How to Transfer Call Logs to New Phone: iPhone and Android

1. Who this guide is for

This guide is for anyone who wants their recent calls list — missed, incoming, and outgoing calls with names, numbers, and timestamps — to appear on a new phone. It covers iPhone-to-iPhone, Android-to-Android, Samsung-to-Samsung, and cross-platform moves in both directions.

This is not the same as transferring messages, contacts, or WhatsApp chats — each of those has its own transfer path. Call logs are narrower: most people move them as part of a full backup rather than on their own, and there is no standalone “send call history” button on any phone. If your main goal is preserving text threads, photos, or chat apps, read those guides instead.

Quick facts: Call history is included in iCloud backups (restored during setup) and in Google One / Samsung Smart Switch transfers. There is no official iPhone-to-Android call log transfer. Move to iOS does not transfer call history.

2. How call logs actually move (the key idea)

Call logs are not synced the way iCloud Photos or Google Messages can sync. There is no toggle that keeps your Recents list continuously mirrored to the cloud. Instead, call history is:

• Backed up as part of a full device backup (iCloud backup, encrypted computer backup, Google One backup), and
• Restored only when you restore that backup onto the new phone during its initial setup.

On Samsung phones, Smart Switch can additionally move call logs directly from phone to phone. That is the one exception — a device-to-device transfer that handles call logs as a selectable item.

Tip: Because call logs travel with backups, the single most important rule is timing: back up the old phone last, right before you switch, and restore onto the new phone before it has accumulated its own data. A stale backup gives you a stale call list.

3. iPhone to iPhone: three routes

Route A: Quick Start (device-to-device)

Quick Start, the device-to-device transfer that runs when you hold your old iPhone next to your new one during setup, moves call history along with apps, settings, and messages. This is Apple’s simplest path because it copies directly between phones and does not depend on iCloud storage space.

1. Make sure the old iPhone is on the latest iOS it supports (Settings > General > Software Update).
2. Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to the old one. When the Quick Start prompt appears on the old phone, confirm your Apple ID and follow the pairing animation.
3. When asked how to transfer data, choose the device-to-device option (not “from iCloud”).
4. Keep both phones nearby, connected to power and Wi-Fi, until the transfer finishes. Your Recents list should then appear in the Phone app.

Route B: iCloud backup restore

Call history is part of iCloud backups. Restoring the most recent backup during the new iPhone’s setup brings the call list over.

1. On the old iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup, make sure it is on, and tap Back Up Now. Wait for it to complete on Wi-Fi.
2. On the new iPhone, go through setup until the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, and choose From iCloud Backup.
3. Sign in with the same Apple ID, pick the most recent backup, and let the restore finish. Call history arrives with the backup.

Note the honest limitation: this is a setup-time restore. If your new iPhone is already set up and in use, restoring an iCloud backup erases it first — there is no way to merge an old call log into a phone you have already been using. (For that warning in full, see the erase-first section below.)

Route C: Encrypted computer backup

A Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC) backup of the old iPhone includes call history, and restoring that backup to the new phone transfers it. An encrypted computer backup also carries Health data and saved passwords; an unencrypted one still includes call history. The steps are: back up the old iPhone to the computer, connect the new iPhone, and restore the backup during its setup flow.

Quick facts: All three iPhone routes move call history as part of a larger transfer — none moves it alone. Quick Start is fastest when both phones are in hand; iCloud backup works when the old phone is not nearby; a computer backup avoids iCloud storage limits.

4. Android to Android: Google One and Smart Switch

Google One backup (Pixel and most Android phones)

On Android, call history is included in the Google One backup when backup is enabled. The critical detail is timing: the backup restores only during the new phone’s initial setup, not afterward.

1. On the old phone, go to Settings > Google > All services > Backup, confirm backup is on, and tap Back up now over Wi-Fi.
2. On the new phone, start setup, sign in with the same Google account, and when offered, choose to restore from the backup.
3. Finish setup; the call log appears in the Phone app’s Recents.

If the new phone is already set up, you cannot retroactively inject an old call log — the restore happens once, at setup time. Plan accordingly.

Samsung Smart Switch (Galaxy to Galaxy)

Smart Switch is Samsung’s official transfer tool, and it explicitly lists call logs among the items it can move. It works wirelessly (both phones nearby) or by cable, during the new phone’s setup or afterward via the Smart Switch app.

