There’s no doubt about it, we live in a gadget-loving, device-dependent world. We love watching Netflix on our Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV. We surf the web with our tablet and go jogging with a smartwatch and nifty set of Bluetooth headphones.
Most of all, we deeply love and need our smartphones. What would we do without them? It’s amazing how the human race survived for so long without a handheld supercomputer that fits in your pocket, takes amazing photos, plays music, and much more.
Smartphones are wonderful, but they do come with some risks. Every time we connect to the world with our phones, it’s important to be careful. When we shop online, do our mobile banking, share our location, and store our photos in the cloud, we open ourselves to potential hackers and malware.
The best way to protect yourself from hackers and malicious software is to keep your phone and apps updated. Older technology is much more vulnerable to exploits than the newest phones with the latest security and encryption. Technology changes and improves very quickly, and most manufacturers stop supporting older models after a few years. When this happens to you, and your phone no longer receives updates, it’s time to head into your nearest AT&T store for a new phone.
Many people resist upgrading to a new phone because they don’t want to lose their data and start all over. That’s understandable. We all have important files, photos, and music on our phones. We don’t want to lose our list of contacts, or our carefully customized settings. And what about all of our text messages? Our SMS and MMS messages are too important to lose, and a big reason why many people never upgrade to newer smartphones.
Fortunately, it’s actually quite easy to transfer all of your files, settings, and info from your old phone to your new one. This includes your contacts, text messages, call history, and all of your photos and videos. You can keep everything, including your peace of mind.
There are several ways to transfer your data between phones. One option is to transfer using your phone’s operating system. Both the iPhone and Android phones have a built-in feature to help you transfer data from your old phone. When you upgrade your old iPhone to a new one it will prompt you to transfer data using your Apple ID. Android offers a similar feature. As soon as you start up your new Android phone, you will be prompted to transfer your settings and data from your old Android phone. Both operating systems require your old phone and new phone to be close together, and Bluetooth is used to transfer your data.
Another option for transferring to a new phone is to use an app. In both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, there are several 3rd party apps available for backing up your data and restoring it on a new device.
Also, be aware that all major phone carriers have their own branded app for moving your data to a new phone. AT&T has their Mobile Transfer app, Verizon offers this service with their My Verizon app. T-Mobile calls their app the Content Transfer app, and Sprint’s app is called Sprint Mobile Sync.
Today’s society is fascinated with technology, and we all love connecting with each other online using our gadgets. It’s important to know as many tricks as possible to keep your devices secure. You can best protect yourself online by making sure your smartphone is updated and secure.
Support for smartphones typically lasts for two to three years, sometimes less. If your old phone is no longer receiving updates, it’s probably time to purchase a new one. There are several ways to easily transfer all of your data between your old and new phones. If you need help, contact your phone carrier or your phone’s manufacturer, and they will be happy to point you in the right direction.
