First-gen phone migration
Upgrading from kid-watch or iPad mini to a “real” phone. Transfer safely and audit what comes along.
The first-generation-phone upgrade
Most families migrate a kid from their first device (kid smartwatch, iPad mini, hand-me-down iPhone) to a “real” phone around age 11-13. The migration itself is full of small risks.
Before handing over the new phone
- Back up the old device (iCloud for iPhone, Google One for Android).
- Transfer only what should transfer. Don’t blindly restore — review apps, photos, contacts first.
- Wipe the old device fully before donating, reselling, or handing down to a sibling.
- Set up the new phone with the kid’s existing Apple Account / Google account (so Screen Time / Family Link history continues).
- Review installed apps — delete any the kid has outgrown or shouldn’t have.
- Review followers / friends lists on social accounts — clean up stranger contacts.
What to audit during the transition
- Photos with location data — strip before uploading to new services.
- Old apps the kid signed up for at 8 that are still grabbing data.
- Passwords — a new phone is a great time to force a password reset on every kid account.
- Recovery email / phone number — should be a parent’s.
The “what’s different now” conversation
The new phone probably has more capability: better camera, faster internet, more storage, bigger screen. Walk through what specifically changes — and what the expectations are. Re-sign the family phone contract.
Migrating from Android to iPhone (or back)
- Android to iPhone: Apple’s Move to iOS app is the official tool. Apple lists what it brings over as contacts, message history, SMS messages, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, accessibility and display settings, web bookmarks, mail accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, Voice Memos, call history and calendars. On a supported Android device running a compatible version of Android 17, Apple says you can transfer without the app at all.
- iPhone to Android: Google’s own switching page calls the tool the Android Switch app, used with a cable, and says newer Pixel and Samsung devices can now transfer wirelessly or by cable without it — the new phone’s on-screen instructions tell you which method applies.
- iMessage deactivation: before leaving the iPhone, open Settings › Apps › Messages and turn off iMessage, then Settings › Apps › FaceTime and turn off FaceTime. If the iPhone has already gone, use Apple’s deregister page instead. Skip this and the symptom Apple describes is simple: texts sent to that number stop arriving as RCS or SMS/MMS.
- Google account → Apple: need to re-sign in everywhere and install iOS apps.
Selling or donating the old phone
- Sign out of Apple Account / Google account.
- Factory reset.
- Remove the SIM card.
- If selling: use a reputable buyback (Apple Trade-In, Amazon, Gazelle) — local Facebook Marketplace resale often ends in scams.
What was checked, and when. Transfer tools and iMessage deregistration verified against the vendor’s own documentation on 2026-09-08. Not reached in that pass: carrier steps.
Common questions
Should I just restore the old device onto the new phone?
No — a blind restore is the main risk in the whole migration. Review apps, photos and contacts first and transfer only what should come across. It is the one moment when auditing everything is genuinely easy.
What should I audit during the switch?
Photos carrying location data, apps your child signed up for years ago that are still collecting data, passwords (a new phone is the natural moment to force a reset on every account), and recovery email and phone number — which should be a parent’s.
Should the new phone use the same account?
Yes. Set it up with your child’s existing Apple Account or Google account so Screen Time or Family Link history carries over rather than starting from nothing.
We are switching from iPhone to Android. What breaks?
iMessage, if you skip one step. Turn off iMessage and FaceTime on the iPhone before you leave, or use Apple’s deregister page if the iPhone has already gone. Skip it and the symptom Apple describes is that texts to that number stop arriving as RCS or SMS/MMS. Going the other way, Apple’s Move to iOS app handles Android to iPhone; leaving Apple, Google’s switching page points you at the Android Switch app, or a built-in transfer on newer Pixel and Samsung phones.
How should we dispose of the old phone?
Sign out of the Apple Account or Google account, factory reset, and remove the SIM. If selling, use a reputable buyback such as Apple Trade-In, Amazon or Gazelle — local marketplace resale frequently ends in a scam.
When parental controls change
The settings involved here change from year to year. Roughly monthly we send new guides, changes to controls like these, and scams worth knowing about.
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