You’ve set up a new phone and found your photos, but the notes from a health app are missing. Before clearing the old device, take a few minutes to find out where that information actually lives.
Keep the old phone available until you know what made the trip. A backup, an export and an import do different jobs, and an app may not support all three.
Make a short inventory
Write down the apps and records you care about: perhaps a habit tracker, a glucose app, a note for your clinician or a medication list. Check whether each app uses an account, stores information on the phone, or shares data with a separate health platform. You may need to look inside the app’s own settings or help pages.
Be careful with account details. Use your normal sign-in process and keep passwords and verification codes private. If you use a password manager, make sure you can access it on the new device before signing out of the old one.
Check the backup first
A phone backup may help restore settings or app data, but it’s worth checking what your particular device and apps include. Some information syncs through an account; some may need a separate export. A cloud icon alone doesn’t prove that every record you want is available on the new phone.
Open each important app on the old device and look for its backup or export options. Check the date range and the types of information included. If the app connects to a wearable or another service, check whether that service keeps a separate history.
Understand the file you get
For example, Apple Health can export health and fitness data as an XML file. Health Connect on supported Android devices has its own backup and import tools; its current instructions say that health records are not included in that export and import feature. Menus, supported versions and features can change, so follow the current instructions for your device.
An export gives you a copy in a particular format. It does not guarantee that another app will read it or recreate your dashboard. Before relying on the file, check whether the destination supports it and whether the data you need is actually present.
Test before you erase
On the new phone, sign in to the relevant account and check a few meaningful entries, including an older date and a recent one. Open the exported file with a suitable tool or use the service’s import process if it supports that format. Confirm that dates and units make sense. A successful transfer message is helpful, but seeing the information you need is better.
For records your care team manages, ask how to access them through the provider or portal on the new device. Don’t assume a fitness-app export contains your complete medical record. If an app can’t transfer an item, a brief personal note or a copy requested from the original source may be more useful than guessing.
Protect the copy
Health information can be sensitive. Check where an export is saved, who can access the storage account and whether it is included in a shared folder. Use a secure screen lock and the protections available for your accounts. Share only what you intend to share, and delete unwanted extra copies according to the storage service’s instructions.
Once you’ve verified the new setup and are comfortable with your backup, follow the manufacturer’s steps for preparing the old device. Our weekly habit tracker offers a simple alternative when you only need a few notes. The goal is to keep the useful history, not every screen you’ve ever opened.