How to Transfer apps from Android to Android

Switching from one phone to another is always a hassle, especially when concerned about our data and apps. An Android user might be worried about transferring their apps and data to another Android phone. Generally, everyone wants to make sure that their apps and data are easily transferred from their old phone to their new phone without any hassle and data loss.

By the way, Android has tight integration with cloud services. But still, there are some ways by which you can easily transfer data from your old phone to a new phone. Some of the top methods preferred to transfer apps from Android to Android include using third-party software, NFC technology, and Bluetooth.

In this article, you will know how to transfer apps from Android (old phone) to Android (new phone). We will use various methods such as the built-in Android Backup and Restore feature, third-party application, NFC, Bluetooth, etc.

Use the Android Backup and Restore Feature

It is suggested to keep a backup of your data before moving your apps from old Android phones to new Android phones so that no misshapen occurs to your data. The steps to backup your data may vary based on the device model and Android version. Here are the steps you can follow to back up Android data:

1. Open the device's Settings app and go to Additional settings.
   
2. Select the "Back up and reset" option.
   
3. Choose the backup location Google Backup (or whatever you want) and enable the toggle button.
   
4. After the success of your backup, you can move ahead to transfer apps to another phone.

Note that you can't restore a backup from a higher version of an Android phone or tablet to a lower version of an Android phone or tablet.

Restore Your Data to the another Phone

After backing up your data to any external server (cloud) or hard disk, you are ready to restore your data to another Android phone (new Android phone). If you still have not set up your new phone, you can restore the data of your previous phone, including apps, during your new phone's setup process. And if you have already set up your new Android phone and want to restore the data of your previous phone that you backed up, reset your new phone to factory settings and start the setup process again.

The data restoration process may vary according to the phone's manufacturer, carrier, and OS version you are using, but they mostly follow the same structure.

1. Before starting the apps and other data restoration processes, ensure that your new phone battery has sufficiently charged up. When you turn on your new phone and start the setup process, follow the prompts instruction on the screen until it asks dose you want to restore data from your other device. Restoring data from an old device may be passes virus if it has. You can also choose to start over the clean stage when you get a new smartphone.
2. Choose the device from where you want to restore data from.
3. If prompt, connect your new phone with the same Wi-Fi network as your old phone has connected.
4. Choose the restore option, either from the local Android phone (if you have your old phone at your hand) or backup from the cloud (if you backup your apps to cloud storage).
   
5. Sign in with your same Google account you logged in to your old Android phone.
6. Tap on the apps you want to restore to your new phone. Choose the correct one from the list of backup options (mostly, the recent backup appears at the top). Then tap on the Restore to move your data and other settings from your old device.

Transfer Apps from Android to Android using MobileTrans - Phone Transfer PC application

You can easily transfer apps using proficient software named MobileTrans - Phone Transfer in a few clicks. It is a computer application that lets you transfer your data, including apps, contacts, messages, music, photos, etc., from one phone to another. It doesn't matter what kind of phone you're using, Android or iPhone. Here are the steps you can follow to share apps from Android to Android phones:

1. Install the setup of the MobileTrans application on your PC and launch it. Once the application opens, click on the "Phone Transfer" module.
   
2. Now, connect both of your Android phones to your PC using USB cables. Wait for a few moments to detect both phones by the application. After that, choose the "Apps" you want to share to another phone and click on the "Start" button to proceed.
   
3. Now, wait for a few moments; you will find MobileTrans will transfer all your selected Apps from your old Android phone to the new Android phone.
   

How to transfer apps from Android to Android via NFC

The term NFC refers to Near Field Communication that establishes a wireless communication network between two supported devices to communicate with each other. NFC is a small range of network technology up to 4cm or even less to share data between two supported Android devices. You can also share data between devices powered by NFC tags and Android-powered devices.

However, before starting apps transfer using the NFC feature, ensure that your phone has integrated NFC hardware and supports Android beam. The Android beam feature comes as a great option to transfer apps between Android phones and tablets. Follow the below-mentioned steps to share apps from Android to Android using the NFC feature:

Step 1: Check if your two Android phones are NFC support

To check whether your Android phones are NFC enabled, here are the steps you have to follow:

1. Open the Settings app of your Android device.
2. Under the Wireless & Networks section, tap on the More
   
3. The NFC and Android beam appears if your device supports the NFC feature.

Step 2: Enable device's NFC feature

Once you confirm that your device supports NFC by following the above steps (Steps 1), make sure to enable the "NFC" and "Android beam" toggle on. Repeat these steps on both of your Android devices.

