google has been working to improve the experience of transferring from one device to a new one. It’s not something most people do often, but it is certainly one avenue that convenience is deeply appreciated. Here are some of the ways that Google has made the transfer experience smoother:
- It has announced Android Switch, a new app that makes switching over to a new device as easy as ever. It is able to transfer chats, contacts, personal settings like your saved Wi-Fi networks and screen lock settings, and more.
- When using a cable to send data over from an Apple iPhone to a new Android phone (welcome to the winning team), the speed of transfer has been increased by 40%, which will certainly be noticeable.
- And speaking of iPhones, Apple finally adopting RCS might not bring iMessage to Android, but it means there’s a lot less to fear when leaving iOS.
- Google has also introduced an express setup option when setting up a new device, which will only transfer the data stored on the other device, and none of the data that is in the cloud. That makes things move a lot faster.
