Switch to Galaxy S7: how to migrate old phone data to Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge with Smart Switch?

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• The S5 uses a micro sim card which you can pop out the middle to make it into a nano sim card to use in your s7. Keep the micro sim frame as you can easily pop the nano sim back in if you want to use it in the s5 or other phone that uses the micro sim card.

  I just did this at the Tmobile store a few days ago-first always turn off both phones-I took the micro sim card out, popped out the middle to get the nano sim card, put the nano sim card in the S7 tray (check that you did that correctly-the other side of the tray is for an sd card)

  Turn on the S7 and it should take a little longer to start, but once it starts it should be on your network and working-able to take and make calls.

• Hi

  I went to EE store today, the customer service guy transferred the data from my old Samsung S5 to samsung S7 Edge, however my new phone is on emergency services and my old phone is still on.
  What should I do to start using my new phone. I was given a new smaller chip for my new phone, because the new one is too large. Do I have to turn off my old phone for the new one to work? Please help.

  Joan

  • The staff should tell you how long it should take. Normally, it should be just a few hours when you change sim card.

• My phone will not transfer the data - it keeps saying 'Connecting to Galaxy Device' and never comes off this message. My old phone says 'Connected as a media device'. Is there anything else I need to do as it doesn't appear to be working....?

  • It seems you are trying to connect them with a USB cable. Did you try to connect then through WiFi? You just need turn on WiFi on both phones, then start SmartSwitch app on both phones.

    • Guide should be get also using the USB cable as it is option stated instead of wifi.

      • Thank you for the feedback.

• All data was transferred from Note 5 to S7 except Frozen Freazy Mania game. How can I transfer it over without losing my levels

  • You probably have to check with the app developer. Some games may not allow you to transfer some game data. Some may only allow you to sync with their servers.

• When using smart switch to move data from a Galaxy S5 to a Galaxy S7 what happens to my voicemail? And what happens to visual voicemail? I use Sprint as my carrier. Thank you

  • Voicemails are saved in your carrier's server, not on the phone. You should be able to access your voicemail from any phones. You can always check it in your S7.

• I transferred all data from s5 mini to s7 and it all seemed to go on. Now I am finding lots of my music isn't there, but more importantly, I can't find my memos. I checked at the time that they definitely were transferring over but now they have disappeared. Have you any idea where they might be on the s7?

  • Not sure. It could be due to different versions of the memo app. You should check it after the transfer.

    Also, to make it safe, you should back up everything to a PC. Later, you can restore any missed items.

• i am switching from one GS7 to another GS7. all data seemed to transfer except it didnt download any of my apps. i tried twice. once all data, once just selected the apps. thoughts?

  • if you select an app, then start the transfer, what do you see in your new phone?

    Some apps cannot be transferred. But most can.

• Hey so I bought a s7 edge and had a note 5 used samsung smart switch to transfer my apps from note to edge and everything seemed to work but after the transfer is over and I close everything out when I scroll through my edge all my contacts and stuff switched over but none of my old apps are on the edge please help

  • Did you select app in SmartSwitch? You can always try again.

• Will all my contacts be gone from face book if I install it from my old phone to my new one?

  • Contacts can be transferred. But you should always keep a backup if you don't save contacts under your Google account.

    Facebook can read your contacts on the phone. Most Facebook contents are saved in their server and you can access them from any devices.

    Not sure what exactly you are referring to "gone from Facebook".

• I successfully transferred as described from an old S7 to a new S7. In Gallery, my pictures doubled, and dates taken are okay. How did this happen, and do I need to manually delete the extra?

  • Did you check the details of the duplicated files to see the folder they are saved?

• I just purchased a S7 and my old phone is a S3. The Verizon salespeople didn't see an issue with doing using Smart Switch. They sent me home to do the transfer and now I find that the compatibility for Smart Switch only works with the S4 or later version. The S3 doesn't seem to be able to connect to the S7 and the S7 is staying at 99% "Searching SCH-I535 for content to transfer..." Is there anything that I can do to transfer the information?

  • You can always back up your S3 to a PC with Samsung Kies on the PC. Then you can restore the backup to S7 with Samertswitch on PC.

    For wireless transfer, Smartswitch app on Android only requires Android ICS 4.0. So, S3 is compatible with the app. The issue you encountered problem related to some settings in your S3, not the app itself.

    Anyway, I would recommend you to transfer through the pc.

• I transferred from a galaxy s5 to a s7. The guy at the store used smart switch. I can't find my text messages. How do I locate them? I saw him select to transfer them but they aren't on my phone

  • You should be able to see them in messages app. If not, you can transfer again. You can select messages only and see whether you get any errors.

    You can also back up the older phone to the PC with l SmartSwitch (for PC) or Kies 3, then restore them to your S7.

