Transfer cell phone data

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qquake2k

Captain Low-N-Slow
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I got a new Samsung S9+. Now I need to transfer the photos, apps, contacts, and text messages from my POS LG G5 to the new phone. Can anyone recommend software to use for the transfer?
 
I just keep everything on the SD card most of the time.

For photos Google Photos is pretty good. If you're willing to sacrifice a little quality you get unlimited free cloud storage. My phone has an awful camera anyway, so I don't lose much, but if you have a nice camera you'll lose more quality.
 
I use Titanium Backup. I back up to the SD card and then store a copy of most stuff in the cloud. Makes it easy switching phones.

Edit: Back when I had a Samsung (long ago, an S4) I looked at the software they gave and it didn't look like it was good for moving to/from non-Samsung phones. Perhaps it has evolved and will help with the LG now.
 
I will add one further comment:

While the OP is asking about old-to-new transfer, the real issue should be about how to routinely back up phone content in case of loss or destruction of the phone.

Most things I care about are either hosted off the phone (contacts, calendar, mail, photo backups at somewhat lower res, other files in Google drive), or relatively easy to set back up in case I get a new phone (banking apps etc). Some things are hard to back up on Android... For example some games don't offer cloud storage so require Helium/Titanium or the like to back up and restore. Lacknof good native backup is my biggest beef with the Android platform.

I routinely back everything up with Titanium so that in event of tragedy those things not continuously backed up will at least have a fairly recent copy.
 
FYI, I found out the Samsung S9+ came with the Smart Switch app already installed. I just had to download and install the app in the old LG phone. The transfer was easy peasy.
 
Glad you were able to find what you needed.

The advice to use an SD card cannot be downplayed. Save all your photos, music, SIM contacts, etc. so that you can easily get back up and running if your phone takes a dive. You don't always have a working "old" phone that you can load the Smart Switch app on.

Mrs. OD and I went to Costco a few days ago and looked at the new iphone 8 plus...tired of g00gle tracking my every move. Apple will at least stall the government for a while before releasing any personal data in response to a warrant. g00gle sells your data to the world as soon as they get it. Amazon does too...Alexa is ALWAYS listening.
 
I'm intrigued by o1d_dude's perspective, though it is consistent with his tagline as being an entropy theorist :). Note, my observations are not meant to disparage anyone's views or choices, so please consider this to be good-natured recreational hole-poking.

As someone who carries a personal Android device and a work iPhone, and is familiar with both ecosystems, my own choice is to stick with Android, while recognizing that the iPhone is likely a better choice for my wife. While I rebel at the Apple "walled garden" approach, my wife is not even aware that the garden has boundaries, and doesn't care. So, to each their own.

But I was surprised to hear that in the same post, 01d_dude extolled the virtues of using SD card to hold the data, while expressing interest in switching to Apple products which notoriously don't offer external storage options like SD cards.

Also, my own perspective on Google data mining and such has evolved over the years. I've come to accept that I'm their product, and I'm OK with it. I used to turn off location services except when I specifically needed map guidance or such, and used accounts where my real name and such was purposefully obfuscated. Over time, I gave all that up. I LIKE that Google is watching my moves. Even when I'm not specifically using navigation, I get warnings of upcoming traffic problems and alternate routes. You see, Google knows where I live, work, and shop, and is very good at figuring out where I'm going and proactively offers me suggestions on the best ways to get there. I don't mind this. When I'm at a store it annoyingly asks me questions about my experience, but it also offers me coupons. It tells me when it's time to leave for the airport based on updated flight information, traffic data, and other factors, solely based on the fact that some months ago I booked a flight and probably got an email about it with an itinerary. It tells me when packages are on the way and if they are late.

So, I get these benefits. What do I give in exchange? It knows a lot about me and sells that data. OK. That's not harmful in my mind, and it's done with my consent. I really don't care about this stuff. It's like the fact that I shop at the same grocery story using a loyalty card (which my phone has... I don't use a twencen-style physical card), and I get coupons in the mail that actually are for things I might buy instead of for a 5 pound box of tarragon or something, because the store knows my interests. They use it to sell me stuff... that I would probably buy anyway, or at least might be interesting to me because other people who buy things I buy also buy that.

I see google as less "Big Brother" and more "the big brother I never had."

As to blocking the feds, my response is "meh." The feds aren't interested in anything I'm doing, and they would have other ways to get at the data about anything I do should they take an interest.

This all said, I'm critical about lots of things around Android/Google (lack of good general phone backup software built into Android for example), but then again that's just my nature.

Have a good Sunday all. I'm headed out to launch rockets for the first time this year!

Marc
 
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