How to move text messages to a new phone

Have you just bought a new smartphone? You likely want to transfer the years of messages accumulated on your old phone to your new handset. Thankfully, this task is easier than you may think. Here’s how to move text messages to a new phone.

How to move text messages to a new Android phone

You can use your Android phone and Google account to back up and restore text messages. First, back up your messages on your old phone:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
2. Double-check that you’re backing up to your preferred Google account at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Google > Backup.
4. Ensure that backups are enabled.
5. Scroll down and ensure SMS and MMS messages are listed.
6. Tap the Back up now button to manually back up your messages.

After you’ve backed up your messages, you can move to your new phone and do the following to download them all:

1. Turn on your new phone and log in using the same Google account you used to create the backup.
2. During the setup process, choose Restore when your phone asks if you want to restore the data connected to your account.
3. After the setup process is complete, you should see your messages in the Messages app.

How to move text messages to a new iPhone

Like an Android phone, you can use your iCloud account on an iPhone to back up and restore your messages. First, on your old iPhone, do the following:

1. Ensure you have iOS 11.4 or later installed.
2. Plug your iPhone in and connect it to Wi-Fi.
3. Open Settings > Apple ID > iCloud.
4. Turn on Messages to have them saved to your iCloud account.
5. This may take a while, so keep your phone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi until the process is complete.

After your back up your messages, you can transfer them to your new iPhone by doing the following:

1. Turn on your new iPhone.
2. Go through the setup steps.
3. When prompted, tap Restore from iCloud Backup to restore your messages.
4. The transfer process may take a while, but you should see your messages in the Messages app once it is complete.

If the above steps don’t work, you can use a Mac to back up and restore your messages. Here’s what to do:

1. Open iTunes on your Mac.
2. Click the iPhone icon.
3. Under Backups, select This computer. This will save a complete backup of your iPhone to your Mac.
4. Once the backup is complete, you can download it to your new iPhone during the setup process.

How to move text messages from iPhone to Android

You can transfer messages from an iPhone to an Android phone, but the process will be more involved. Here’s what to do:

1. Turn on your new Android phone and follow the setup process.
2. When prompted to “Copy apps & data,” tap Next.
3. Turn on and unlock your iPhone, then tap Next on the “Use your old phone” screen.
4. You will need the USB-C to USB-A adapter that came with your phone. Plug the USB-C end into your phone and connect the other end to your iPhone using a USB-to-Lightning dongle.
5. When prompted on your Android phone, sign in with your Google account, then hit Next.
6. You’ll be asked what your want to copy. Make sure you choose Messages along with anything else you wish to copy. Then tap Copy.
7. Tap Continue.
8. Continue through the rest of the setup process.
9. Your Android phone will remind you to disable iMessage on your iPhone. Ensure you do this so you don’t miss out on future messages.

The process is a bit more streamlined if you have a Samsung phone. As a bonus, you can do it anytime, not just when setting up your new Android phone. Here’s what to do:

1. Download the Samsung Smart Switch app on your Samsung device.
2. Open the app and then select Receive data.
3. Choose iPhone/iPad as the source. Make sure your iPhone is on and unlocked
4. Plug the USB-C end of a USB-C to USB-A cable into your Samsung device and the other end into a USB-to-Lighting dongle connected to your iPhone.
5. The Smart Switch app will automatically search your iPhone. Choose Messages along with other things you wish to transfer.
6. Tap Transfer.
7. The transfer process can take some time, but you’ll see a progress indicator on your Samsung device. Ensure that the Keep screen on option is enabled, so nothing gets interrupted.
8. Once the transfer finishes, tap Next.
9. Your Samsung phone will remind you to disable iMessage on your iPhone. Ensure you do this so you don’t miss out on future messages.

How to move text messages from Android to iPhone

Apple offers an easy way to move messages from Android to iPhone. Here’s what to do:

1. Install Move to iOS on your Android phone.
2. Turn on your new iPhone and begin the setup process. Make sure to connect to a Wi-Fi network.
3. When the prompt regarding Apps & Data appears, select Move Data from Android.
4. Make a note of the security code displayed on your iPhone.
5. Open Move to iOS on your Android device and enter the security code when prompted.
6. In the Move to iOS app, select the types of data you want to transfer. Ensure you choose Messages.
7. Complete the setup process on your iPhone.

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