Privacy Phone

The privacy phones are de-googled by default. This means that you can’t follow the traditional methods that depend on Google, as in you can’t backup your data to Google and then download them to the new phone (unless you choose to install Google Services, Play Store, and other Google features on the privacy phone – not recommended). 

The simplicity of that process means that you are essentially backing everything up to Google, which we want to avoid and move away from. We want to take control of our data as much as possible.

Privacy and security require that you learn to take control of your data.

1.0 Android: Contacts

This process will allow you to export your contacts from your Android device and then download them on your Privacy Phone so that you can import them.

1.1 Export Contacts (Android)

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Contacts app .
2. At the bottom, tap Fix & manage  Export to file.
3. Choose one or more accounts to export contacts from.
4. Tap Export to .VCF file.
5. Email the file to yourself or use another method to send the file to your Privacy Phone.
6. We recommend using Protonmail to email the file to yourself so that the file is encrypted and protected.
7. If you do email the file, make sure to open the email and save the file to your Privacy Phone, as you will need to access it to import the contacts.

1.2 Import Contacts: Privacy Phone

The previous step would have guided you in exporting your contacts as a .vcf file which you would have sent to your Privacy Phone. Following the steps below will allow you to import the file and access your contacts on the Privacy Phone:

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Contacts app .
2. At the bottom, tap IMPORT or tap on the three lines ≡ displayed on the top-left corner to open up the side menu then go to SettingsImport.
3. Tap on .vcf file.
4. Allow Contacts to access your photos and media when asked.
5. Select the contacts file that you had sent to yourself via your iPhone or PC/Laptop.
6. Once the import process is complete you will regain access to your contacts on the Privacy Phone.

NOTE: We recommend that people move away from traditional calls and SMS/MMS and instead transition to using Signal or other E2E encrypted apps.