How to transfer contacts from old samsung to new samsung

Table of Contents Show

How to transfer contacts from one Android to another Android
Using your Google account
Using a vCard
How do I transfer everything from my old Samsung to my new Samsung?
Will Samsung Smart Switch transfer my contacts?
How do I transfer my contact list from my old phone to my new phone?
How do I sync my contacts to my new Samsung phone?

There are two ways to transfer contacts from an Android phone to another Android.
You can sync your Android contacts to a Google account and then log into that account on the other Android.
You can also transfer your contacts into a vCard file, and then move the file onto your other Android.

If you're changing phones, you don't need to leave your contacts behind. It's incredibly easy to transfer your contacts from one phone to another — especially if they're both Android devices.

Here are two ways to move your contacts from one Android to another.

How to transfer contacts from one Android to another Android

Using your Google account

The easiest way to transfer contacts is to use your Google account.

1. On your old Android, open the Settings app and tap Accounts.

Open your "Accounts" menu. William Antonelli/Insider

2. Select the Google account that you intend to use on the new Android.

3. Tap Account sync or Sync account.

Depending on your device, this can be called either "Account sync" or "Sync account." William Antonelli/Insider

4. On the page that opens, make sure that Contacts is enabled. This will make sure that all of your phone's contacts are saved to the Google account.

Toggle on the "Contacts" option. William Antonelli/Insider

Now when you log into that Google account on your new Android phone, all of your contacts will transfer over.

Using a vCard

vCards — also known as .VCF files — are packets of data that are specially made to carry contact information. Nearly every phone can read them, which makes them perfect for moving your contacts.

1. On your old Android, open the Contacts app.

2. Tap the three dots in the top-right and tap Select all.

Select all of your contacts at once. William Antonelli/Insider

3. Tap the sharing icon, which looks like three dots with lines connecting them. Your contacts will be compiled into a single .VCF file.

The sharing icon is at the top of the screen. William Antonelli/Insider

4. Choose where you want to send the .VCF file. You can choose any option you like as long as you can access the file later on your new Android, but we recommend sending it in an email to yourself.

5. On your new Android, download the .VCF file.

6. In your new Android's files app — it might be called Files, Files by Google, or something similar — find and open the .VCF file.

7. You'll be asked if you want to import the contacts. Tap Yes or OK.

Find and import your vCard file. William Antonelli/Insider

Your contacts will be loaded onto the new phone.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

Read more Read less

• If you are unable to download through the Google Play Store, please follow the instructions below.
- Please reboot a phone and go to Settings → Apps → Google Play Store → Clear cache and data → Then, try to download again.

▣ Smart Switch gives you the freedom to move your contacts, music, photos, calendar, text messages, device settings and more to your new Galaxy device. Plus, Smart Switch™ helps you find your favorite apps or suggest similar ones on Google Play™.

▣ Who can transfer?
• Android™ owners
- Wireless transfer: Android 4.0 or higher
- Wireless transfers from a compatible Android device to Galaxy device: Android 4.0 or higher (Note that non-Samsung devices with Android versions lower than 6.0 can only connect with Galaxy devices that support a Mobile AP.)
- Wired transfer: Android 4.3 or higher, charger cable, and a USB connector

• iOS™ owners - use the option that’s best for you:
- Wired transfer from your iOS device to your Galaxy: iOS 5.0 or above, iOS device cable (lightning or 30 pin), and a USB connector
- Import from iCloud™: iOS 4.2.1 or higher and Apple ID
- PC/Mac transfer using iTunes™: Smart Switch PC/Mac software – Get started http://www.samsung.com/smartswitch

• Windows™ Mobile owners
- Wireless transfers: Windows OS 10
* Note: For more information and step-by-step directions, go to http://www.samsung.com/smartswitch

▣ What can be transferred?
- Contacts, calendar(Device content only), messages, photos, music (DRM free content only, Not supported for iCloud), videos (DRM free content only), call logs, memos, alarms, Wi-Fi, wallpapers, documents, app data (Galaxy devices only), home layouts (Galaxy devices only)
- You can send app data and home layouts by upgrading your Galaxy device to M OS (Galaxy S6 or higher).
* Note: Smart Switch scans and transfers content stored on the device and from the SD card (if used).

▣ Which devices are supported?
• Galaxy: Recent Galaxy mobile devices and tablets (From Galaxy S2)
* Note: For Galaxy S2, old OS (GB/ICS) version can cause incompatibility. If your S2 does not work properly, please try after firmware update.

• Other Android devices:
- HTC, LG, Sony, Huawei, Lenovo, Motorola, PANTECH, Panasonic, Kyocera, NEC, SHARP, Fujitsu, Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO, Coolpad(DazenF2), RIM(Priv), YotaPhone, ZTE(Nubia Z9), Gionee, LAVA, MyPhone(My28s), Cherry Mobile, Google(Pixel/Pixel2)

* Note: For reasons such as compatibility between devices, it may not be possible to install and use Smart Switch on certain devices.
1. To transfer data, both devices must have a minimum of 500 MB free space in their internal memory.
2. If you are using a wired connection, your device must support a 'Transferring media files (MTP)' USB option to allow content to be transferred.
3. If you have a non-Samsung device that constantly disconnects from the wireless network, go to Advanced Wi-Fi on your device, turn off the “Wi-Fi initialise” and “Disconnect low Wi-Fi signal” options, and try again.
(The options described above may not be available, depending on your device manufacturer and OS version.)

※ Application permissions
The following permissions are required for the app service.
[ Required permissions ]
. Phone: Used to confirm your phone number
. Call logs: Used to transfer call log data
. Contacts: Used to transfer contacts data
. Calendar: Used to transfer calendar data
. SMS: Used to transfer SMS data
. Storage: Used to save the files necessary for data transfer
. Microphone: Used for high-frequency audio when searching for Galaxy devices
. Bluetooth: Used to search for nearby Galaxy devices using Bluetooth.
. Location: Used to connect to devices using Wi-Fi Direct, which makes your location available to nearby devices

If your system software version is lower than Android 6.0, please update the software to configure App permissions.
Previously allowed permissions can be reset on Apps menu in device settings after software update.

How do I transfer everything from my old Samsung to my new Samsung?

Launch Smart Switch on both phones. On the new Galaxy phone, open Settings, search for Smart Switch, and then tap Bring data from old device. Tap Bring data from old device again. Note: Alternatively, you can navigate to the Samsung folder on the Apps screen, and open Smart Switch from there.

Will Samsung Smart Switch transfer my contacts?

With Smart Switch, you can transfer your apps, contacts, call logs, messages, photos, videos and other content to your new Galaxy device quickly and easily — whether you're upgrading from an older Samsung smartphone, another Android device, an iPhone or even a Windows phone.