Switching to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: How to transfer your data

Moving to a new phone used to mean leaving things behind. On the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Smart Switch tool is built to carry your old phone across with you — photos, messages, contacts, apps, settings, and more — so the new device feels familiar from the first time you pick it up.

The easiest way to do it is during the initial setup of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, over a wireless connection, and this guide walks through that process step by step. Smart Switch works with other Galaxy phones and with some non-Samsung smartphones, so there is a good chance you can bring everything across whatever you are switching from.

In short, switching to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a four-step process: transfer your data with Smart Switch during setup, sign in to your Samsung account, turn on the Galaxy AI features, and set up the first-time essentials.

The walkthrough below focuses on a wireless transfer from a previous Galaxy phone during setup, with notes on the other options along the way.

What this guide covers:

Smart Switch is Samsung's data transfer tool, built into every Galaxy phone including the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Its job is to copy the content and settings from your old phone to your new one, either wirelessly or with a cable, so you do not have to set everything up again by hand. It can move a wide range of data in a single transfer, and it keeps much of your old phone's arrangement intact in the process.

You can run Smart Switch at any time from Settings > Accounts and backup > Transfer data for device setup later on, but the simplest moment to use it is during the initial setup of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone offers to bring your data across before you have even reached the home screen.

When you first switch on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it takes you through a short setup sequence that includes the option to copy everything from your old phone. Here is how the wireless transfer from a previous Galaxy phone works, step by step:

One thing worth knowing about the initial-setup route: when you transfer during first boot, your Google account and other signed-in accounts from the old phone get carried over to the Galaxy S26 Ultra early in the process, and it may ask you to re-enter the passwords for some of them. If you would rather set those up later, you can skip that step and continue.

From a Galaxy phone, Smart Switch moves the widest range of data: contacts, messages, call logs, photos, videos, music, documents, alarms, your home screen layout and wallpaper, Wi-Fi settings, system settings, and your apps along with much of their data. That is what makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra feel like a continuation of your old phone rather than a blank slate.

From some non-Samsung smartphones, Smart Switch can bring across contacts, call logs, messages, photos, videos, music, and documents — and, depending on the phone, your installed apps too — either wirelessly or over a cable. Exactly what comes over depends on the phone you are switching from. Smart Switch shows you what it can move before the transfer begins.

A few things can't be transferred, and it's worth knowing them in advance:

Smart Switch flags these clearly during the transfer, so there are no surprises.

Once your data is across, signing in to a Samsung account is the step that unlocks the full Galaxy S26 Ultra experience. Many of the phone's standout features — Galaxy AI tools, Samsung Find, secure storage through Samsung's Knox platform, and cross-device features across the Samsung ecosystem — rely on a Samsung account being signed in.

If you signed in during setup, you are already set. If not, you can add your Samsung account at any time from Settings. Just tap your profile area at the top and sign in or create a new account. With it in place, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can sync your preferences, back up your data, and give you access to the AI features below.

With your data moved and your Samsung account signed in, the Galaxy S26 Ultra's Galaxy AI features are ready to explore. They are a big part of what makes this phone worth switching to.

A few are worth turning on first. Now Brief^[2] gives you a daily summary on your lock screen, pulling together the information you need at different points in the day. Photo Assist^[3] lets you edit photos with AI in the Gallery — removing objects, moving subjects, and more.

Audio Eraser^[4] cleans up unwanted background noise in your videos. And Notification Highlights prioritises and summarises your notifications so the most relevant ones rise to the top.

Most of these are reached through the relevant app. Now Brief from the lock screen or its widget, Photo Assist in the Gallery, Audio Eraser through the Quick Panel; you can manage Galaxy AI features together under the Galaxy AI section in Settings.

These features are a good reminder that switching to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is not just about carrying your old phone across. They're also about what the new one can do that the old one could not.

Beyond your data and AI features, a few first-time essentials get the Galaxy S26 Ultra working the way you want:

The Galaxy S26 Ultra also comes with up to seven years of OS and security updates.^[6] So the setup you do now is an investment in a phone that will stay supported for years to come.

Switching phones is one of those tasks that sounds harder than it is. With Smart Switch handling the transfer during setup, the Galaxy S26 Ultra does most of the heavy lifting. It brings your your photos, messages, apps, and settings across so the new phone feels like home from the start.

From there, signing in to your Samsung account, turning on the Galaxy AI features, and running through the first-time essentials is what turns a phone full of your old data into a Galaxy S26 Ultra that is truly yours. Start to finish — transfer, sign in, switch on Galaxy AI, set up the essentials — it is a short process for a phone you will be using for years.

^{[1] Galaxy AI: Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.}

^{[2] Now Brief: Samsung account login and network connection required.}

^{[3] Photo Assist: Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.}

^{[4] Audio Eraser: Samsung account login required. Six types of sound can be detected; voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. Results may vary depending on audio source & condition of the video. Network connection required to be used on supported apps.}

^{[5] Privacy Display: Requires manual activation in settings to function. Privacy Display feature is not AI-powered.}

^{[6] From day of product launch, up to 7 years, with monthly or quarterly updates, depending on device. Valid Samsung Knox Account required.}