How to Back Up Your Entire Phone Before Getting a New One

New phone day is exciting right up until you realize your photos, messages, and authenticator codes live on the old one. Knowing how to back up your entire phone before getting a new one is the difference between a smooth 30-minute transfer and a weekend of regret.

Do this before you wipe, sell, or trade in the old phone — not after. Here’s the complete process for iPhone and Android, plus the things backups miss that you need to handle manually.

The short answer: on iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap Back Up Now (or back up to a computer via Finder/iTunes). On Android, go to Settings > Google > Backup and turn on Backup by Google One. Verify the backup completed, then handle authenticator apps and downloaded files manually.

iPhone: iCloud Backup vs Computer Backup

iCloud Backup is the easiest: Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. It saves your photos (if iCloud Photos is on), messages, app data, settings, and home screen layout. The catch is storage — the free 5GB won’t cover most phones, so you’ll likely need a month of paid storage ($0.99 for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB). Buy it, back up, transfer, then cancel if you want. One dollar for peace of mind is a bargain.

A computer backup (Finder on Mac, iTunes/Apple Devices app on Windows) is free, unlimited, and faster — and you can encrypt it, which is the only way to include saved passwords and Health data. Connect with a cable, select ‘Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac/PC,’ check ‘Encrypt local backup,’ and go. Honestly, do both if you can: belt and suspenders for your digital life.

Android: Google One Backup

On most Android phones: Settings > Google > Backup > turn on ‘Backup by Google One’ and tap ‘Back up now.’ This covers apps, call history, contacts, settings, SMS, and photos (if Google Photos backup is on). Samsung phones also offer Samsung Cloud backup in Settings > Accounts and backup — run both for maximum coverage.

Check what’s actually included, because it varies: WhatsApp needs its own backup enabled inside WhatsApp (Settings > Chats > Chat backup), and downloaded files, custom ringtones, and some app data may not transfer. Take a quick scroll through your files app for anything important living outside the usual folders — downloads, voice recordings, documents saved to odd locations.

• iPhone: iCloud Backup (Back Up Now) + encrypted computer backup
• Android: Google One backup + Samsung Cloud if applicable
• WhatsApp: enable Chat backup separately inside the app
• Authenticator apps: transfer or export codes manually — most don’t back up
• Photos: confirm cloud photo backup is current before wiping

What Backups Miss (Handle These Manually)

Authenticator apps are the big gotcha. Google Authenticator, Authy, and Microsoft Authenticator don’t reliably transfer 2FA codes via phone backup — use each app’s built-in transfer/export feature before wiping, or you’ll be locked out of accounts. Do this first, while the old phone still works.

Also manual: banking apps (you’ll re-verify on the new phone — have your login details ready), downloaded music/podcasts/maps (re-download on Wi-Fi later), paired Bluetooth devices (re-pair), and anything in secure folders or hidden albums. Take screenshots of your home screen layout and important settings if you’re particular about your setup. It takes five minutes and saves an hour of ‘how did I have this configured?’

After the Transfer: The Verification Checklist

Don’t wipe the old phone the second the new one lights up. Live with the new phone for 24–48 hours first and verify: photos are all there (spot-check old ones, not just recent), messages came over, banking and email apps log in, 2FA codes work, and your contacts are complete. Make a test call. Send a text. Open your most-used apps.

Only then wipe the old phone: iPhone via Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings; Android via Settings > System > Reset > Erase all data. Remove it from your Apple ID / Google account device list, and if you’re selling or trading it in, this is also when you’d follow the steps to factory reset your phone before selling it properly. Keep the old backup for a month after — storage is cheap, regret isn’t.

How Do I Back Up My Entire Phone Before Getting a New One? The App-by-App Checklist

Beyond the system backup, run through your most important apps individually. Messaging: WhatsApp and Signal need their own in-app backups enabled (Signal’s is encrypted and manual — don’t skip it). Photos: verify the cloud backup is complete by checking the web interface, not just the phone. Notes and documents: confirm they’re syncing (Apple Notes, Google Keep) rather than stored ‘on my iPhone’ only — on-device notes don’t transfer.

Health and fitness data: Apple Health transfers via encrypted backup or iCloud; Google Fit syncs to your account — verify both. Smart home apps, banking apps, and work profiles will need re-login; make sure you know every password (this is where that password manager earns its keep). Downloaded content — Spotify playlists, Netflix downloads, offline maps, podcast episodes — won’t transfer; plan to re-download on Wi-Fi.

Do a final scroll through your home screens and app library before wiping. If there’s an app you can’t identify, open it — it might hold something important. This 20-minute audit catches the stragglers that system backups miss, and it’s the difference between a transfer that feels complete and one that nags you for weeks.

Related reading: how to factory reset your phone before selling it  ·  how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a Windows laptop

The Bottom Line

Back up to both cloud and computer if you can, verify the backup actually completed, and manually transfer authenticator codes before wiping anything. Live on the new phone for a day or two to confirm everything moved over, then erase the old one. The whole process takes under an hour — the recovery from skipping it takes far longer.

Sources: Apple: back up your iPhone  ·  Google One backup help