Should I update my transfer app before switching phones?

Researchers found Clone2Pwn flaws in popular phone migration apps like Android Switch and Smart Switch — update the app and system on both phones, use trusted Wi-Fi or a cable, and verify your apps before wiping the old phone.

You’re sitting at the kitchen table with a shiny new phone beside your old one, and the setup screen says “copy everything” — so you tap it without a second thought. Short answer: Yes — before you move a single photo, update the transfer app and the system software on BOTH phones. That five-minute step closes real security holes in the very apps that handle your most private data.

Security researchers at TU Graz recently found flaws, nicknamed Clone2Pwn, in popular phone-to-phone migration apps — including Android Switch, Samsung Smart Switch, and Xiaomi Mi Mover. In the wrong setup, someone nearby on the same Wi-Fi network could intercept data mid-transfer or tamper with apps as they moved. The makers have confirmed the issues and released fixes — but those fixes only protect you if you actually install them.1.

Start on Wi-Fi you trust. Do the transfer at home on your own network — not on store, café, or hotel Wi-Fi, where strangers share the connection.2. Update the system software on both phones.

Open Settings on the old phone and the new one, and install any pending updates before you begin.3. Update the transfer app on both phones. Open the app store and update Android Switch, Smart Switch, Mi Mover, or whichever migration app your phones use.4.

Use a cable when one is offered. A direct USB-C cable keeps your data off the air entirely — and it is usually faster, too.5. Check everything after the move.

Open your banking and email apps and confirm they sign in normally, and make sure your photos, messages, and sign-in codes all made it. Only then should you remove the old transfer connection and factory-reset the old phone.Pro tip: The common mistake is doing the transfer on the shop’s Wi-Fi because you’re excited to use the new phone. Wait until you’re home — your photos, passwords, and banking apps are worth the short drive.Ad’s take: Switching phones should feel like moving into a nicer house, not like leaving the doors wide open.

Ten minutes of updates before you start is the cheapest peace of mind going — and it costs nothing.