How to Transfer Photos Between Androids

Last Updated: August 28, 2021

Many modern Androids are shipped with Google Photos installed, but you can also manually install the app and use it to backup your photos if you want to transfer them to another Android. However, if you only want to share photos between Androids, you can use your phone's Nearby Share feature, which is only available to Android versions 6 and up. This wikiHow will teach you how to transfer photos between Androids by using Google Photos and Nearby Share.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Backing Up and Restoring with Google Photos

1
Open Photos. This app icon looks like a yellow, red, blue, and green pinwheel that you'll find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- If your Android doesn't have Google Photos, you can download it from the Google Play Store for free.
2
Tap your profile picture. It's in the top right corner of your screen. If you don't have a profile picture, you'll see your initials instead.
3
Tap Photos Settings. It's in the third or fourth grouping of menu options with "Your data in Google Photos."
4
Tap Backup & sync. This is usually the first option in the menu.
5
Tap the switch next to "Back up & sync" to toggle it on
. If it's already on (blue), then you can skip this step.
- You'll also see which Google account the Photos are backed up to; this is the account you'll need to use on your new Android.
6
Set up your new Android. If the Android is out-of-the-box new, continue through the on-screen prompts to set it up. If you're setting up a new phone, you'll be able to sign in to the Google account that backed up the photos from your original Android. In that case, once you sign in, you'll have successfully transferred photos between Androids and can skip the rest of this part.
7
Sign in to your Google account. Open Settings, then tap Google. Tap Sign in and sign in with the same Google account that you used on your original Android to back up your photos.^{[1]
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- Once you have logged in, your photos will begin populating from your Google backup, which may take several minutes depending on the size and amount of photos you have.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Sharing with Nearby Share

1
Turn on Bluetooth. You can swipe down from the top of your screen to access the Quick Panel, where you'll see the Bluetooth icon. Tap it to enable it (make the color filled in instead of grey).
2
Turn on Location. Swipe down from the top of your screen to access the Quick Panel and tap the location icon (it looks like a map pin). Tap it to enable Location (a filled-in color means that Location is on, while a grey icon means the feature is off).
3
Enable Nearby Share. Go to Settings > Google > Devices & sharing > Nearby Share and make sure it's on.
4
Open the photo you want to share. You'll find your photos gallery app on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching. If you use the Google Photos app, the icon looks like a yellow, green, red, and blue pinwheel.
5
Tap
. This split line icon could also have the label "Share."
6
Tap Nearby Share. It's towards the top of the menu. You may be prompted to turn on the feature if it isn't on.
7
Tap your friend's device under "Looking for nearby devices." Their phone must also have turned on Nearby Share, Bluetooth, and location as well as be close to your phone.
- To accept the share, your friend must tap Accept on their phone.
8
Tap Done. After you see the "Sent" message, you can close the sharing window.^{[2]
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