Any Advice or References for Best Way to Migrate from Note7 to Note4?
_BrianZ
Contributor - Level 1

I'm looking for any advice or references with step-by-step instructions for migrating from a Note7 to a Note4.  I experienced a relatively painless migration from a Note3 to the Note7 by using the Samsung SmartSwitch app and connecting the two by cabling together.  Can I expect to be able to do the same thing by cabling the Note7 to a Note4?

 

Will I need to first do a factory reset of the old Note4 and activate it first before cabling?  And what about the micro-SD card in the Note7 - can I simply remove it and place into the Note4, or will I need to reformat it?  I use my card to store photos, videos, music, and documents, about 100gb currently, which I want to keep as external storage.  Should I dismount & install the card in the Note4 after factory resetting & before cabling together?  Assuming the Note4 can handle a 256gb card.  Just not quite sure of the exact order to follow.  Both phones have Android version 6.0.1 installed.

And what about cabling - How should that be done?  When migrating from Note3 to Note7, I think I used the Note3 cable with the large USB-A connecting to the Note7 by its USB-C adapter.  If that was correct (?), would I then need to use the Note7 cable & use an OTG adapter(USB-A to micro-USB) to connect the Note7's USB-A end into the Note3's micro-USB port?

It seems like neither Samsung nor Verizon have tried to help customers by providing instructions for this kind of situation.  Thanks for any advice on these issues.

1 Solution

Correct answers
Re: Any Advice or References for Best Way to Migrate from Note7 to Note4?
_BrianZ
Contributor - Level 1

Here's what I Did to Migrate from the Note7 to Note4:

1.  Prepped Note7 phone for migration:

     a.  Downloaded Email on PC to minimize number of emails in Note4 app.

     b.  Copied or moved any data files from internal memory to SD card.

     c.  Backed up selected app settings to SD card for those apps with export/backup option.

     d.  Backed up Note4 SD card to PC using Windows File Explorer to copy.

     e.  Backed up Note4 internal memory data to PC using Samsung Smart Switch app for Windows.

2.  Prepped Note 4 phone:

     a.  Removed old SD card.

     b.  Performed factory reset from Settings menu.

     c.  Turned off Note7 & activated Note4 by calling Verizon, because it failed online activation due to previous reporting as lost (later found).  After providing phone ID & SIM card ID, Verizon removed it from their lost/stolen list.

     e.  Inserted SD card from Note7.

     f.  Installed Smart Switch app on Note4 by logging in to Google Playstore.

3.  Migrated from Note7 to Note4:

     a.  Connected the Note7's USB-C cable to the Note4 via an OTG adapter's female USB-A to male micro-USB connector.

     b.  Set the Note7's USB connection status in Notifications area to "File Transfer" instead of "USB Charging".

     c.  Copied over data, settings, contacts, apps, etc from Note7 to Note4 using Smart Switch by setting it to Receive in the Note4.

(Smart Switch already built into Note7).

     d.  Imported data/configuration files for selected apps previously exported & saved to SD card.

Or for those apps backed up to cloud storage, activated those accounts by logging in & adding to android accounts list.

     e.  Adjusted a multitude of custom Android settings not transferred over for login, lockscreen, security, sounds, ringtones, screen layouts, menus, and many other options.  Many configuration options from the Note7 just don't carry over to the Note4, because there is no equivalent.  Going from the first Note7 to the replacement Note7 was extremely easy by comparison.

     f.  Deactivated or uninstalled Verizon bloatware ("DT Ignite", games, etc).

     g.  Expecting there will still be more tweaks to perform, as I use additional apps that haven't been tested yet.

So in the last 3 months, I have used 4 different phones, migrating from my old Note3 to Note7 to 2nd Note7, and finally to a Note4 that I got from my wife.  I now have a "Backups" folder on my SD card with subfolders for each app that can export custom configuration or data files, plus a "Readme" text file with notes about how to backup & restore each, because it varies.  I even made a pdf of screenshots of my screen layouts, to help reproduce the pages of widgets & app icons/folders. 

It's been quite the [mis]adventure, but I still ended up with an upgrade from the Note3.  The Note4 has a better camera, a new Android version, and a new 256gb SD card, courtesy of Samsung for being a "bleeding edge" Note7 pre-order customer.  The only casualty, other than my own happiness & sanity (& no thanks to the election), has been a 128gb SD card from my old Note3 that got corrupted after I tried to format it for the Note4, but SanDisk is replacing that under a 10-yr warranty - great service & free shipping.  I will also have my freedom back to upgrade & move on.  Oh joy, another migration when a new Note arrives!

