Putting android on any phone

How to transfer data from your old Android phone to your new one

Source: Alex Dobie / Android Central

When it’s time to switch from your older Android phone to a new one, you’ll want to make sure all of your data makes it way across safely. Thankfully, Google makes it extremely convenient to migrate your texts, call logs, contacts, music, and photos over to your new phone seamlessly.

How to back up data on your old Android phone

You’ll need to make sure that all the relevant data on your old phone is backed up to the cloud before you make the switch to your new phone. Google automatically backs up contacts, call logs, texts, and settings — including Do Not Disturb details — to Drive, so you’ll be able to restore all that data to your new phone just by logging in with your Google account during initial configuration.

Best of all, the data that’s automatically backed up by Google doesn’t count toward your storage quota, so you don’t have to worry about running out of storage. The feature backs up call history, app data, contacts, device and home screen settings, and text messages. So before you switch to a new phone, it makes sense to see if this data is already on the cloud.

Note: I’m using a OnePlus 7T for reference, but the steps outlined below will be the same for all Android phones running Android 7.0 Nougat and above. You can always search for backup in the settings search bar to find the option.

1. Open Settings from the app drawer or home screen.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Go to the System menu.

Source: Android Central

Hit Back up now to sync the latest data on the phone with Google Drive.

Source: Android Central

Pro tip: Go to contacts.google.com to see if all the contacts from your previous phone migrated to your Google account. The contacts that you see on this page will be the ones that will show up on your new phone.

Once the data is backed up, you can get started with setting up your new phone. Before we do that, however, let’s make sure your photos and videos are being backed up to Google Photos.

How to transfer photos and videos to your new Android phone

Google Photos is an outstanding service for backing up photos and videos. It seamlessly backs up data, has granular sharing controls, and uses on-device machine learning to automatically group faces. However, the best feature is the unlimited storage at high quality. You can save your photos and videos at Original quality — the quality at which they were taken — or select High quality, which retains the same level of detail while cutting down on the size.

You don’t have to worry about running out of storage if you select the High-quality option, and this particular feature makes Photos a fantastic service for storing your photos and videos. As the data is backed up to a cloud, you’ll be able to access your photos and videos from your new phone as well as on the web. If you haven’t set up Photos yet, here’s how to get started.

1. Open Photos from the app drawer or home screen.
2. Select the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) from the top left of the screen.

Tap Settings.

Source: Android Central

Ensure that the Backup mode is set to High quality.

Source: Android Central

That’s all there is to it. Once your photos and videos are safely backed up to Google Photos, you can get started with setting up your new phone.

How to restore data and settings to your new Android phone

You’ve unboxed your new phone and are ready to set it up. There are a few ways to restore data from your older device, and here I’m highlighting the option that has worked best for me over the years (I switch phones once every two weeks, so I know what I’m talking about). You’ll need your old phone for this, so make sure you don’t reset the data just yet. At this point, you should switch the SIM card over to the new phone. Let’s get started.

1. Select your device language and hit Start on the welcome page.
2. Select your home Wi-Fi network and sign in.

Hit Next at the Copy apps & data screen to begin migrating data from your old phone.

Source: Android Central

Hit Next once again here. I’ll have detailed instructions on how to set things up on your old phone down below.

Source: Android Central

You’ll see your phone’s model number highlighted on the Verify your phone page. Stay at this page and grab your old phone. You’ll now need to authorize data transfer from your old phone so that texts, calls, and relevant data can migrate seamlessly to the new device. Here’s what you need to do on the old phone:

1. Open Settings from the app drawer or home screen.
2. Navigate to the Google tab.

Select Set up & restore.

Source: Android Central

Your phone will now search for nearby devices. You can then verify the patterns on both devices to make sure the connection is established.

Source: Android Central

You’ll see a Copying your account progress bar at this point. Once you see this, switch back to your new phone.

Source: Android Central

You’ll be able to see a sign-in window for all the Google accounts registered on your older device. Because you set up direct data transfer, you won’t need to enter two-factor authentication when signing in using this method. Don’t fret if you do not see the two-factor dialog box; that is normal behavior. Should both phones lose connectivity at any point during the restore, just start over and you’ll be able to set it up.

