Moving to a new phone: the no-data-left-behind checklist
Transfer day goes wrong in predictable ways: authenticators, WhatsApp, eSIMs. The checklist that gets everything across.
Last updated 2026-06-12 · 5 minute read · Applies to: iPhone, Samsung, Android
Phone-to-phone transfer is genuinely good now, if you do things in the right order. The disasters we see are always the same five things: authenticator apps, WhatsApp history, banking apps, eSIMs, and wiping the old phone too early. Work through this in order and nothing gets left behind.
1. Back up the old phone first
Before anything touches the new phone: iPhone backup or Android backup. If transfer day goes sideways, this is your undo button.
2. Move authenticators BEFORE wiping anything
Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and friends do not come across automatically. Each has its own transfer/export flow that needs the *old phone working*. Do this first: locked-out 2FA is the worst transfer-day outcome.
3. Export WhatsApp separately
WhatsApp history transfers via its own flow (Settings → Chats → Chat backup, or the direct phone-to-phone option during setup). Crossing platforms (iPhone ↔ Android) needs the official Move-to flow during initial setup; it can't be done later without starting over.
4. Use the direct transfer during setup
iPhone → iPhone: Quick Start, phones side by side. Android/Samsung: Smart Switch or the Google setup cable/Wi-Fi flow. iPhone ↔ Android: 'Move to iOS' or Samsung Smart Switch. Direct transfer during *initial setup* moves the most. Doing it 'later' moves less.
5. Sort the SIM or eSIM
Physical SIM: move it across (check size). eSIM: use the carrier's transfer flow during setup, or their app. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all support eSIM transfer, but it needs the old phone alive. Do this before the old phone is wiped or traded in.
6. Open the critical apps before wiping the old phone
Banking apps, myGov, Medicare, work email, parking apps: open each on the new phone and complete their re-verification. Only when everything works should the old phone be wiped for trade-in or sale. We can do a proper data wipe if you want certainty.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a full transfer take?
Direct phone-to-phone is usually 30–90 minutes depending on data size. Budget a quiet evening, not a lunch break. Rushing is how steps get skipped.
Can Geekly do the whole transfer for me?
Yes. Phone-to-phone transfers (including the awkward cross-platform ones) are a standard job. We'll also check the authenticator/eSIM traps before anything is wiped. Book it in.
My old phone is broken. Can I still transfer?
Usually. If it powers on at all we can often stabilise it long enough to extract; if not, data recovery can frequently pull the data directly. Don't assume the new phone has to start empty; ask first.
Related guides
- How to back up your iPhone — Two reliable ways to back up an iPhone (iCloud in the background, or a full local backup on a computer) and which one to use.
- How to back up your Android phone — Google One backups, Samsung Smart Switch, and the photo trap that catches most people. A technician's Android backup checklist.
- Cracked screen: make it safe until it's fixed — Is a cracked screen dangerous, will it spread, and how to protect your data and fingers until the replacement. Honest answers.
- Phone battery draining fast? Causes and real fixes — How to read your battery health, the settings that actually move the needle, and the point where replacement beats tweaking.