Your Next Android Phone Upgrade Might Be Easier

Switching from an old Android phone to a new one isn’t a completely seamless process, especially when it comes to the data stored in apps. Thankfully, Google is trying to fix that.

Google has announced a few changes to how future Android phones will handle migrating from another phone. The first one is that it will expand the Pixel 9’s post-setup data copy feature to more Android phones in 2025. This feature allows users to copy data from another device after you’re done with the initial setup process.

The post-setup data copy feature gives you more flexibility and control over the data transfer process. This is especially useful if you want to set up your new phone quickly, get that over with, and then transfer their data later. Google has not yet announced which Android phone makers will get the post-setup data copy feature in 2025. However, the company says it is working with its partners to bring the feature to more devices.

In addition to this, Google is also introducing a new feature called Restore Credentials. As long as apps are using the Credential Manager API, the migration process will not only move app data from one phone to another, but also credentials and logins. You currently need to re-setup apps that you need to log into, such as password managers and 2FA code providers.

In theory, this change would mean that apps will move from one phone to another and work fine out of the box, with minimal to no post-migration setup required. The fact that this change requires the Credential Manager API also means that some app developers might not implement it immediately, so you’ll probably still have to set up some apps. Still, if it’s properly implemented by everyone, it will make migrations considerably easier.

The new Restore Credentials feature is live, but it will take a while before every app implements it. The post-setup migration option is coming to more phones next year—right now, it’s only available on the Pixel 9 series.

Source: Android Developers Blog, Google via 9to5Google