Switching phones
Before you switch phones: where you could get locked out
Switching phones isn't just moving your photos and contacts. There are 11 specific spots where something gets left behind: a code, a linked app, a number. Here's the list, each one with its own check question.
Your codes and access
What lives "inside" the old phone and doesn't cross over to the new one on its own.
- Your authenticatorVerification codes don't copy themselves to a new phone.
- Your passkeysSome follow you everywhere; others stay on the old phone.
- Your password managerIt asks you to verify the new phone with a second factor that lives on the old one.
- Your old numberIf you changed numbers, some accounts still text the old one.
Apps tied to your phone
These apps don't just store data: they tie your account to that specific device.
Switching systems
From iPhone to Android or back: jumping ecosystems loses more than switching models within the same one.
The old phone
What to check before that phone stops being with you.
Keep going
- Cl@ve on your new phoneIf you use Spain's Cl@ve government ID system, it also depends on your phone.
- GlossaryWhat each 2FA, passkey and account-recovery term means.
- Critical accountsGoogle, Apple, email, bank: how to recover them without your phone.
- ToolsPassword managers, authenticator apps and physical keys.