How do I EXACTLY DUPLICATE my old phone to a new one of the same model?

July 9, 2021 8:14 AM

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 running Android 9 that is 3 years old. It is the most durable and reliable phone I've ever had. It has been dropped, kicked, run over, drowned and has never failed me. I am not gentle on phones and it's cracked screen and case are showing its age. I use the stylus everyday. It fits all of the mounts that I have it fits in my hand beautifully. I love this phone.

I have a beautiful new Samsung Galaxy Note 8 running Android 9, Factory renewed and sitting on my desk next to my current Samsung Galaxy Note 8. I want to transfer everything, and I mean everything, not just Apps and files oh, but all of the stored data settings locations of icons, everything to the new phone and when I turn the new one on it will be exactly the same as my old phone and I will never turn on the old phone again I will factory reset it stick it in the drawer or give it to a friend.

I am not interested in getting a different model.

I know how to transfer my SIM card, I know how to transfer my micro SD card.

And I know about Samsung Smart Switch.

Samsung Smart Switch is NOT the answer. It does facilitate pulling the apps over but it doesn't pull over the data, the passwords, or the history. I have used it in the past, and I just used it to try to duplicate my phone, but I ended up with a new phone that looks like my old phone but none of the apps are in the right place none of the data is there. And I don't have the time or the inclination to move three years worth of settings to the new phone.

I have Googled and Googled and it keeps pointing me to cloning, but I don't know if that is what I'm looking for because I have no interest in using two phones at the same time.

Halp me Obi-wan KeMefi, you're my only hope.

posted by sandra_s to Technology (5 answers total)

Here is a method to try that involves putting your phone in developer mode and using adb to backup/restore from a computer. This should copy all your apps, all your files on the internal SD card, and all local app settings between phones. So your icons should be in the same place for instance.

However, one thing that you are unlikely to be able to do is copy your logged-in account state for apps that have their own accounts from one phone to another, since these apps's servers will notice that you're on a different device and will force you to login again for security reasons.
posted by goingonit at 8:56 AM on July 9, 2021 [3 favorites]

Have you tried the program from before Smart Switch, Samsung Kies? The program worked OK for backups with my Galaxy S5, even though it's "not supported". it might be too old now, though. IIRC you will still have to re-login to stuff.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 11:19 AM on July 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

The problem here mainly is Google, in the name of security, does not allow "third-party" apps to access stuff that doesn't belong to themselves, and it doesn't provide a full backup ability internally either. This means most backups made by third-party are of the app only, not the respective internal data.

You can bypass this with rooting, but that has its own problems, as some banking apps and more security-minded apps may refuse to work if the phone is rooted, and hypothetically this makes your phone more vulnerable to hacking.

Should you choose to root your phone, Titanium Backup is probably the best known, and can save app states among other things, as well as push backups into a cloud storage account (or more than one). It has both a free and paid pro version.

But as @goingonit explained, some apps will care that it's on a different device and make you login again anyway.
posted by kschang at 1:02 PM on July 9, 2021

One more thing. If you have a favorite phone shop, they may or may not have a machine that can do this. This used to be popular back in the days when there are a dozen different data connectors and the phone shop would have octopus cables (each with a different end) and updated software to transfer stuff between phones. They went out of style with the introduction of MicroUSB and USB-C, but if you have a local phone shop you trust, it's worth asking, as they may have developer or vendor tools we don't have access to.
posted by kschang at 1:55 PM on July 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Pay someone. You probably have most passwords stored in browsers where they can be recovered and replicated. A few passwords might have to be reset. Data and music can be moved, etc.

Of course, this person now knows all your passwords, so pay them handsomely.
posted by theora55 at 10:09 AM on July 10, 2021