Why do companies make it so hard?? Part 2

On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

Post by BungleBob
Someone I know just got a new Samsung mobile phone. They aren't
tech-savvy so asked me to transfer all their stuff from the old phone
... surprise, yet again it's so damn difficult. :-(
You just need to connect the phones, or connect them to a computer, and
use the Samsung Smart Switch app in what *SHOULD* be an easy process.
1. Connect them to the computer ... Nope! Don't have any cables that
plugs into the phones and USB computer.
2. Connect the phones together with a cable ... Nope! The two phones
have different ports, so don't have a cable to connect them.
3. Connect the phones wirelessly ... after much hassle trying to get
them to see each other, success, they're connected.
- press the button to start the transfer
- "Can't do these three apps - must be done manually by
backing up on old phone then restoring on new phone".
[Why the hell not!?]
- Look up on internet how to backup first app.
"Go to Profile > Settings > General > Backup"
- Nope ... no surprise at all that ther is no "Backup"
option in the General settings, nor anywhere else in the
app's settings.
At that point I gave it up as a worthless cause.
The person took the phones to a Samsung booth in the local mall, and
even they couldn't transfer that particular messaging app's data.
Basically the person now has to keep both phones so they can look at
the past messages on the old phone while receiving new messages on the
new phone. Utterly idiotic! :-\

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).

On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

--
Crash McBash

BungleBob

2022-07-21 05:44:12 UTC

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

The point was that the process is meant to be easy, but as usual is
over-complicated and messy due to various reasons, including the fact
that the supposed app to transfer your data can't actually handle
transfering *all* the data. Then there's the "instructions" for that
first app which don't even remotely correspond to the app itself - not
even the "experts" at Samsung could work that one out! :-\

Crash

2022-07-21 09:26:40 UTC

On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

With my suggestions no app is required - it is standard Android
functionality regardless of phone hardware vendor.

--
Crash McBash

BungleBob

2022-07-21 20:41:01 UTC

Post by Crash
On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

With my suggestions no app is required - it is standard Android
functionality regardless of phone hardware vendor.

I never said there weren't other ways to do it, but that adds another
layer of complication.

Smart Switch is part of the official Samsung set-up process when you
first turn on the new device, well before you get to any other apps or
"sync" options, yet it's bloody useless ... as per the title: "Why do
companies make it so hard??"

Smart Switch *should* easily transfer everything, especially when it is
between two Samsung phones. The reality is that it can't transfer
everything, and even the Samsung website says it can't, making it
pointless and over-difficult. They should replace it with something
that does work, or not bother at all. The current half-assed approach
is simply annoying and confusing.

Added to that is the messaging app maker with instructions that don't
even match the app. :-\

Gordon

2022-07-26 22:06:59 UTC

Post by Crash
On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

With my suggestions no app is required - it is standard Android
functionality regardless of phone hardware vendor.

I never said there weren't other ways to do it, but that adds another
layer of complication.
Smart Switch is part of the official Samsung set-up process when you
first turn on the new device, well before you get to any other apps or
"sync" options, yet it's bloody useless ... as per the title: "Why do
companies make it so hard??"
Smart Switch *should* easily transfer everything, especially when it is
between two Samsung phones. The reality is that it can't transfer
everything, and even the Samsung website says it can't, making it
pointless and over-difficult. They should replace it with something
that does work, or not bother at all. The current half-assed approach
is simply annoying and confusing.

Well last November the Samsung's process worked well for me.

Post by BungleBob
Added to that is the messaging app maker with instructions that don't
even match the app. :-\

BungleBob

2022-07-27 03:42:35 UTC

Post by Crash
On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

With my suggestions no app is required - it is standard Android
functionality regardless of phone hardware vendor.

I never said there weren't other ways to do it, but that adds another
layer of complication.
Smart Switch is part of the official Samsung set-up process when you
first turn on the new device, well before you get to any other apps or
"sync" options, yet it's bloody useless ... as per the title: "Why do
companies make it so hard??"
Smart Switch *should* easily transfer everything, especially when it is
between two Samsung phones. The reality is that it can't transfer
everything, and even the Samsung website says it can't, making it
pointless and over-difficult. They should replace it with something
that does work, or not bother at all. The current half-assed approach
is simply annoying and confusing.

Well last November the Samsung's process worked well for me.

Then you were either lucky or have simple requirements.

For example, Samsung's own website says it can't transfer WeChat chat history.
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00047089/>

When I tried to use it, Smart Switch complained about three apps. I
don't recall which ones now, WeChat was likely one of them.

