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So you just got a new smartphone. Obviously, you will not be needing your old smartphone anymore, so if you are not thinking of keeping it for sentimental reasons, you can just sell it or give it away.
But before you do, you need to remember that your old smartphone is not just some used toy. It is also something that holds loads of personal information and other data that you still might need. To make sure that you got everything covered before getting rid of your old phone, here are some simple tips.
Migrating your contacts list is no longer that difficult, thanks to online servers, clouds, and other storage services that allow you to back up your personal information. Also, shifting from one similar device to another (e.g. iPhone to iPhone) is made easier through proper syncing.
Transitioning from one handset to another of a different make can be a little tricky, but still fairly manageable. For instance, if you are migrating from Android to an iPhone (or Windows Phone device), you can just sign in on your handset via your Google account and do the importing of your contacts from there. However, if you are moving Android data directly to an iCloud or OneDrive account, you may need to use third-party software.
For the reverse (from iPhone to Android), you can similarly use your Gmail account as repository for your contacts. If you are housing your contacts data on iCloud, you will need to port your address book manually. The same goes if you are moving contacts data from a Microsoft Outlook account.
This is much more complicated than just migrating your contacts. Some of your favorite apps have already accumulated information (links) over time and you are gonna need to back them up too. Android has a built-in backup tool that saves the apps you have installed, but unfortunately, not the linked information. However, you can make use of other software solutions, like Helium for instance, which lets you back up the information saved in your favorite apps.
As for iOS devices, thankfully backing up is easy because of the back up tools present in iTunes. Plus, you can also utilize your Mac to make sure the back up process is done right.
Google Plus, Apple's iCloud, and Microsoft's OneDrive all have options that let you transfer your photos, videos, and music files to online servers. If you are the type who wants to do it manually, just drag and drop the files you want to keep.
You will need to be mindful of your SIM card too -- are you using the same one, or getting a new one for your new phone? If you decide on the former, you need to make sure it is accepted by your new handset. If you get a new one, be prepared to shell out extra for a new SIM.
If you really want to make sure no sensitive data is left behind in your old smartphone, then by all means, do a factory reset. This will erase the phone's memory and get rid of just about everything (contacts, emails, photos, videos, music, apps).
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