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Samsung Smart Switch

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Samsung Smart Switch
DeveloperSamsung Electronics
ReleaseApril 2015; 11 years ago (2015-04)
Stable release
3.7.72.6 / August 2026; 1 month ago (2026-08)
Operating systemAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS
PredecessorSamsung Kies
TypeData migration, backup
LicenseProprietary freeware
Websitewww.samsung.com/uk/apps/smart-switch/

Samsung Smart Switch is a freeware data transfer and backup application developed by Samsung Electronics. It moves contacts, messages, photographs, application data and device settings from an existing Android or iOS device onto a Galaxy phone or tablet, and it can also back a device up to a personal computer and restore that backup to a replacement handset.[1] Samsung introduced it as the successor to Samsung Kies, the company's earlier desktop synchronisation suite.[2][3]

History

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Background: Samsung Kies

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Kies was a desktop application used to connect Samsung mobile phones and tablets to computers running Windows or Mac OS X, usually over USB. The name originated as the acronym K.I.E.S., for "Key Intuitive Easy System"; it was shortened to "Kies" after version 2.0. 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]

Replacement of Kies

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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. The software shipped in two editions, Smart Switch for PC covering Windows and macOS and Smart Switch for Mobile distributed through Google Play and Galaxy Apps; SamMobile characterised it as substantially the same program as Kies with a new interface.[3] The desktop program was 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]

Subsequent development

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A September 2016 update to the Android application added Windows Phone 8.1 as a supported source platform, allowed documents from Apple's iWork suite to be pulled from iOS 9 devices, and improved the speed of message backup and restore.[5]

Later releases extended the software beyond handsets to other Galaxy hardware, including Galaxy Book computers, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Ring.[6]

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 the same data coverage as cable transfers, adding passwords, call history, accessibility settings and eSIM information. Samsung said 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.[7]

Features

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Transfer methods

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Smart Switch can move data over a direct wireless connection between two devices, over a USB cable, through external storage such as a memory card or USB flash drive, or by way of a computer. When the source device is an iPhone or iPad, content held in iCloud can be imported instead.[1][6]

The method chosen affects how much is carried across. A wireless transfer from an iOS device moves a limited set consisting mainly of contacts, calendar entries, images and video, whereas a cable connection between the two handsets allows a wider selection.[1] Data is copied rather than moved, so content remains on the source device once a transfer completes.[6]

Desktop application

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Smart Switch for PC runs on Windows and macOS. 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][6] On the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge the desktop edition also took over manual firmware updating from Kies.[3]

Availability

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The application is preinstalled on recent Galaxy devices, where it is reached from the apps menu or through the device settings. On models where it is absent, and on third-party Android handsets acting as the source device, it is installed from Galaxy Store or Google Play.[1] The mobile client is published on Google Play as Samsung Smart Switch Mobile; by 2026 the listing recorded more than one billion downloads.[8]

Limitations

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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 themes. Samsung states that the list of transferable data may change without notice.[6] For iOS sources, applications themselves are not carried across; the software instead proposes Android equivalents that the user installs separately.[6]

In August 2026, Galaxy owners reported that RCS messaging in Google Messages stopped working after they had migrated with Smart Switch, with affected users seeing error code 3100. Google attributed the fault to corrupted cache files carried over during the transfer and published a workaround, though some users reported that only a factory reset restored the service.[9]

Security

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In August 2026, Samsung's monthly security bulletin disclosed four vulnerabilities in the Android version of Smart Switch, all affecting releases earlier than 3.7.72.6. Two were rated high severity: CVE-2026-21079, the absence of encryption on data the application transmitted, which could let an adjacent attacker intercept it; and CVE-2026-21080, the storage of sensitive information in cleartext. Two further flaws rated moderate, CVE-2026-21078 and CVE-2026-21083, concerned insufficient verification in the application's trouble-scanning mode and improper input validation. Samsung credited Rene Denifl and Florian Draschbacher with reporting all four.[10]

Reception

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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.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Shah, Pankil (24 March 2025). "What is Samsung's Smart Switch and how do you use it?". SlashGear. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 Foucher, Mathieu (10 April 2015). "Samsung : c'est terminé pour Kies, Smart Switch va prendre sa place !". PhonAndroid (in French). Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Farooqui, Adnan (9 April 2015). "Galaxy S6 and S6 edge don't work with Kies anymore, use Samsung Smart Switch instead". SamMobile. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "Samsung Kies Mini". Softpedia. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Tyagi, Himanshu (14 September 2016). "Samsung's Smart Switch app now lets you transfer data from WP 8.1 devices as well". GSMArena. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Smart Switch". Samsung Electronics. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Sean (11 August 2026). "Samsung updates Smart Switch to ease iPhone transfers". ChannelLife New Zealand. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Samsung Smart Switch Mobile". Google Play. Samsung Electronics. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Bhatia, Sanuj (19 August 2026). "Google Messages RCS is breaking for Galaxy users after using Smart Switch". Android Central. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Underhill, Ken (28 August 2026). "4 Samsung Smart Switch flaws put sensitive data at risk: check your version". eSecurity Planet. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Wolfe, Bryan M. (7 June 2024). "Samsung Smart Switch review: the ultimate tool for seamless device transition". TechRadar. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
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