Gonna Smart Switch for the first time and I have questions

[PacificaBren]

I'm excited to say I just ordered an S23 FE to replace my S9.

I'm told Smart Switch can or will make it easy to migrate my stuff over, but I have questions:

1. An employee at the T-Mobile store told me I can pick and choose what I want migrated over. For example, if I just want my contacts copied, I can do that, right?

2. I'm kinda worried I might have some contacts stored on my S9's internal memory vs some stored on its SIM card. How do I figure this part out?

3. When it comes to apps, would I be correct in thinking Smart Switch will copy them over with their saved preference files and logins intact?

4. Does Smart Switch simply copy your apps over, or is it "smart" enough to go to the Play Store and download and install on your new phone the same apps you had on your previous phone?

5. Given how old the S9 is, and given how much old and extraneous apps can gunk up your system, my gut instinct is that it might be better to not copy any apps over, and that I should instead go to the Play Store on my own and do fresh, clean installs of every app I want to continue using. Am I correct in thinking this is a better, smarter option?

6. If I do want Smart Switch to copy apps over, does it allow me to pick and choose which ones, or would this be like Apple's Migration Assistant for Macintosh, where it's pretty much all the apps or none?

7. The lady at the T-Mobile store suggested I do this all over Bluetooth. Isn't Bluetooth hella slow, though? She did say I could use a USB cable to accomplish this if I wanted to. Would USB be better and faster?

8. And speaking of T-Mobile, while I am a T-Mobile customer, I ordered this unlocked phone on Amazon, 'cause T-Mobile doesn't sell this model with 256GB of storage. I'm planning to install the T-Mobile Visual Voice Mail app. Are there any other apps or utilities I, as a T-Mobile user, should be installing in order to get the best out of my service?

9. I've never signed up for Samsung or T-Mobile's cloud backup services, but I figure I ought to, since my whole life is on my phone. Whose cloud backup, if any, do y'all recommend?

10. Should I used Smart Switch to migrate over all my old, existing text messages? It's nice to think of not losing them, but I dunno, maybe I'm gumming up the works if I carry over years of old messages? Is it better to just get a clean start?

Thank you for your guidance!

 

[Milo Williamson]

7)

Bluetooth is incredibally fast, I use it all the time from my cell to my hearing aids within seven seconds flat, they are able to connect with my cell, so I can read the battery percentage and vice versa, it is pretty fast with my blue tooth keyboard from my tablet to my keyboard.

 

[PacificaBren]

7)

Bluetooth is incredibally fast, I use it all the time from my cell to my hearing aids within seven seconds flat, they are able to connect with my cell, so I can read the battery percentage and vice versa, it is pretty fast with my blue tooth keyboard from my tablet to my keyboard.

What brand of hearing aid? I use Oticon hearing aids, and I completely gave up on their Bluetooth connectivity, because the Oticon app and/or my S9 were so bad at connecting to the hearing aids and maintaining the connection. The folks at the hearing center told me Oticon's iPhone connectivity works much better, but perhaps they don't know what they're talking about.

As for Bluetooth being fast, it sure is slow when I want to transfer photos and movie files from my phone to my computer.

 

[PitCarver]

I went with the wired option when I transferred my phone from an LG V40 to my new S24+. No real problems. Compatible apps migrated fine though not the app data.

 

[Milo Williamson]

What brand of hearing aid? I use Oticon hearing aids, and I completely gave up on their Bluetooth connectivity, because the Oticon app and/or my S9 were so bad at connecting to the hearing aids and maintaining the connection. The folks at the hearing center told me Oticon's iPhone connectivity works much better, but perhaps they don't know what they're talking about.

As for Bluetooth being fast, it sure is slow when I want to transfer photos and movie files from my phone to my computer.

Widex hearing aids forever ago with my sound assisttance.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I Also had success rate with the app when I did get my Samsung tablet set up though, an easy login or two and boom, it connected.

 

[ocnbrze]

I'm excited to say I just ordered an S23 FE to replace my S9.

I'm told Smart Switch can or will make it easy to migrate my stuff over, but I have questions:

1. An employee at the T-Mobile store told me I can pick and choose what I want migrated over. For example, if I just want my contacts copied, I can do that, right?

2. I'm kinda worried I might have some contacts stored on my S9's internal memory vs some stored on its SIM card. How do I figure this part out?

3. When it comes to apps, would I be correct in thinking Smart Switch will copy them over with their saved preference files and logins intact?

4. Does Smart Switch simply copy your apps over, or is it "smart" enough to go to the Play Store and download and install on your new phone the same apps you had on your previous phone?

5. Given how old the S9 is, and given how much old and extraneous apps can gunk up your system, my gut instinct is that it might be better to not copy any apps over, and that I should instead go to the Play Store on my own and do fresh, clean installs of every app I want to continue using. Am I correct in thinking this is a better, smarter option?

6. If I do want Smart Switch to copy apps over, does it allow me to pick and choose which ones, or would this be like Apple's Migration Assistant for Macintosh, where it's pretty much all the apps or none?

7. The lady at the T-Mobile store suggested I do this all over Bluetooth. Isn't Bluetooth hella slow, though? She did say I could use a USB cable to accomplish this if I wanted to. Would USB be better and faster?

8. And speaking of T-Mobile, while I am a T-Mobile customer, I ordered this unlocked phone on Amazon, 'cause T-Mobile doesn't sell this model with 256GB of storage. I'm planning to install the T-Mobile Visual Voice Mail app. Are there any other apps or utilities I, as a T-Mobile user, should be installing in order to get the best out of my service?

9. I've never signed up for Samsung or T-Mobile's cloud backup services, but I figure I ought to, since my whole life is on my phone. Whose cloud backup, if any, do y'all recommend?

10. Should I used Smart Switch to migrate over all my old, existing text messages? It's nice to think of not losing them, but I dunno, maybe I'm gumming up the works if I carry over years of old messages? Is it better to just get a clean start?

Thank you for your guidance!

1.yes you can pick and choose what apps you want to be transferred over.
from smart-switch

• Personal content: Contacts, S Planner, Calendar, Messages, Memo, Call logs, Clock, Samsung Pass, Secure Folder, and Internet.
• App data: Images, Music (DRM free content only), Videos (DRM free content only), Documents, Story Album, and Applications.
• Settings, etc: Email, Wallpaper, Lock screen, Radio, and Preferences.

2.you can log into your google contacts on your computer and see if there is any difference:Sign in - Google Accounts

3.i have found that some app data will not tranfer over, but the app itself will be installed so it will depend on the app.

4.yes it will install all of your apps from one phone to another

5.its not a bad idea. there is an app that i had on my note 4 that keeps getting installed on to my new samsung phone. now i just keep it because it is no longer availablke on the play store and i keep mainly for sentimental value.....lol

6.i believe you can pick and choose.

7.that depends.....if you are tranferring movies and photos then yes a cable is quicker. but if it is just data like contacts or app data than wireless is just as fast as cable.

8.my z fold 4 is carrier unlocked as well and i had t-mobile at first, but now i am on verizon. i never used any t-mobile crapware....same goes for verizon. i think you will be just fine without any of that stuff.

9.i do not really use any cloud service. i do use google photo's to backup and save my photos and videos. i use google contacts to back my contacts up. i periodically will use smart switch to backup my phone to my pc. i do this maybe once a year or so. i never had to use the backups. its more of a peace of mind.

10.you can use SMS Backup & Restore - Apps on Google Play to backup your text messages.