1. On the new Galaxy phone, open Smart Switch (pre-installed on most Galaxy devices) and tap Receive Data.
2. On the old phone, open Smart Switch and tap Send Data, choosing Wireless or Cable.
3. Keep the phones close, follow the pairing prompts, and when the data-type list appears, make sure Call logs (sometimes shown as “Call history”) is selected.
4. Tap Transfer and wait for completion. Verify the Recents list on the new phone before wiping the old one.

Smart Switch is the friendliest option for call logs specifically, because unlike Google One it can move them as a chosen item and can run after setup. For the general Galaxy transfer picture, it is also the route Samsung documents for contacts, messages, photos, and settings.

5. iPhone to Android: the honest limits

Stop for safety: There is no official, Apple-supported way to transfer iPhone call history to an Android phone. Do not trust “one-tap transfer” apps that claim otherwise unless you understand exactly what data they read and where it goes — many require full access to your Apple ID or device backups.

Here is what each path can and cannot do:

• Move to iOS (Apple’s setup-time app) transfers contacts, message history, photos, and some settings — it does not transfer call history. Do not start an Android move expecting your Recents list to come along.
• Smart Switch from iCloud can import contacts, messages, photos, and some other data from an iCloud backup to a Galaxy phone. Call logs are not among the items it reliably carries over from iOS backups.
• SMS Backup & Restore style tools back up messages and call logs on Android, but they cannot read an iPhone’s call history — they are Android-to-Android tools.

Practical advice: if your call history matters (for example, you need a record of calls with a business or landlord), export what you need before switching. Options include screenshotting important Recents entries, requesting call records from your carrier (carriers keep billing records), or keeping the old iPhone powered and signed in for a transition period.

6. Android to iPhone: what works

The Android-to-iPhone direction is better documented, but call history still does not make the trip:

• Move to iOS moves contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files, folders, accessibility settings, display settings, web bookmarks, mail accounts, and calendars. Call history is not on the list.
• Smart Switch to a Galaxy and then nothing further does not apply here — the destination is an iPhone.
• There is no Apple-supported phone-to-phone button for call logs from Android.

If call records matter to you, the same fallback applies: ask your carrier for records, or keep the old Android phone available for reference until you no longer need the history.

7. Method comparison table

8. The erase-first problem (read before restoring)

Both Apple and Google restore full backups only onto a phone in its setup state. If your new phone is already configured — you have signed in, installed apps, taken photos — restoring an old backup erases everything currently on it first. There is no merge.

That means the safe order is:

1. Back up the old phone one final time.
2. Set up the new phone and restore from that backup immediately.
3. Verify the Recents list (and everything else) before wiping the old phone.

If you already set up the new phone and do not want to erase it, your call history from the old phone will not come over through official tools. Decide which matters more — the call log, or the new phone’s current state — before proceeding.

Stop for safety: Never erase or sell the old phone until you have opened the Phone app on the new phone and confirmed the call history you care about is actually there. Backups can fail silently, and a wiped old phone cannot give you a second chance.

9. What if the old phone is broken?

If the old phone is damaged — cracked screen, will not power on — the transfer options narrow:

• If you had backups running: you are fine. Restore the latest iCloud backup (iPhone) or Google One backup (Android) onto the new phone during setup. The call log arrives with the backup.
• If you never backed up: call history on the broken phone is likely unreachable through official tools. Your carrier can usually provide recent call records (numbers and dates, typically), which is the one fallback that does not depend on the old phone at all.
• Samsung phones with Smart Switch PC: if the phone powers on but the screen is dead, a computer backup via Smart Switch may still capture call logs — worth trying before a repair.

A repair shop can sometimes recover data from a damaged phone, but call logs are not a guaranteed recovery — backups remain the reliable path. Keep the old phone untouched until you know what your backup contains.

10. Hypothetical examples

(Hypothetical illustration, not a customer story.) Amara’s upgrade: Amara buys a new iPhone and uses Quick Start with her old iPhone beside it. Because she chose the device-to-device transfer and kept both phones powered until it finished, her Recents list — including calls from her landlord and her mother’s doctor — appears on the new phone. She checks the Phone app before erasing the old one.

(Hypothetical illustration, not a customer story.) Daniel’s switch: Daniel moves from an Android phone to an iPhone using Move to iOS. His contacts, messages, and photos arrive, but his call history does not — he discovers this the next day when he needs a number from last week’s calls. Because he kept the old Android phone charged for two weeks, he looks the number up there. He now tells friends: if your calls matter, plan for them before switching platforms.

