How To Transfer A Game To Another Phone

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You finally got that new smartphone you’ve dreamed of owning ever since you saw the launch trailer. But there’s a snag: How do you transfer stuff from your old phone to your new phone?

Phone manufacturers have made the process a little smoother recently. But it’s not completely seamless yet.

Read on to discover how to successfully transfer your favorite games and apps from your old phone to your new one and learn what won’t transfer so easily.

How to Transfer a Game to Another Phone

If you didn’t know, iOS and Android apps don’t play well with each other. So, if you’re moving from one operating system to another, you’ll probably need to go to the operating system’s app store and re-download the apps to your new phone.

On the other hand, if both devices have the same operating system, going from an old phone to a new one is relatively simple.

Android to Android Phone

1. Go to the Play Store menu and then to “My apps and device.”
   
2. Pick the ones you want to migrate to the new device.
   

Moving the associated app data from one phone to another depends on the game and the app itself. Some save information locally, while others may be connected to the developer’s server or a social media account. Some may not store data at all, which means you need to re-download them from the Play Store.

iPhone to iPhone

1. You have a couple of options when it comes to transferring data from one iPhone to another. The simplest is to use iCloud:
2. Back up your old phone to iCloud.
   
3. Follow the set-up instructions for the new iPhone until you get to the “Apps & Data” screen.
4. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup.”
5. Sign in to iCloud with the same user ID as the old iPhone.
6. Select the “Next” button and the most recent backup for installation.

You can also use the App Store to restore games and apps one by one:

1. Launch the App Store on the new phone.
   
2. Browse or search for the apps you want to install.
3. Tap the cloud download to re-install the apps.
   

Installing a game on another phone is a simple process, but it may not maintain the game progression. That depends on the game and operating system.

Game Progression Between Android Phones

Unfortunately, not all games in the Google Play Store utilize the cloud to store your game progression. You’ll know if your game may use the cloud saves if it:

1. Has a little green game controller icon on the store page, or just a white outline of one if you’re in dark mode.
2. You’ve enabled cloud saves/automatic sign-in in the “Settings” menu of Google Play Games.

However, having the icon is not a guarantee it uses the cloud. If your game doesn’t utilize the cloud service to save data, there’s always the manual solution.

Copy and Paste Method to Migrate Game Data and Game

1. Go to File Manager/Explorer > Android > Data.
   
2. Find your game folder and copy the OBB file.
   
3. Install the game on the new phone without opening it.
4. Paste the OBB file in the same location on the new phone (Android > Data > game folder).

Most games on Android OS and iOS offer users the option to sign up with a social media account. Assuming you can’t sign in with a dedicated account, link your Facebook page to carry progress from one device to another. This is generally the most simple and effective method to transfer game progress.

Third-Party Backup Solutions

If you don’t feel comfortable copying and pasting game progress data, you can always use your PC or an SD card as an intermediary. You’ll need third-party software to help with this, too.

How to Transfer a Gameloft Game to Another Device

Gameloft requires that you submit a help ticket via the game’s settings menu to transfer a game. Having your device’s old friend code and the new one can help this process move along faster, but it can still take a while.

How to Transfer Minecraft to Another Device

There are a couple of ways to transfer Minecraft from one device to another, depending on the operating system. One of the simplest ways to transfer is an account with Minecraft Realms.

If you have one, follow the steps below to transfer your worlds:

1. On your old device, go to the Realms list and tap on the pen icon next to your Realm.
   
2. Choose “Replace World” and confirm the choice.
   
3. Select the world you plan to transfer and click “Let’s go!”
   
4. Go to your new device and choose the pen icon next to your Realm choice.
5. Tap “Download World” and wait for the download.
   
6. Choose “Let’s go!” to launch a new Minecraft world.
   

How to Transfer Candy Crush From One Phone to Another

Rather than transfer Candy Crush from one phone to another, it’s simpler to go to your phone’s app store and download the game again.

But if you’re concerned about keeping your game progress, follow these steps:

1. Launch the game on the old device.
   
2. Back up your game/progress and connect to your Kingdom account or Facebook.
3. Install Candy Crush on the new device.
   
4. Launch the game and connect it back to your Facebook or Kingdom account(s).
   

Connecting back into your Facebook or Kingdom account should sync your game again. Keep in mind that any extra moves and lives, as well as boosters, are lost in the transfer.

How to Move Game Progress From iPhone to Android

Unfortunately, you can’t move game progress from an iPhone to an Android device, or vice versa, because they use different game file types. One workaround is using cloud storage to sync game progression and logging into the social media account tied to the game. Not all games use it, though.

Additional FAQs

Can I Transfer Apps From My Old Phone to a New Phone?

Both iPhone and Android devices have built-in migration tools to help transfer information to a new phone as long as the new device is compatible.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eRecently, Apple developed the “Move to iOS” app that helps migrate some (but not all) Android-equivalent apps and content to iOS. Samsung, meanwhile, has Smart Switch, which helps locate Android versions of iOS apps. Android doesn’t have a similar system for users switching from iOS to their phones. Apps will need to be downloaded manually.

Backup and Transfer Pains

Regardless of your phone operating system, moving to a new one is always a little painful. Phone companies have a “restore a backup” function to ease the process, but it isn’t perfect.

Try to keep your old phone on-hand and don’t do a factory reset until you’re sure the process is complete. You never know when you’ll need an old game code.

How do you transfer games and apps to a new phone? Tell us in the comments section below.