Step 3: Share an app from Android to Android

1. Turn on both of your devices and enable the Android Beam feature on both as well.
2. Open the app page you want to transfer over to Google Play.
3. Place your devices back to back to each other.
4. When the NFC connections get established, you will hear a slow sound.
5. A pop-up screen showing "touch to beam".
   
6. Touch on the item over the screen you want to share. The shared app appears over another phone's screen; tap on it to install.

How to transfer Apps from Android to Android via Bluetooth

You can also transfer the app from one Android phone to another using the app's APK file over a Bluetooth network. The term APK refers to Android Package Kit, this application package file format is used to distribute and install the mobile app on Android OS.

Here are the steps to transfer apps from one Android phone to another Android phone using an APK extractor over Bluetooth:

Step 1: Download the APK Extractor app

1. Download and install the APK Extractor app from Play Store on your Android phone from which you are sending the app.
2. If you are already using it on your phone, ensure that it has the latest version.

Step 2: Start sending apps via APK Extractor

1. After installation, launch the APK Extractor app on your Android phone.
2. You will see the list of apps on your device on the application's main screen. Next to the app, you want to transfer, tap on the menu It will show up as a share option on a pop-up screen.
   
3. Tap on the share option from the pop-up option to share that app. It will open various sharing modes over a new screen.
   
4. Now, choose a sharing mode Bluetooth (or other you prefer) to transfer the app to another device. You can even also choose other sharing modes from the available options.
   
5. The app will take the sender to the contact list. You will need the ID used in your new Android phone or receiver phone over the contact list.
6. Tap on that ID over your Bluetooth list to send the app.
7. It extracts the APK file of the selected app and sends it to the receiver phone.
8. Finally, on the receiver Android phone, run the APK file and install the app.

Use the Samsung Smart Switch Mobile App

If you are using the Samsung Galaxy S7 or later devices, the Smart Switch Mobile app comes pre-installed in them. If you have older devices, you need to download this app from Play Store or Samsung App store. This app helps you transfer apps and other data, including contacts, photos, music, videos, messages, notes, calendars, etc., from Android (Samsung) smartphone running on Marshmallow (6.0) or later to another Android phone.

To access the Smart Switch app on Samsung S7 or later devices, navigate to Settings > Account > Smart Switch. Find it over the app drawer to access this app on other Samsung phones.

There are three different methods you can use in the Smart Switch app to share apps including:

• Wireless connection
• USB cable
• External storage

Transfer apps on Samsung phone using Smart Switch app with Wirelessly

Following are the steps you can follow to transfer apps from Android to Android using Smart Switch with wireless connection:

1. Launch the Smart Switch app on the receiver phone.
2. Navigate to Wireless > Receive > Android.
3. Launch the Smart Switch on the sender device.
4. Tap on the Wireless and then Send.
5. Now, follow the on-screen prompts guide on your new Android device.

Transfer apps on Samsung phone using Smart Switch with a USB Cable

Follow these below-given steps to transfer apps from one Android phone to another using a USB cable.

1. Plugin a USB cable into the sender Android phone.
2. Connect that USB cable to a Samsung USB connector.
3. Now, plug the same Samsung USB connector into the receiver Samsung phone.
4. After connecting both devices, launch the Smart Switch on the sender Samsung phone.
5. Set the USB setting to Media device (MTP) on the sender device.
6. Now, follow the on-screen prompts guide to transfer apps.

Transfer apps using Smart Switch with an SD Card

To transfer apps using the external storage option on Samsung smartphones, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Insert the SD card into your old Samsung phone and launch the Smart Switch
2. You will see the SD card icon at the top-right of the screen; tap on it.
   
3. After that, tap on the "Back up" option and select the apps you want to transfer (or back up).
4. Tap on Back up again and when it has finished, tap on Done.
5. Now, remove the SD card from your old phone.
6. Next, insert that SD card in your new Samsung phone.
7. Launch the Smart Switch app on it.
8. Tap on the SD card icon and then the Restore
9. Select the data (apps) you want to restore.
10. Tap on Restore again and when the restoration gets finished, tap on Done.

Samsung's Smart Switch app is also available for Windows and Mac devices. You can download and launch the desktop version and connect your phone to your PC to transfer apps and other data you want.