When you set up a new Android device, Google allows transferring data from an old phone by three methods: wired (using a cable), wireless (over Wi-Fi), and from a Google One backup. The first two ways are usually quicker but can feel slow when transferring loads of data.
Thankfully, it could get a lot more efficient, soon, as Google is working on a solution that could almost halve the transferring process. Besides, Android would also soon allow transferring data from an old device to a phone you're already using, without having to reset it – which is currently not possible.
Restoring Data from an Old Android Device Could Soon Get Quicker
Shiv, who goes by the alias Assemble Debug (via Android Authority), has found traces of a new data transfer method while fiddling with the Data Restore Tool app’s code. The app comes pre-installed on all Android devices and helps with restoring apps and data from an old phone to a new device. It was recently updated to version 1.0.624892571, and now has mention of a new “MultiTransportD2dTransport” process.
Currently, when setting up a new Android phone, you have three ways to transfer and restore data from an older device. The default method, which is also the fastest, is to connect both phones with a cable, and depending on the max supported speed, you can transfer data quickly. If you don't have a cable that connects to both devices, you can use Wi-Fi to transfer data wirelessly.
The third method allows you to back up your data from your old device to Google One and then download and restore it on the new smartphone, but it's the slowest. While the former two are quicker, they can still feel slow – especially when transferring a large amount of data. This is where Google's new solution will be of help.
Interestingly, Google isn't coming up with a brand-new method but cleverly combining the wired and wireless transfer methods together. Using this, users will be able to transfer data to a new device via a USB cable and Wi-Fi simultaneously, speeding up the process.
The app's code also includes strings that suggest the app would ask users with a prompt saying “Want to speed things up?”, and if chosen positively, might show “Copying using cable and Wi-Fi for the fastest speed” text.
Google Could Soon Allow Data Transfer from Your Old Phone to Your Current One, Anytime
Interestingly, Assemble Debug has found another new feature in the works, called “Restore Anytime.” Presently, you can only restore data from an old phone to a new one while setting it up. To do it on a phone you're already using, you need to perform a factory reset. The “Restore Anytime” feature could soon change that.
As evident from its name, it would allow users to transfer and restore data from an old phone to their current phone at any time, without the need to do a factory reset.
However, you'll only be able to copy data from the device you've already used to transfer data before. It'll be then merged with your existing data without deleting it. And, the settings you've changed on your current smartphone phone would not be overwritten by the previous phone's settings.
While the team of engineers at Google is working on the feature, it isn't entirely sure when it will be released to the public. Should it become available, Google might unveil it during the launch of the Pixel 8a or the Pixel 9 lineup, or integrate it into the Android 14 feature drop, or even Android 15.
