Samsung Smart Switch
| Samsung Smart Switch | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Samsung Electronics |
| Release | April 2015 |
| Operating system | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Predecessor | Samsung Kies |
| Type | Data migration, backup |
| License | Proprietary freeware |
| Website | www |
Samsung Smart Switch is a freeware data transfer and backup application developed by Samsung Electronics. It copies content such as contacts, messages, photographs, application data and system settings from an existing Android or iOS device onto a Galaxy phone or tablet, either wirelessly, over a USB cable, or through a personal computer.[1] Samsung introduced it as the successor to Samsung Kies, the company's earlier desktop synchronisation suite, and it is preinstalled on current Galaxy models.[2][3]
History
[edit]Samsung Kies
[edit]Kies was a desktop application used to connect Samsung mobile phones and tablets to computers running Windows or Mac OS X, usually over USB, with wireless local network connectivity added through a companion Android application. The name originated as the acronym K.I.E.S., for "Key Intuitive Easy System"; it was shortened to "Kies" after version 2.0. Kies supported devices running Android 2.1 through 4.2, while Kies 3 covered Android 4.3 and later. A reduced Kies Mini build, limited to models such as the Samsung Vibrant, Captivate and Infuse, delivered application and firmware updates over a USB connection.[4]
In April 2015, coinciding with the launch of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, Samsung retired Kies in favour of Smart Switch. The two handsets did not work with Kies at all, and owners who needed to update firmware manually were directed to Smart Switch for PC instead.[3] Buyers of the new models used Smart Switch immediately, with other users migrated progressively.[2]
Smart Switch
[edit]Smart Switch was issued in two editions: Smart Switch for PC, covering Windows and macOS, and Smart Switch for Mobile, distributed through Google Play and Galaxy Apps. The desktop edition connected over a USB cable and added a backup and restore function that captured a device's data to the computer in one operation.[3] The desktop program was distributed as a six-megabyte executable that required no installation, and at launch it accepted source data from Android devices, iOS 4.2.1 or later, BlackBerry 6.0 or later, and Nokia handsets running Series 40 or Symbian 6.0 or later.[2]
Later releases extended the software beyond handsets to other Galaxy hardware, including Galaxy Book computers, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Ring.[1]
In August 2026, Samsung revised the iOS migration path in One UI 9.0 so that scanning a QR code shown on the Galaxy device begins a wireless transfer, removing the need to install an application on the iPhone in some cases. The revision brought wireless transfers to parity with cable transfers in the data they support, and covers contacts, photographs, messages, applications and eSIM information. Samsung stated that most users complete the basic setup within an hour, while large transfers remain faster over a cable. The revised process requires a Galaxy device running One UI 9.0 or later and a source device running iOS 26.6 or later or Android 17 or later.[5] Samsung does not offer the method in mainland China.[1]
Features
[edit]Transfer methods
[edit]Smart Switch supports four routes between the source device and the destination Galaxy device: a direct wireless connection, a USB cable, external storage such as a memory card or USB flash drive, and a computer acting as an intermediary. Content held in iCloud can also be imported when the source device is an iPhone or iPad.[1]
Data is copied rather than moved, so the content remains on the source device once a transfer completes. For Android source devices the application must be present on both handsets; for iOS sources running version 26.6 or later it is not required on the Apple device.[1]
Transferable content
[edit]From an Android source device, Smart Switch handles contacts, calendar entries, call logs, messages, photographs, video, music, documents, voice recordings, alarms, browser bookmarks, Wi-Fi network settings, home screen layout, installed applications and their data, and system preferences covering the keyboard, ringtone, accessibility options and language. Transfers from an iOS device cover a narrower set, principally contacts, messages, media files, notes, calendar entries and voice memos.[1] Under One UI 9.0 the iOS set was widened to include passwords, call history, accessibility settings and eSIM information, and wireless transfers were brought to the same coverage as cable transfers.[5]
The user selects which categories to include rather than copying the source device wholesale.[1]
Desktop application
[edit]Smart Switch for PC runs on Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.13 or later. It writes a backup of a connected device to the computer and restores that backup to a replacement handset, and it can read an existing iTunes or Finder backup of an iOS device and write the contents to a Galaxy device.[1] On the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge the desktop edition also took over manual firmware updating from Kies.[3]
Availability on devices
[edit]The application is preinstalled on most recent Galaxy devices and is reachable from the system settings. On older Samsung models and on third-party Android handsets it is installed from Galaxy Store or Google Play; the desktop builds are downloaded from Samsung's website.[1]
System requirements
[edit]| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Source phone or tablet | Android 6.0 or later, or iOS 12 or later |
| Wireless iOS transfer without an app on the source device | Galaxy device on Android 17 or later; source device on iOS 26.6 or later; not offered in mainland China |
| Windows | Windows 10 or later, with the Microsoft Media Feature Pack installed |
| macOS | macOS 10.13 or later |
Limitations
[edit]Samsung documents several categories of content that Smart Switch cannot transfer, among them read-only contacts, emergency alerts, temporary and failed messages, calendar entries drawn from synchronised accounts, chat histories and other data held under third-party providers' policies, encrypted or DRM-protected media, personal application data, and preinstalled wallpapers and Galaxy Themes. Samsung states that the list of transferable data may change without notice.[1]
For iOS sources, applications themselves are not carried across; the software instead proposes Android equivalents that the user installs separately.[1]
Reception
[edit]Reviewing the application for TechRadar in 2024, Bryan M. Wolfe found transfers from both Android and iOS sources completed without difficulty and highlighted the absence of any charge or data-volume cap, while noting that throughput varies with the connection method and that a USB-C cable is faster than a wireless transfer.[6]
Distribution
[edit]The mobile client is published on Google Play as Samsung Smart Switch Mobile. By 2026 the listing recorded more than one billion downloads.[7] Desktop builds for Windows and macOS are distributed from Samsung's own website.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Smart Switch". Samsung Electronics. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Foucher, Mathieu (10 April 2015). "Samsung : c'est terminé pour Kies, Smart Switch va prendre sa place !". PhonAndroid (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Farooqui, Adnan (9 April 2015). "Galaxy S6 and S6 edge don't work with Kies anymore, use Samsung Smart Switch instead". SamMobile. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ "Samsung Kies Mini". Softpedia. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- 1 2 Mitchell, Sean (11 August 2026). "Samsung updates Smart Switch to ease iPhone transfers". ChannelLife New Zealand. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ Wolfe, Bryan M. (7 June 2024). "Samsung Smart Switch review: the ultimate tool for seamless device transition". TechRadar. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
- ↑ "Samsung Smart Switch Mobile". Google Play. Samsung Electronics. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
External links
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