1. Sign in to your Google account.
2. Confirm the screen lock of your old phone to authenticate the data transfer.

You’ll now arrive at the Choose what to restore page. If you want everything from your old phone transferred to the new one, leave all the settings as is and select Restore.

Source: Android Central

Hit Restore to start installing data on your new phone. You should see a confirmation message of the same.

Source: Android Central

After selecting the restore options, you’ll be able to choose whether to back up data and use location automatically at the Google services page. After selecting the services, you can set up a PIN to use face unlock and fingerprint authentication.

The rest of the options after configuring biometric authentication will vary by manufacturer, and you can easily follow along with the on-screen instructions. The best part with a cloud restore is that even your home screen is preserved. That includes the background as well as the app layout, so you can get started on your new phone without any additional setup.

That’s all there is to it. Once setup is finished and you get to the home screen, you’ll see the Play Store running in the background and restoring data from your old phone. This may take up to an hour based on the amount of content installed on your old phone and your internet connection, so you can let that run while configuring the rest of the options on your new phone.

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Harish Jonnalagadda

Harish Jonnalagadda is the Asia Editor at Android Central. A reformed hardware modder, he now spends his time writing about India’s technology revolution. Previously, he used to ponder the meaning of life at IBM. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

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How to find your lost Android phone

Source: Android Central

Worried about misplacing your Android phone or (worse yet) having it stolen? Ease your fears and set up a tracking system before your worst case scenario strikes. You’ll get the best results if your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi signal but GPS and mobile networks will still manage to pinpoint a fairly accurate location. You must also have a Google account for virtually all of the tracking services available, whether they are built-in or downloaded.

How to locate your phone using Google

Most Android phones now come with Find My Device built right in. This service automatically tracks your phone’s location, so if it ever goes missing you can hop on your laptop or a friend’s phone and find its last known location, ring your phone if it’s nearby, or lock and/or erase your phone if you fear it has been stolen.

The most important thing you can do is make sure your phone is set up to be found before it goes missing. Otherwise, you’re basically on your own. An important point to note here is that you should always have your phone’s IMEI and serial numbers handy. You can easily find your phone’s IMEI number by dialing *#06# from your phone’s dialer.

The IMEI number is a unique identifier, and is what your phone uses to register to cell towers. You can get your phone’s serial number from the settings. Go to Settings -> About phone and you should see the serial number. Having this information is useful particularly if your phone is stolen and you need to register a complaint with the police.

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

Let’s get back to Google’s built-in utility. You’ll be signed into Find My Device as soon as you set up your phone, but there are a few times when things don’t work the way they’re meant to. In such a scenario, all you need to do is download the Find My Device app from the Play Store and sign in with your Google account. Once you do so, it will stay active on your device, and you’ll be able to use it to locate your phone remotely.

Should you happen to lose your phone, you can locate its whereabouts by logging into your Google account from any computer or even from another phone. Just launch any web browser, navigate to android.com/find, and enter your email address and password if you’re not signed in to your Google account on that device. If you have 2-step verification set up on your Google account (and you most certainly should), you’ll need to complete that as well.

With Find My Device open, you have three options to choose from:

• You can play a sound so that it makes noise (even if you had it on silent). This feature is helpful if the map indicates that the phone is within earshot and you simply can’t see it.
• You can secure your device so that the finder can’t access your home screen. This feature is most helpful if your phone wasn’t previously secured with a passcode or a fingerprint sensor.
• You can erase your phone. This is the best option if you know for certain that you aren’t likely to retrieve your phone.

If you are trying to locate your phone with Find My Device and it doesn’t seem to be working, the most likely cause is that your phone is not currently connected to Wi-Fi or an available network. In this case, it’s important to keep trying; the moment your phone does make that connection, it will appear on the map. Here’s a more detailed take on how Find My Device works.