A Note8 will be my 5th phone since August.

Tomorrow my Note7 goes back, so before doing a factory reset, I went ahead & let the system update install, just to confirm how annoying Samsung has been with their stupid update in their "voluntary" recall. 

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Re: Any Advice or References for Best Way to Migrate from Note7 to Note4?
TSARYTSIN
Enthusiast - Level 3

Can't you do all that with a content transfer app and NFC?

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Re: Any Advice or References for Best Way to Migrate from Note7 to Note4?
kathy65793
Master - Level 1

I think smart switch should do it.I have it on my computer and took the note 7 and backed it up to my computer then plugged the edge in and took my note 7 backup and put it on my edge

Re: Any Advice or References for Best Way to Migrate from Note7 to Note4?
_BrianZ
Contributor - Level 1

Here's what I Did to Migrate from the Note7 to Note4:

1.  Prepped Note7 phone for migration:

     a.  Downloaded Email on PC to minimize number of emails in Note4 app.

     b.  Copied or moved any data files from internal memory to SD card.

     c.  Backed up selected app settings to SD card for those apps with export/backup option.

     d.  Backed up Note4 SD card to PC using Windows File Explorer to copy.

     e.  Backed up Note4 internal memory data to PC using Samsung Smart Switch app for Windows.

2.  Prepped Note 4 phone:

     a.  Removed old SD card.

     b.  Performed factory reset from Settings menu.

     c.  Turned off Note7 & activated Note4 by calling Verizon, because it failed online activation due to previous reporting as lost (later found).  After providing phone ID & SIM card ID, Verizon removed it from their lost/stolen list.

     e.  Inserted SD card from Note7.

     f.  Installed Smart Switch app on Note4 by logging in to Google Playstore.

3.  Migrated from Note7 to Note4:

     a.  Connected the Note7's USB-C cable to the Note4 via an OTG adapter's female USB-A to male micro-USB connector.

     b.  Set the Note7's USB connection status in Notifications area to "File Transfer" instead of "USB Charging".

     c.  Copied over data, settings, contacts, apps, etc from Note7 to Note4 using Smart Switch by setting it to Receive in the Note4.

(Smart Switch already built into Note7).

     d.  Imported data/configuration files for selected apps previously exported & saved to SD card.

Or for those apps backed up to cloud storage, activated those accounts by logging in & adding to android accounts list.

     e.  Adjusted a multitude of custom Android settings not transferred over for login, lockscreen, security, sounds, ringtones, screen layouts, menus, and many other options.  Many configuration options from the Note7 just don't carry over to the Note4, because there is no equivalent.  Going from the first Note7 to the replacement Note7 was extremely easy by comparison.

     f.  Deactivated or uninstalled Verizon bloatware ("DT Ignite", games, etc).

     g.  Expecting there will still be more tweaks to perform, as I use additional apps that haven't been tested yet.

So in the last 3 months, I have used 4 different phones, migrating from my old Note3 to Note7 to 2nd Note7, and finally to a Note4 that I got from my wife.  I now have a "Backups" folder on my SD card with subfolders for each app that can export custom configuration or data files, plus a "Readme" text file with notes about how to backup & restore each, because it varies.  I even made a pdf of screenshots of my screen layouts, to help reproduce the pages of widgets & app icons/folders. 

It's been quite the [mis]adventure, but I still ended up with an upgrade from the Note3.  The Note4 has a better camera, a new Android version, and a new 256gb SD card, courtesy of Samsung for being a "bleeding edge" Note7 pre-order customer.  The only casualty, other than my own happiness & sanity (& no thanks to the election), has been a 128gb SD card from my old Note3 that got corrupted after I tried to format it for the Note4, but SanDisk is replacing that under a 10-yr warranty - great service & free shipping.  I will also have my freedom back to upgrade & move on.  Oh joy, another migration when a new Note arrives!

A Note8 will be my 5th phone since August.

Tomorrow my Note7 goes back, so before doing a factory reset, I went ahead & let the system update install, just to confirm how annoying Samsung has been with their stupid update in their "voluntary" recall.