• Will it send over all your settings also? Like i have a message app were you can set up your own colors and stuff like that. Or I have folders all organized. Will that transfer or will i have to do my folders all over again?

  • Only some system settings (e.g., wallpaper) will be transferred. App folders will NOT be transferred. You have to redo again.

    For apps, it depends on individual apps. For some apps, app data and account info can be transferred in account info is saved locally.

    Anyway, you need to spare a few hours to set up the new phone.

    • So any suggestions on how to get app data transferred? for example, a game has lost it's history and I need to start all over again. Another example is for my keyboard settings - language, default keyboard, etc.

      I had to transfer from a defective s7 edge to a new s7 edge and smart switch transferred most things.

      Thanks

      • It depends on individual apps. For game data, it's determined by the app developer whether data backup or transfer is supported.

        For keyboard settings, you can try smart switch.

        • Suggestions on folders to check for individual apps? Suggestions on how to get google to remember the passwords I told it to with previous device?

          Keyboard settings did not work with smart switch, I'm just resetting everything

          Thanks

        • Different apps may use different storage arrangements. Some apps use own folders. Most apps use Android folder.

          Only passwords saved by Google can be used by reused by other device. Google doesn't remember passwords by default. Smart password can only detect certain types of password. It seldom detects or saves password for apps.

• I recently got the new Note 7 (one that presumably WON'T explode on me...). Anyway, I transfered ALL my data and apps to the new phone. ALL of my LOCKED (fingerprint-locked) S-Notes did not transfer over! Now the first phone's been wiped and returned to the store, and I'm wondering if there's any way possible for me to get those LOCKED S-Notes BACK? Please help!!

  • If you did not have backups, probably it is impossible to get them back. it is important to back up the phone regularly and keep a copy on your PC.

    By default, S Note app allows you to sync your S Notes with either Samsung account or Evernote account (old versions).

• thx Simon for the crisp guidance. worked wonderfully well for me after tinkering with numerous other sites for nearly a day. Rajesh

  • Enjoy your S7/S7 edge.

• I followed this process correctly and both devices (S5 old phone to S7 new phone) indicated it completed correctly, however, my text/picture messages do not show up on my S7. Am I doing something wrong?

  • Smartswitch can transfer SMS and MMS messages. If you are using other messaging apps, for example, WhatsApp, you have to backup them inside the app itself.

    When you did the transfer, did you set messages?

    Anyway, you can always backup messages to PC (on which you need to install SmartSwitch or Kies 3 for PC), then restore them to any other Samsung phones.

• Hey.. i had done transfer like mentioned. It asked me to disconnect the cable after it seemed to copy all data from old device. It then started saving process (which actually sets up each item selected like call log, contacts etc.). While it was doing saving process (was on step 8 out of 11), i mistakenly used "close all" apps option and this transfer process was closed. Unfortunately, it does not run in background.

  Is there an option to restart the saving process ? I am sure it had copied all data and samsung must be storing it on phone somewhere. Is it possible to save/set that copied data from the appropriate folder locations. I missed set-up/saving of my messages and settings seems.

  • I think you probably have to do it again.

• I just locked my self out from my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge with wrong screen lock input. What do I do. Urgent help pls.

  • The only official way to unlock Galaxy S7 (and S7 edge) is to use Samsung's Find My Mobile. This requires a Samsung account on the phone (this must be added before you were locked out), and internet connection (you can enable mobile data even you are locked out)

    Please read this guide for detailed discussion on this.

• Hi, When connecting my S5 to the new S7 all works well up to the point that the screen blue icon on the S7 ( Receiving device..... Searching S5 for content to transfer.....) says, "99%" then it stays there for ever. (more than an hour) this cant be correct or must I still wait??

  • i also have the same problem

  • You can try again if it takes a few hours. The duration depends on contents you have on s5.

• The screen on my old Galaxy S5 is completely useless, its shattered and went black. Is there still a way to transfer data over to my new S7?

  • if the phone screen is locked, you cannot copy files from it. You need find a way to unlock the phone if you need transfer files from that phone.

    it sounds it is annoying. But this is to protect your data. You do not want other people to access your data if the phone is not in your hands.

• Hi..which type of sd card (class, size) is best for s7 edge?

  • It depends on your budget. Class 10 is the minimum. If budget permitted you can get UHS-3. These cards have a U3 icon on them.

    Don't just read class. Brand and actual speed are more important.

• is it possible to upload a back up from an s6 edge on to the s7 with solely the smart switch back up? as i no longer have the s6 edge as it was stolen?
  if not, is is it possible for me to upload said smart switch back up to another s6 edge?

  • You can restore backups of S6 (and actually backups of most Galaxy phones) to S7.

    On the PC, you should already have the Smart Switch. After connecting S7 to the PC, start Smart Switch on the PC. You can choose to restore, then specify the S6 backup. That's it.