If you want to download a tracking app for fear of a missing phone crisis, there are a number of options to choose from, and we’re highlighting some choice picks for you further below. But first, let’s see how you can find your phone inside your house via Google Home.

How to locate your phone in your house using a smart speaker

Source: Android Central

It’s embarrassingly easy to lose your phone by putting it down somewhere in your house and forgetting where you left it. This can be frustrating if it’s time to leave for work or some other appointment and you’re frantically scrambling around your home looking for it.

If you own a Google Assistant speaker, you can use Assistant to help find your phone. Your Android phone must be logged into the same Google account as your smart speaker, you must have linked your Google account and voice via the Home app, and your phone must be turned on and connected to the internet either via mobile data or Wi-Fi. You will also need to have Find My Device turned on, which you should absolutely activate for any Android phone you’re using.

As long as your phone is still on and connected to the Internet, all you need to do is say, «Ok Google, find my phone,» and Google will confirm which device you want to find and then turn the ringer on — even if you have your phone set to silent. With Google Home’s multi-user support, everyone in your home can use Google Home to find their phones if they’re lost as long as they’ve linked their Google Accounts using Voice Match.

How to locate your phone with third-party apps

While Google’s built-in option is definitely your best bet, there are some third-party options you might want to consider. We’ve broken down the best third-party apps for finding your phone below.

The ideal choice : Life360 Family Locator

The Family Locator app by Life360 is essentially a GPS tracker for phones but is especially useful for families with multiple phones in use. Your family members become a «Circle», the app’s name for a closed group of people who consent to have their phones tracked in real time. Your family members will appear on live maps within the app as little icons so that you can see where everyone is at any given moment.

Also great : Prey Anti Theft

The Prey Anti Theft app is impressive in that three different devices can be protected through one download. You’ll have the ability to sound an alarm from your missing phone, take screenshots if it’s in use, and lock down the device the moment you realize it’s missing. The best part is that it’s absolutely free to use.

Control your phone remotely : Lost Android

Lost Android will allow you to have remote access to your missing phone via their website. Here, you’ll be able to erase sensitive information if you fear that your phone may never be returned, or send messages to your phone in the hopes of someone finding and returning it.

A safe bet : Where’s My Droid

The basic features of the Where’s My Droid app allow you to ring your phone if you misplace it, locate it via GPS on Google Maps, and use a passcode to prevent unauthorized changes to apps on your Android phone. Stealth Mode also prevents anyone who finds your phone from seeing your incoming text messages; instead, they’ll see a customizable attention word that alerts them of the phone’s lost or stolen status.

Google is your best solution for finding your phone

Google’s phone location tools are your best bet — as long as you’ve gone through the process of setting things up ahead of time. Really, this should be something you set up on any device you care about or that will have sensitive data stored on it, especially with how easy Google has made it to locate your device should you lose it.

Of course, one of the benefits of Android is having the freedom to customize your experience as you see fit. If for whatever reason Google’s offering just doesn’t cut it for you, you should consider the third-party options we’ve highlighted above, as they include some clever features that might give you some added peace of mind if your device goes missing.

If all else fails, block your phone’s IMEI

If your phone is stolen or found and it’s then factory reset, you will not be able to rely on any apps or services to find it; a factory reset will wipe out any of the original data, accounts, or passwords that are needed to remotely find your Android phone.

Then you’ll have to use the nuclear option of blocking it with its IMEI number. Doing so will at least make sure that no one else will be able to register the phone on cell networks. You should contact the police as soon as possible once your phone goes missing, and furnish its IMEI number. You’ll also need to do the same with your carrier or service provider, and it will be added to a blacklist.

There are services like Stolen Phone Checker in the U.S. and Device Check in Canada that let you key in an IMEI and see if that particular device has been reported as lost or stolen. There’s also IMEI24, which has a global database.

As always, exercise caution when retrieving a lost or stolen phone. If you have any worries about your phone being lost or stolen, it’s best to set up and test your preferred tracking system as soon as you buy it and contact the police. It can be a bit of extra front-end work to register some apps, but it will be more work trying to locate a missing phone if no safety nets are in place at all.

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