Google Messages Better Wi-Fi + Cable Transfer

In addition to the ability to back up data at any time, the Pixel 9 has completely updated the setup and data transfer experience.

Paul Dunlop of Google, Head of Product for Android Routing and Switching, Details of changes On launch day, he called it “the biggest release ever.”

The “Backup or copy data” option appears in the main settings menu and lets you “transfer data as many times as you want from the same old device, either using a cable, WiFi, or the cloud” without having to do a factory reset. This gives you more flexibility during the process.

During the initial out-of-the-box experience, the new Express setup will only copy “media that wasn’t backed up to Google Photos at original quality from your old phone.” By examining each file individually, this is said to “significantly reduce the time it takes to transfer your data,” with a time estimate provided on the page. As always, you’ll have the ability to customize and manually select what you want to copy.

Google says it has “rebuilt our messaging infrastructure from the ground up, making it more robust, reliable, and complete.”

If you use Google Messages and have the latest version, you’ll get a carbon copy of your message history when you transfer using cable or WiFi.

Likewise, “more system settings, permissions, and notification preferences will be carried over,” while “more apps will remain signed in.” To that end, Google/Pixel has worked with top app developers around the world to help reduce all those times you have to pull out your passwords and sign in again.

Additionally, “eSIM transfer is supported during setup for select carriers.”

Having previously prioritized wireless transfers, Google will now explicitly recommend switching to cable if it thinks WiFi transfers will be slow. However, WiFi data transfers are said to be “faster and more reliable.”

In fact, you can now use both wired and wireless methods to “transfer data at a speed greater than the maximum possible using either method alone.” This is called multicast transmission.

Finally, during the setup process, you can now enable backup for Google Photos and “other device data,” while Quick Share and Car Crash Detection features have also been added.