Post by BungleBob
Added to that is the messaging app maker with instructions that don't
even match the app. :-\

~misfit~

2022-07-28 03:56:29 UTC

Post by Crash
On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

Post by BungleBob
Someone I know just got a new Samsung mobile phone. They aren't
tech-savvy so asked me to transfer all their stuff from the old phone
... surprise, yet again it's so damn difficult. :-(
You just need to connect the phones, or connect them to a computer, and use the Samsung
Smart Switch app in what *SHOULD* be an easy process.
1. Connect them to the computer ... Nope! Don't have any cables that
plugs into the phones and USB computer.
2. Connect the phones together with a cable ... Nope! The two phones
have different ports, so don't have a cable to connect them.
3. Connect the phones wirelessly ... after much hassle trying to get
them to see each other, success, they're connected.
- press the button to start the transfer
- "Can't do these three apps - must be done manually by
backing up on old phone then restoring on new phone".
[Why the hell not!?]
- Look up on internet how to backup first app.
"Go to Profile > Settings > General > Backup"
- Nope ... no surprise at all that ther is no "Backup"
option in the General settings, nor anywhere else in the
app's settings.
At that point I gave it up as a worthless cause.
The person took the phones to a Samsung booth in the local mall, and
even they couldn't transfer that particular messaging app's data.
Basically the person now has to keep both phones so they can look at
the past messages on the old phone while receiving new messages on the new phone. Utterly
idiotic! :-\

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

With my suggestions no app is required - it is standard Android
functionality regardless of phone hardware vendor.

I never said there weren't other ways to do it, but that adds another
layer of complication.
Smart Switch is part of the official Samsung set-up process when you
first turn on the new device, well before you get to any other apps or
"sync" options, yet it's bloody useless ... as per the title: "Why do
companies make it so hard??"
Smart Switch *should* easily transfer everything, especially when it is
between two Samsung phones. The reality is that it can't transfer
everything, and even the Samsung website says it can't, making it
pointless and over-difficult. They should replace it with something
that does work, or not bother at all. The current half-assed approach
is simply annoying and confusing.

Well last November the Samsung's process worked well for me.

Then you were either lucky or have simple requirements.
For example, Samsung's own website says it can't transfer WeChat chat history.
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00047089/>
When I tried to use it, Smart Switch complained about three apps. I don't recall which ones now,
WeChat was likely one of them.

I'm not surprised that Samsung don't support migration of WeChat:
"User activity on WeChat is analyzed, tracked and shared with Chinese authorities".

From: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeChat>

Post by BungleBob
Added to that is the messaging app maker with instructions that don't
even match the app. :-\

--
Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long way when religious belief has a cozy little classification
in the DSM"
David Melville

This is not an email and hasn't been checked for viruses by any half-arsed self-promoting software.

BungleBob

2022-07-28 07:03:29 UTC

Post by BungleBob
I never said there weren't other ways to do it, but that adds another
layer of complication.
Smart Switch is part of the official Samsung set-up process when you
first turn on the new device, well before you get to any other apps or
"sync" options, yet it's bloody useless ... as per the title: "Why do
companies make it so hard??"
Smart Switch *should* easily transfer everything, especially when it is
between two Samsung phones. The reality is that it can't transfer
everything, and even the Samsung website says it can't, making it
pointless and over-difficult. They should replace it with something
that does work, or not bother at all. The current half-assed approach
is simply annoying and confusing.

Well last November the Samsung's process worked well for me.

Then you were either lucky or have simple requirements.
For example, Samsung's own website says it can't transfer WeChat chat history.
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00047089/>
When I tried to use it, Smart Switch complained about three apps. I
don't recall which ones now, WeChat was likely one of them.

"User activity on WeChat is analyzed, tracked and shared with Chinese authorities".
From: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeChat>

Shouldn't make any difference to Samsung, nor be any of their concern.
It's the user's choice to use the app and they then want to transfer
their own data from an old phone to a new phone.

If Samsung were blocking the transfer solely on political grounds, then
that would make it an even sillier problem with their transfer option.
You either block the app entirely so it can't be used in the first
place or you allow the user to transfer their data - not some half-way
house.

Post by ~misfit~

Post by BungleBob
Added to that is the messaging app maker with instructions that don't
even match the app. :-\

Crash

2022-07-28 07:46:57 UTC

On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob

Post by Crash
On Wed, 20 Jul 2022 17:56:10 +1200, BungleBob

I might be missing something here - but I normally transfer data from
old to new phone using my Google account through internet data (free
with a WIFI connection).
On the old phone, in the settings app search for 'sync' and make sure
that is turned on. On the new phone use the same Google account with
'sync' turned on. Bingo.

So why use a vendors app when other more universal options are
available via your Google account? I don't know of any apps now that
use local storage. Data access via multiple devices is all the rage
now and that requires the app to use cloud storage (and access to data
via WIFI or mobile network).

--
Crash McBash

BungleBob

2022-07-28 20:45:22 UTC

Post by Crash
On Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:44:12 +1200, BungleBob