Why is switching phones on Android so bad?

I don't think it's that much hassle, Just connect both phones via the usb cable and it transfers everything over. Yes you have to log into apps again but that doesn't really take too long.
Firegod said:
I must be the only one that enjoys doing it all from scratch. :cry:
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I actually enjoy setting up a new phone as well :cry:
 
kona786 said:
Good question.... Does Apple..... Anyone?
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Banking apps do not retain the login after a transfer and rightly so.

Although 90% of the apps if you are saving to your iCloud backup will restore as was, with a majority of them saving the login. It's definitely a lot easier setting up a new iPhone from a previous backup than it is going from Android to Android.
 
I dont find it tedious at all setting up a new phone from scratch its fun while I learn the new stuff about the phone, and dont want stuff I stopped using coming over just less residue, most stuff is pretty quick to setup being on cloud
 
Manbatius said:
I am with you, its quite cathartic to ditch many apps I have used once or twice then never gone back to.

Like someone above I treat it like a fresh windows install.
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Were you one of those types that did a fresh windows install with every new graphics card driver update!? :D
 
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Rimsy said:
Were you one of those types that did a fresh windows install with every new graphics card driver update!? :D
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Hah!

Back in the gaming windows XP and before says it almost seemed necessary.
I am also that guy who will update software asap then complain when it breaks. Back then Linux was less stable.

Retrospectively, feels like I was looking to break something for something to do ha.
 
Finners said:
I felt the same after my last switch which was Samsung to Samsung and I still had to set everything up again.

Then last month I did it on iOS for my mum on her new phone and it's exactly the same! Every app needed logging in to, it didn't carry across her ridiculous big font size or her eye melting full screen brightness.

It was just the same an android, across went your apps and photos everything else was like you had just downloaded the apps fresh from the app store.

So you are not alone if we are doing something wrong but at this stage I treat it like a reinstall of windows and it gives me the opportunity to de clutter my phone
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You did something wrong then as I've done countless iOS transfers and the only thing that doesn't transfer is banking apps, all other settings etc always carry over.
 
My most recent phone switch was super easy compared to in the past. Seems each time now it gets better and this time round Google's built in app login autofill etc sorted out most of my apps, with the remainder being sorted out by my default autofill system via Mozilla Sync. 2FA is sorted via MS Auth app and that ported over perfectly as well.

Everything else was transferred over inc logins during the phone to phone transfer from Samsung to Pixel. I was genuinely impressed, didn't even need to manually restore my Nova Launcher backup as it ported the entire setup over too.
 
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mrk said:
My most recent phone switch was super easy compared to in the past. Seems each time now it gets better and this time round Google's built in app login autofill etc sorted out most of my apps, with the remainder being sorted out by my default autofill system via Mozilla Sync. 2FA is sorted via MS Auth app and that ported over perfectly as well.

Everything else was transferred over inc logins during the phone to phone transfer from Samsung to Pixel. I was genuinely impressed, didn't even need to manually restore my Nova Launcher backup as it ported the entire setup over too.
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same experience here moving to a pixel 9 pro, now you can use a cable or wireless to transfer everything on your old phone aside from logging into the many apps it does everything else for you!
 
Used Smart Switch to transfer from a Motorola to a new Samsung, it transferred everything but I had to log in to all of the apps e.g. WhatsApp. Process isn’t made any easier when my parents don’t remember there log in details. :confused:
 
Lonewolf said:
Used Smart Switch to transfer from a Motorola to a new Samsung, it transferred everything but I had to log in to all of the apps e.g. WhatsApp. Process isn’t made any easier when my parents don’t remember there log in details. :confused:
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:cry: Was migrating my mums Xiaomi thing from 9 years ago over to an A55. Absolute PITA. "What's the pword"? "I don't think that app has one?" lol.
 
dlockers said:
:cry: Was migrating my mums Xiaomi thing from 9 years ago over to an A55. Absolute PITA. "What's the pword"? "I don't think that app has one?" lol.
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I know what you mean. Now I just reset the passwords and take note of the new ones on a USB stick, which is kept safe and never leaves the house.
 
It hasn’t been great with iOS either! I bought an iPhone 16 pro with the intention of giving my old 15 pro to my wife. Quickstart failed with a crash loop and the only way to fix it was to set up the phone as a new user, update it, factory reset it and then run quickstart again. On top of that, some apps carried the credentials over but a load didn’t.
 
I find that iOS transfers will sometimes fail but it won't tell you about it. It'll just tell you it's all done, welcome! No apps or data or anything restored.

Factory reset the phone and try again and usually works fine the second time. I think the iOS update throws it off occasionally.

I've definitely had to update iOS, reset, and set up again on a few occasions before.

iOS never gives any errors for anything, though, it either works or it doesn't, which is frustrating at times!
 
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Never had an issue switching. Just did 2 this month, one going from Sony --> Pixel and another Pixel --> Pixel, and everything transferred over okay, just had to re-login to all the apps (it saves the login details tho, so all this means is 'click saved username and password' and setup banking apps.
 
I'd be majorly concerned if you didn't need to re-authenticate apps on a new device. That would be a massive security flaw if a bad actor could just set up a new phone with your account and then get immediate access to all previously used apps.
 
Semple said:
I'd be majorly concerned if you didn't need to re-authenticate apps on a new device. That would be a massive security flaw if a bad actor could just set up a new phone with your account and then get immediate access to all previously used apps.
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Things like Smart Switch that transfer app data (Facebook, Messenger etc, not banking or crypto) require the source and target phones to be paired up either with a cable or QR code/high frequency audio signalling, so would only pose a risk if the bad actor had access to the (unlocked) source device.

Convenience vs risk. I'm sure I read that Google is looking at improving Android phone backup so that it can also back up application data, though it'll be opt in by the app developer.
I think it's this https://thehackernews.com/2024/11/googles-new-restore-credentials-tool.html
 
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