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1. Retrieve Contacts Using a MicroSD Card

Export Contacts from Your Old Phone
To transfer your contacts to your new device, export the contacts saved in your old phone’s memory and import them to your new phone using a microSD card. This will allow you to recover all contact details if multiple fields are filled. If you don’t have a microSD card, you can use your SIM card or Bluetooth (or WiFi Direct). The process is very similar.

1. Turn off your old phone. Insert the microSD and SIM cards if you removed them earlier. Depending on the phone model, the microSD slot is usually under the back cover near the battery or on the side for newer devices. Use the small metal pin (or a sewing needle) to eject the SIM/microSD tray. Insert the microSD and SIM correctly and push the tray back in.

2. Turn on your phone. Open the « Contacts » app (also accessible via call log), select « Menu, » then « Settings, » « Import/Export, » and « Export Contacts to Storage. » If you don’t have a microSD, choose “Export to SIM.” You can also use this menu to transfer contacts via Bluetooth.

3. Your contacts are now on the microSD card.

Import Contacts to Your New Phone
Once your contacts are on the microSD, import them into the internal memory of your new phone:

1.Turn off your old phone, remove the microSD and SIM cards, and insert them into your new phone (phone still off).

2. Turn on your new phone, open the « Contacts » app, select « Menu, » then « Settings, » « Import/Export, » and « Import from Storage. » Choose « Import Contacts to Phone. » The process takes a few seconds.

3. Your contacts are now on your new phone!

If you exported contacts to the SIM card, select “Import from SIM” to copy contacts to your phone. This preserves all contacts in case of SIM card changes and allows more fields than a SIM card alone (email, address, landline, mobile, etc.). Using Bluetooth, select “Import via Bluetooth.”

2. Retrieve Contacts Using Your Email

If you don’t want to use a microSD card, another method is to export contacts to a CSV file and send it via email. On your new phone, set up your email, save the attachment, and import the contacts into the Contacts app.

3. Export and Import Contacts Using Google Contacts

This is by far the simplest and most effective method in the long term. On your old smartphone, go into the Contacts app settings to export your contacts to your Google account. You may first need to add your Google account via your phone’s Settings under « Accounts » → « Add account. » (How to open settings ?)

On your new device, simply add your Google account to automatically retrieve your saved contacts. If you don’t see them, open the Contacts app and select « Menu » → « Import contacts. »

4. Transfer Other Data

If you also want to transfer other data (e.g., photos stored in your old phone’s internal memory), you can do this using the same export/import principle.

On Android, the « Files » app lets you copy or move any files or folders. Select the items you want and choose whether to copy or move them. This app is pre-installed on most phones.

If you only want to recover photos, videos, or music without transferring them to your new phone, export them to your PC first, then import to your new phone. This is helpful if you don’t have a microSD card, but it takes more time.

Tip: Buy a 64/128/256 GB microSD card for easy transfers and to expand your phone’s memory inexpensively. If you want to learn how to free up space on your phone, check out the dedicated article on this topic.