11. What these methods can and cannot establish

12. Frequently asked questions

Does iCloud backup include call history?

Yes. Call history is part of iCloud backups, and it restores to a new iPhone when you choose “From iCloud Backup” during setup. It is not, however, synced continuously to iCloud the way photos can be — it travels with backups.

Can I transfer call logs without a backup?

On Samsung phones, yes — Smart Switch can move call logs directly between phones. On iPhones and most other Android phones, call logs move only as part of a full backup restore. There is no standalone export button.

Will Move to iOS transfer my call history?

No. Move to iOS transfers contacts, message history, photos, and several other categories, but call history is not among them. Plan a fallback (carrier records or the old phone) if you need past calls.

Can I transfer call logs from iPhone to Samsung?

Not reliably through official tools. Smart Switch’s iCloud import brings contacts, messages, photos, and other items, but call logs from an iPhone are not among the reliably transferred items. Keep the old iPhone or get carrier records for anything important.

How far back does transferred call history go?

iPhones typically keep a rolling window of recent calls (commonly around the last 100 entries visible in Recents, with more stored in the backup), and Android behavior varies by phone. A backup restores whatever the backup captured — an old backup gives you old history, not today’s.

Do carriers keep my call history?

Carriers keep billing records — the numbers called, dates, and durations — for a retention period that varies by carrier and region. They do not store your contact names. You can usually request records through your carrier’s account portal or customer service.

Can a repair shop transfer my call logs?

A shop can help with the standard transfer flows (backups, Smart Switch) and sometimes with data recovery from damaged phones, but no shop can bypass Apple’s or Google’s account security, and cross-platform call log transfer has no official path for anyone. Be skeptical of any service promising what the manufacturers themselves do not offer.

What should I do before erasing my old phone?

Open the Phone app on the new phone and scroll through Recents to confirm the calls you care about are present. Also confirm contacts, messages, and photos arrived. Only then erase, trade in, or sell the old phone — and keep one final backup of the old phone until the new one is fully settled.

13. How long call history is kept (and why it matters)

One detail that surprises people: your phone does not keep every call forever. iPhones show a rolling window of recent calls in the Recents list — commonly around the most recent 100 entries — even though the backup may hold more. Android phones vary: some keep several hundred entries, others prune aggressively to save space. The practical consequence is that what transfers is whatever the old phone still held at backup time. If you make the final backup today, you get today’s recent history, not last year’s.

Carriers have their own separate retention. Billing records — numbers, dates, durations — are kept for months or years depending on the carrier and local rules, which is why carrier records are the best fallback for old calls that have long since rolled off the phone itself. They will not have contact names, and accessing them usually requires verifying your identity with the carrier.

Tip: If a specific call matters for legal, insurance, or business reasons, do not rely on the phone alone. Request the carrier record now, screenshot the Recents entry with its timestamp, and keep both. Phones are convenient; carrier records are durable.

Video: How to transfer all data to new iPhone fast

Sources and editorial notes

• Apple Support — Restore your iPhone from a backup: Apple’s documented guidance that device backups include call history and restore during setup. (Last checked October 13, 2026.)
• Apple Support — Move to iOS: Apple’s list of what the Move to iOS app transfers, with call history not included. (Last checked October 13, 2026.)
• Google — Back up your Android phone (Google One): Google’s documented backup contents and setup-time restore behavior for call history. (Last checked October 13, 2026.)
• Samsung — Smart Switch transfer guide: Samsung’s documented list of transferable items, including call logs, for Galaxy-to-Galaxy moves. (Last checked October 13, 2026.)
• MacRumors forums — iCloud call history syncing discussion: community corroboration of how call history sync and backup behavior works across Apple devices. (Last checked October 13, 2026.)

Last source check: October 13, 2026. AI-assisted editorial guide, checked against the linked manufacturer information. Procedures described here follow Apple, Google, and Samsung published support guidance; third-party sources are cited only for corroboration. Backup contents and transfer behaviors can change with software updates — if a menu path differs on your phone, check the manufacturer’s current support pages. If your phone needs hands-on assessment, Las Vegas Phone Repair & Accessories is at 7400 Las Vegas Blvd S, Unit TT42, Las Vegas, NV 89123 — call (424) 406-6202 ahead to confirm today’s hours (generally 10:00 AM–8:00 PM).