How to Transfer Secure Folder to New Phone

Secure Folder doesn’t simply appear on a new phone when you sign in to your Samsung account. In most cases, you need to create Secure Folder on the new phone first, then use Smart Switch to bring over its contents.

If Smart Switch leaves the folder empty, don’t assume your photos and documents are gone. The new folder may have been created correctly, while the transfer itself skipped some or all of the protected content. You can then move important files manually.

What happens to Secure Folder when you change phones

Secure Folder is a protected area on your Samsung phone. It can hold photos, documents, and apps separately from the regular parts of the phone.

When you replace the phone:

1. Secure Folder on the old phone stays where it is.
2. The new phone may need its own Secure Folder set up first.
3. The new folder may look empty at first.
4. Smart Switch can then attempt to transfer the old folder’s content.

That empty folder can be confusing. It doesn’t always mean the transfer failed permanently. It may simply mean Secure Folder was created before its contents were moved.

The safest first choice is Samsung Smart Switch, especially when you’re moving from one Galaxy phone to another. Keep the old phone available until you have checked the new one. Don’t erase or reset it just because the main phone transfer appears complete.

Before you start: check both phones and Secure Folder access

A few checks can prevent problems halfway through the move.

On the old phone:

• Make sure you can open Secure Folder.
• Confirm that you know its PIN, password, or pattern.
• Open Secure Folder and check that the photos and documents you need are still there.
• Keep the phone charged during the transfer.
• Avoid changing or deleting files until you’ve checked the new phone.

On the new phone:

• Finish the basic setup before starting the transfer.
• Install or open Smart Switch if it isn’t already available.
• Set up Secure Folder before asking Smart Switch to move its data.
• Use the same type of screen lock or Secure Folder sign-in details only if the setup process asks for them. Don’t assume the old lock will copy automatically.

Menu names can vary by Galaxy model and software version. Look for Secure Folder in Settings, often under Security and privacy, Biometrics and security, or a similar section. You can also use the Settings search box and type Secure Folder.

It’s also worth checking storage space on the new phone. If there isn’t enough room, a transfer may stop or leave some content behind.

Set up Secure Folder on the new Samsung phone

Do this before starting the main Smart Switch transfer.

1. Open Settings on the new Samsung phone.
2. Search for Secure Folder, or open it from the security section.
3. Follow the setup instructions.
4. Choose a lock method for Secure Folder.
5. Open Secure Folder once and confirm that it works.

At this point, the folder may contain nothing. That’s normal. Creating the protected space does not mean the old phone’s files have already arrived.

You may see Secure Folder in the app drawer or on the home screen, depending on your settings. Open it and leave it ready for the transfer.

If you can’t set it up, check that the phone has finished its initial setup and that you have access to the phone’s main screen lock. Restarting the new phone can also help if the Secure Folder option does not appear right away.

Transfer Secure Folder data with Samsung Smart Switch

This is the main method for how to transfer Secure Folder to new phone using Smart Switch.

The exact screens vary, but the basic process is the same.

1. Open Smart Switch on both phones

On the new phone, open Smart Switch. You may find it in:

• Settings > Accounts and backup
• The Samsung app list
• The app search screen

Open Smart Switch on the old phone too if it isn’t already running.

2. Choose the old and new phone roles

On the new phone, choose the option that means Receive data or Bring data from old device.

On the old phone, choose Send data.

Select the connection method shown on both phones. Smart Switch may use a wireless connection or a cable, depending on your devices and what you select.

A cable is often a practical choice for a large transfer, but use the connection option available on your phones.

3. Connect the phones and choose what to copy

Follow the prompts until Smart Switch shows the data categories available for transfer.

If you want to try moving Secure Folder along with the rest of your phone data, choose Everything or the option that selects all available data. This is the workflow most likely to include Secure Folder when the feature is supported on the phones involved.

You may also be able to select data categories one by one. The labels won’t be identical on every Galaxy model, so look carefully for a Secure Folder-related choice if one is shown.

4. Unlock Secure Folder when asked

If Smart Switch is set to transfer everything and Secure Folder has already been set up on the new phone, it may ask you to unlock Secure Folder on the old phone.

Open Secure Folder on the old phone and enter its lock details when prompted. This step gives Smart Switch access to the protected content. Without that permission, the transfer may continue while leaving Secure Folder data behind.

Keep both phones nearby until Smart Switch says the transfer is finished. Don’t close Secure Folder or disconnect the cable while the process is still running.

5. Check the new folder

When Smart Switch finishes, open Secure Folder on the new phone.

Check more than the folder icon. Look inside:

• Gallery, for protected photos and videos
• My Files, for documents and other files
• Any apps you expected to see

If the folder is empty, or only part of the content arrived, move to the manual method below. Don’t delete the old phone’s Secure Folder yet.

Move Secure Folder photos and files manually

This is the fallback for how to transfer photos from Secure Folder to new phone when Smart Switch doesn’t bring them over.

