Moving to a New Phone or Computer: A Stress-Free Transfer Checklist

A new phone or computer should feel exciting, not stressful. Yet many people put off upgrading because they worry about losing photos, contacts, passwords or that one program they use every day. With a little preparation, moving to a new device can go smoothly. Here is the checklist we walk customers through.

Before you start: back up everything

Do this first, even if you plan to transfer directly from one device to the other.

• Phones: make sure the cloud backup has completed recently, or back up to a computer. Check that photo backup is on and finished.
• Computers: copy documents, photos, music, videos and desktop files to an external drive, a cloud service, or both.
• Check for files in unusual places, such as the desktop, downloads folder or a folder an old program created.
• Export browser bookmarks if you are switching browsers or computers.

A backup means that if anything goes wrong during the transfer, nothing is lost.

Gather your passwords and accounts

This is the step people most often skip and most often regret.

1. Make sure you know your main account passwords, especially your Apple ID or Google account and your email.
2. Check two-factor authentication. If your codes come by text, make sure the new phone will keep the same number. If you use an authenticator app, move it carefully, following the app's own transfer instructions, before wiping the old phone.
3. Write down or save in a password manager the logins for banking, utilities and shopping sites.
4. Note software license keys for paid programs on your computer.

Transferring to a new phone

iPhone to iPhone

The built-in Quick Start transfer lets you move data by holding the new phone near the old one, or you can restore from a recent cloud backup. Keep both phones charged and on Wi-Fi, and give it time to finish.

Android to Android

Most Android phones offer to copy data from your old phone during setup, either by cable or wirelessly, and your Google account brings contacts, calendars and many apps along.

Switching between iPhone and Android

Both platforms offer tools for switching. Photos, contacts and calendars generally move well. Messages, app data and purchased apps may not all come across, so check anything important.

Do not forget

• Messaging app chat history, which sometimes needs its own backup
• Photos saved only inside apps
• Your smartwatch, which may need to be unpaired from the old phone first

Transferring to a new computer

1. Install updates on the new computer before moving files.
2. Use the built-in migration tool where available. Macs include Migration Assistant; for Windows, many files move easily through a cloud account, an external drive or transfer tools.
3. Copy your files from your backup into the matching folders.
4. Reinstall programs from official sources, then sign in or enter license keys.
5. Set up printers, email and backups on the new machine.
6. Check everything works for a week or two before wiping the old computer.

Wipe the old device before letting it go

Whether you are selling it, trading it in, passing it to a family member or recycling it:

• Phones: sign out of your Apple ID or Google account, turn off activation lock or device finding, then use the factory reset option. Remove the SIM card.
• Computers: sign out of accounts, deauthorize any software that needs it, then use the built-in reset or erase option.
• Old drives: if a computer is too broken to reset, the drive may still hold your data. Remove it or have it wiped properly rather than tossing it in the trash.

When to get help

You can handle many transfers yourself. Bring it to us when:

• The old device is broken, cracked or will not turn on
• You are moving years of files or several programs between computers
• You are switching between Windows and Mac
• You want backups set up on the new device from day one
• You just would rather have it done right

Our iPhone and smartphone repair, computer and laptop repair and data recovery and backup services can help, including getting data off a device that has stopped working. Many folks in Canton, Woodstock and Ball Ground also ask us to fix their old device so it can be handed down to a family member.

Make the switch with Alpha Computers in Canton

Chuck and our team have more than 26 years of experience and over 20,000 devices repaired. Every repair includes our 1-year warranty and No Fix – No Fee promise. Walk in to our shop on Hickory Flat Hwy, call 678-899-6800, or request a free quote and we will help you move to your new device without the stress.