Pixel 9 debuts new Setup and Data Transfer features

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have officially landed, and if you’re upgrading, get ready for a smoother setup experience than ever before. Thanks to a host of new features and improvements, Google has made it easier, faster, and more reliable to move everything you care about from your old device to your new Pixel 9.

One of the standout features in this year’s release is the ability to transfer your data anytime — not just during the initial setup or within the first few days of getting your new phone. There’s now a dedicated option in the Settings app that lets you initiate a transfer whenever you’re ready. If your first attempt didn’t go as planned, no worries — you can try again without the hassle of factory resetting your phone. And yes, you can transfer your data as many times as you like from the same old device, using a cable, Wi-Fi, or the cloud.

The introduction of the “Express setup” option is another highlight. This is the fastest way to get your data moved over, and it’s pretty smart too. Express setup is cloud-aware, meaning, for instance, it checks what’s already backed up to Google Photos and skips transferring those files from your old device. This clever optimization saves time and ensures that everything important makes it to your new Pixel 9 without duplicating efforts.

But if you’re someone who likes to have full control over every little detail, don’t worry — you can still opt for the “Customize” feature to decide exactly what gets transferred. This means you can tailor the process to suit your needs without leaving anything behind.

Google has also put extra emphasis on making sure your data is backed up securely right from the start. During setup, you can now enable both device data and media backup in one simple step, giving you peace of mind that your most important files are safe from day one.

If you’re a Google Messages user, you’re in for a treat. The Messages transfer infrastructure has been completely rebuilt to ensure a more reliable and complete transfer of your chat history. With the latest version of Google Messages, you’ll get an exact copy of your conversations, including all the media, reactions, and favorites, when you transfer using a cable or Wi-Fi. It’s as if you’ve cloned your old messaging experience onto your new Pixel 9.

Beyond just messages, more of your system settings, permissions, and notification preferences will carry over during the switch to the Pixel 9. And here’s a big win: more apps will stay logged in and ready to go, reducing the number of times you need to dig out passwords and reauthenticate. Google has collaborated with top app developers globally to make this possible, and they’re not stopping here — the coverage will keep improving over time.

If you ever find that your Wi-Fi transfer is dragging on a bit too long, there’s a neat new trick called Transport Multiplexing. This feature allows you to connect a USB cable mid-transfer, combining the speed of both cable and Wi-Fi to get your data across faster than either method alone could manage.

And that’s not all — there are a few other features worth noting. eSIM transfer is now supported during setup for select carriers, with more on the way. Wi-Fi transfers have been tweaked to be faster and more reliable, and you can even activate Quick Share and Car Crash Detection during the initial setup.

All these updates and improvements make the Pixel 9 setup and data transfer process the most user-friendly and efficient yet. Whether you’re a first-time Pixel user or a seasoned pro, Google has gone above and beyond to ensure your transition to the Pixel 9 is as seamless and stress-free as possible.