The general idea is to take selected files out of Secure Folder on the old phone, place them in the regular storage area, and then transfer them like ordinary files. This means they will no longer be protected by Secure Folder during that part of the process, so handle them carefully.

Move photos out of Secure Folder

1. Open Secure Folder on the old Samsung phone.
2. Open Gallery.
3. Select the photos and videos you need. To move a large group, use Select all where available.
4. Open the More options menu, usually shown as three dots.
5. Choose the option that moves or copies the selected items outside Secure Folder. The wording may be Move out of Secure Folder or something close to it.
6. Confirm the action.

The files should then appear in the regular Gallery. From there, you can use Smart Switch again, copy them with a computer, or send them through another storage method you trust.

Move documents and other files

For documents:

1. Open Secure Folder.
2. Open My Files.
3. Select the files or folders you need.
4. Tap the options menu.
5. Choose the command to move or copy them outside Secure Folder.
6. Open regular My Files and check that they are there.

You can now transfer those files from the old phone to the new one with Smart Switch or a computer.

For a computer-based route, this is the practical Samsung transfer Secure Folder to PC method: first move the files out of Secure Folder on the phone, then connect the phone to the PC and copy the files from regular phone storage. A PC cannot simply open the protected Secure Folder as if it were an ordinary folder.

After the files reach the new Samsung phone, open Secure Folder and use its Add files option to place copies back inside. Check the files first, then remove the unprotected copies from the old phone and any temporary location when you’re sure the protected versions are safe.

Why Secure Folder may not have transferred

If Secure Folder is present but empty, the most likely issue is that the new protected space was created without the old content being transferred into it.

Try these checks:

• Confirm Secure Folder was set up on the new phone before running Smart Switch.
• Run Smart Switch again with Everything selected.
• Unlock Secure Folder on the old phone when Smart Switch asks.
• Check both Gallery and My Files inside the new Secure Folder.
• Keep the old phone untouched until you verify the files.
• Restart both phones and try the transfer again if Smart Switch stops or misses the folder.

If Smart Switch fails, don’t keep repeating the same transfer without checking the contents. Use the manual method for the files that matter most, starting with irreplaceable photos and documents.

If the old phone still opens Secure Folder, your data may still be available there even though the automatic transfer didn’t work. That’s why keeping the old device until the final check matters.

What Smart Switch may not move

Smart Switch can move a lot of phone data, but you shouldn’t assume that every Secure Folder item will transfer exactly as it appeared on the old phone.

Transfer results can vary by:

• Phone model
• Android and Samsung software versions
• The type of item stored in Secure Folder
• Whether the item belongs to an app
• The transfer choices you make

Some content may arrive only after Secure Folder is created on the new phone. Other items may need to be moved manually. App data and protected app content can also behave differently from ordinary photos and files, so check each important app rather than relying only on the transfer-complete message.

The safest check is simple: compare the old Secure Folder with the new one. Look at your photo count, document names, folders, and any apps you need. If something is missing, use the manual file-transfer steps instead of assuming it will appear later.

Can Secure Folder be accessed from another device?

Secure Folder isn’t a shared online folder that you open directly from any phone, tablet, or computer. The usual process is to create Secure Folder on the new phone and transfer content into that new protected space.

So, signing in to the same Samsung account does not by itself mean you can open the old phone’s Secure Folder from another device.

For a computer, move files out of Secure Folder first, then copy them through regular phone storage. For another phone, transfer the files or use Smart Switch where supported. The files may need to be placed inside the new phone’s Secure Folder after they arrive.

This distinction matters if you’re helping a parent or carer replace a phone. Accessing the old folder and moving a copy of its contents are two different things. Keep the old phone available until the new protected folder has been checked.

Samsung-to-Samsung versus Samsung-to-Pixel transfers

The easiest path for how to transfer Secure Folder to new phone Samsung is usually Galaxy to Galaxy: set up Secure Folder on the new Samsung phone, run Smart Switch, select the full transfer, and unlock Secure Folder on the old phone when prompted.

The process is less direct when moving from Samsung to Pixel or another non-Samsung phone. The new phone may not offer the same Samsung Secure Folder destination, so you shouldn’t expect the old protected folder to appear as a working folder on the new device.

For how to transfer Secure Folder from Samsung to Pixel, use a file-first approach:

1. Open Secure Folder on the Samsung phone.
2. Select the photos and documents you want to keep.
3. Move or copy them outside Secure Folder.
4. Transfer those regular files to the Pixel.
5. Store them in the Pixel’s available private or protected area, if you choose to use one.

Smart Switch may still transfer some general phone data, but don’t treat a completed phone transfer as proof that Secure Folder content moved. The new phone’s security features and app support may be different.

Before wiping the old Samsung, open the new Secure Folder and check the photos, documents, and apps you care about. If Smart Switch left important items behind, return to the old phone and use the manual file-transfer steps while those files are still available.