Mastering the Art of Phone Switching: 11 Essential Steps

Testing phones for a living means my SIM card rarely stays in the same device for more than a month.

On average, I switch to a new smartphone around 10 times in the past year and over 50 occasions in the last five years. That’s a lot!

Switching from one Android phone to another is easier than ever before these days. Simply connect your two devices (wirelessly or via USB-C), and almost everything will be handled for you. The only thing you really need to worry about is messaging apps such as WhatsApp, which require a separate backup.

However, your work isn’t done once you land on the home screen. In many ways, it’s only just begun.

The process of fine-tuning and tweaking everything to your liking is painstaking, but the good news is you’ll only have to do this once. It also avoids any annoying surprises further down the line.

But be warned – these 11 steps take me around an hour in total to complete. If you’re following along, make sure you set aside plenty of time.

They’re also specific to me, and I’ve only outlined the methods on a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone. The process may vary if you’re using another type of Android phone, and it is very different if you’re on an iPhone.

However, regardless of the handset you’re using, it’s worth reviewing these options before you settle into your phone too much.

Set up WhatsApp and restore backup

Every time I switch phones, WhatsApp is the app I’m most worried about. It’s the only one I use that can’t be accessed on any device with a username/email address and password, as it must be registered to your main phone.

Moving your SIM card over doesn’t change anything; it must be done manually. Essentially, you have to back up on your old phone (usually to Google Drive), log in on your new phone (including validation), then load the backup that’s just been completed.

If you get any messages during this time, it’s bad news – they won’t be transferred. But it’s the best you can do.

After this is complete, I always feel a lot calmer.

Uninstall or disable unwanted apps

Bloatware is a problem that affects all phones these days, just in varying amounts. Even if you’re able to stop optional apps from being downloaded during setup, there will almost certainly be some pre-installed ones that you don’t want to use.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to uninstall them in the usual way, just like you would for any app from the Play Store.

But plenty more, including first-party apps, must be disabled. This is what I do for the YouTube app, which is a common source of distraction for me.

On Google Pixel phones, press and hold the app you want to hide, then tap ‘App info’ and then ‘Disable’. On Samsung Galaxy devices, it’s a step quicker – just press and hold and then choose ‘Disable’.

Ignore any warnings about it not functioning as intended – that’s exactly what you want.

Edit default apps

I’ve recently switched to the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, and it has some…interesting suggestions as to what the default apps should be.

Let’s just say I’d much rather use Chrome instead of Samsung Internet and Google Wallet instead of Samsung Wallet. Luckily, it’s easy to change these, or even the whole launcher if you want to.

On both Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones, head to Settings > Apps > Default apps. There are seven different options to adjust, including ‘Home app’ if you want a different launcher.

Turn off Google Discover feed next to home screen

You’ve probably used Google Discover before, even if the name means nothing to you.

It’s the scrollable list of articles you see by default every time you open Chrome on your phone or the Google app. Or, perhaps most annoyingly, every single time you swipe right from the home screen of your Android phone.

The articles that appear here are highly curated and based on your browsing history or other activity. These can often be really interesting or informative (such as one from Tech Advisor), but I don’t need to have access to the feed directly from the home screen.

Just like opening a social media app, swiping to the Discover feed became something I did on impulse, without really thinking, leading to hours of wasted time. I’d rather be more intentional with the way I use it, so it had to be switched off.

On Google Pixel phones, press and hold any empty space on the home screen and choose ‘Home settings’. From there, make sure the ‘Swipe to access Google app’ toggle is disabled.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, press and hold any empty space on the home screen, then swipe right. Turn off the toggle at the top of the page that’s labelled ‘Media page’.

Turn off vibrations

Some people love the realistic haptic feedback offered by the advanced vibration motors on many phones. I’m not one of them.

I like to keep my phone on silent most of the time. On the occasions when I’m expecting a call, the ringtone is perfectly fine. I really don’t need to ‘feel’ every button press or tap on the keyboard.

Luckily, they’re easy enough to disable.

