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Not everyone buys a new phone every year, or reviews a multitude of handsets like we do, but when you do, the Android transfer process can be quite annoying. Especially when you have to log back into the legion of apps that were just installed on your new device.
However, that irksome task will be getting easier for the 40% of us who do purchase a new phone annually thanks to a new Android developer tool from Google called Restore Credentials. The tool, which can be implemented by app developers, keeps you logged into your apps when you transfer them to a new phone.
"This makes the transition to a new device effortless and fosters loyalty and long term relationships," Neelansh Sahai, a Google Developer Relations Engineer wrote in the Android developers blog.
Google does note that uninstalling an app and reinstalling it does "delete the associated Restore Credential."
This is new for Android in comparison to the best iPhones where accounts and app credentials seamlessly transfer to the newest iOS handset. For Android owners, transferring hasn't always been easy but it has gotten better with built-in apps like Samsung's Smart Switch app or the current Google Pixel QR code method.
The new credential tool should make switching Android phones more akin to upgrading your iPhone.
More from Tom's Guide
- RCS messaging between Android and iPhone is here to stay — but there's a big security caveat
- Google reportedly cancelling the Pixel Tablet 3 — is this the end of Google’s tablets?
- I wish I’d known about these Google Translate features before I went on vacation