On Google Pixel phones, head to Settings > Sound and vibration > Vibration and haptics and make sure the toggle labelled ‘Use vibration and haptics’ is turned off.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, head to Settings > Sounds and vibration. First, open ‘Call vibration’ and slide ‘Call vibration intensity’ down to the lowest possible. Then, do the same in ‘Notification vibration’ for ‘Notification vibration intensity’ and ‘System vibration’ for ‘System vibration intensity’. Finally, open ‘Vibration intensity’, move all four sliders to the lowest possible and disable ‘Vibration sound for incoming calls’

Turn off system sounds

Just like the vibrations, system sounds are totally unnecessary for me. I don’t need my phone to make a noise when I lock it or plug the charger. And I think everyone knows how annoying it is when someone’s phone makes a noise every single time they tap the keyboard.

Disabling these completely is straightforward.

On Google Pixel phones, head to Settings > Sound and vibration, then scroll to the bottom of the page. Disable the toggles labelled ‘Dial pad tones’, ‘Screen locking sound’, ‘Charging sounds and vibration’ and ‘Tap and click sounds’.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, head to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sound. Slide ‘System sound volume’ to the lowest possible, then disable the toggles labelled ‘Touch interactions’, ‘Dialling keypad’, ‘Samsung Keyboard’, ‘Charging’ and ‘Screen lock/unlock’.

Install and enable Gboard (if necessary)

Google’s Gboard is the default keyboard on most Android phones. I’ve tested plenty of alternatives over the years, but it’s the one I keep coming back to for its classic design, ease of use and range of customisation options.

However, on Samsung phones, the Samsung Keyboard is enabled by default. It has some useful features, including integration with Galaxy AI writing tools, but it feels cluttered to me.

To use Gboard instead, head to the Play Store and download the app. Once installed, open it and follow the on-screen button to Settings. Enable the toggle next to ‘Gboard’, then tap ‘OK’ to confirm. Finally, tap ‘Default keyboard’ at the top of the screen and select the other option – for me, that’s ‘English (UK)’.

Add face unlock or fingerprint (if not done during setup)

Most phones prompt you to enrol your fingerprint sensor or face during the setup process, but not always both. I find alternating between the two to be most convenient, with face unlock more convenient but fingerprint generally more secure (though some Android phones, including recent Pixels, have a secure 3D face unlock).

To set up your fingerprint or face on a Pixel phone, head to Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > and choose ‘Fingerprint’ or ‘Face’. Whichever you choose, you’ll be prompted to enter your lock screen PIN first. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete setup.

On a Samsung Galaxy phone, head to Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Screen lock and biometrics, then enter your lock screen PIN. To set up face unlock, choose ‘Face recognition’, then ‘Register face’. For a fingerprint, choose ‘Fingerprints’ and then ‘Add fingerprint’.

Sign in to all necessary apps

This is the worst step of the lot, and it’s one I always dread. While all your apps have been transferred from your old phone, almost none of them have kept you signed in. First-party Google ones are pretty much the only exception.

It might seem unnecessary to sign into every app as soon as you’ve set up a new phone. But it’s the only way to guarantee you avoid being signed out when you really need to use an app now.

Running late and need a quick taxi? Being logged out of Uber will slow you down a lot. Approaching the ticket barrier, then realize you’re logged out of your tickets? Stress. Want to quickly check how much money is in your bank account? A 10-minute reviews process becomes a nightmare.

Trust me, I’ve been there. The extra few minutes of hassle while you’re sitting on the sofa will undoubtedly pay off when you need to access an app urgently. It’s just not worth the risk.

Customise the home screen

For me, the lock screen isn’t something I spend too much time thinking about. I rarely spend more than a few seconds looking at it, so I’m generally happy to stick with most of the defaults.

But the home screen? Now that’s a different story. I have to get everything looking just right, or I’ll end up frustrated every single time I open my phone. Unless you’re moving between phones of the same brand, your layout will never be saved.

On Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phones, long-press any empty space on the home screen. From there, you’ll find options to change the wallpaper, adjust themes, add widgets and dive into more in-depth settings. That’s before you get to the extensive customisation options offered by a new launcher, of which there are lots on the Play Store.

Check for software updates

The software that your phone runs out of the box isn’t necessarily the latest version. It might’ve been packaged up weeks before, or you might’ve had it sitting in your home for a while.

After I’ve spent nearly an hour on the steps above, waiting for a software update is the last thing I want to be doing, but there’s nothing like the feeling of running the very latest version. Assuming it’s not brand new, this gives you the best chance of avoiding bugs and other vulnerabilities while being able to enjoy all of the very latest features.

On Google Pixel phones, head to Settings > System > Software updates. On Samsung Galaxy phones, head to Settings > Software update.