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Ultimate Productivity Bundle: A lifetime of Rosetta Stone, VPN, and more

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In today’s climate we find ourselves working from home and often staying away from others. We’re changing habits in both personal and professional settings as we grapple with the “new normal.”

Some of us have more free time simply because we’re not going out as often. What do you do with your evenings, weekends, or spare moments? Why not use it to learn new languages or become versed in various topics?

The Ultimate Productivity Lifetime Subscription Bundle, available in the AndroidGuys Deals Store for $199, is the well-rounded kit that you never knew you needed.

Included in the bundle are lifetime subscriptions to Rosetta Stone, 12min books, and KeepSolid VPN. It’s everything you need to master up to 24 languages, immerse yourself in new fields, and stay safe in the process.

12min Premium Micro Book Library: Lifetime Subscription

Not enough hours in the day to get through your reading list? You’ll only need 12 minutes to finish your next book with 12min! This innovative platform gives you access to hundreds of micro books in text and narrative form for you to absorb in just 12 minutes each. Every month, you’ll get 30 new titles so you can keep learning new things well into the future.

Rosetta Stone Unlimited Access: Lifetime Subscription (24 Languages)

If your dream is to master a foreign language, there’s no better teacher than Rosetta Stone. With its intuitive, immersive training method, Rosetta Stone will have you reading, writing, and speaking new languages like a natural in no time. You’ll start by matching words with images just like when you learned your native language as a child. Then you’ll move onto interactive lessons where speech recognition technology works to evaluate and improve your accent with instant feedback.

KeepSolid VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription

Whether you’re using a private internet connection or public Wi-Fi, your online privacy and security is far from guaranteed. With top-rated solution VPN Unlimited, you can regain control over your digital life with full security and anonymity online. There are no speed or bandwidth limits, so you’ll still enjoy full browsing speeds, without the dangers of leaving your data exposed or the geographic restrictions set on certain websites abroad.

Buy the Bundle!

Valued at more than $800 for the Ultimate Productivity Lifetime Subscription Bundle, you can purchase it from the AG Deals Store for just $199. They’re all three yours for as long as you live.

Best Sellers

Earn Credits!

For every $25 you spend in the AG Deals Store you get $1 credit added to your account. And, if you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

First Time Buying?

If this is your first time buying, you are also eligible for 10% discount! Just be sure to subscribe for email updates.

Free Stuff

Not looking to spend any money today? No worries. You can still visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and pick something anyhow.

What Spectrum offers in this pandemic?

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EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise. Ever since its outbreak, people have been relying more and more on the internet to stay connected to their family and work. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, around 53% of the Americans agreed to the fact that the internet has been an essential utility for them amid the pandemic.

Since there is no cure available for this pandemic yet, people are advised to remain indoors with minimum human interaction and the outside world. In these difficult times, many service providers like Charter Spectrum have taken the initiative to help their customers by offering them free internet along with various other facilities.

How is Charter Spectrum helping its customers in this pandemic?

Offering Free Internet

Being one of the largest cable providers of the nation, Charter Spectrum offers internet service in 44 states with the greatest coverage in Texas, California, and New York. The company knows the importance of connectivity during these crucial times and therefore, it is offering free internet facility for 60 days beyond due date to households with K-12 or college students. If you fall under the category of low-income households, then you can take advantage of this amazing internet offer that comes with 100 Mbps of speed and free installation.

Self-Service Options

Spectrum has also taken preventive measures to safeguard its customers from the spread of this deadly virus. Now you can install your Spectrum internet service yourself without having to interact with the technicians. Spectrum internet plans come with a self-installation kit, which includes an easy-to-understand set of instructions and all the equipment that you need to set up your service. In case you are struck by a problem, Spectrum Customer Service is just a call away to help you with the installation procedure.

Promoting Safety

The well-being of its customers is Spectrum’s topmost priority, which is why the provider abides by all the rules and regulations set by the Center for Disease Control. All the technicians are required to follow the safety protocols by wearing personal protective equipment when interacting with the customers directly. In addition to this, Spectrum representatives regularly disinfect their equipment and maintain social distance when meeting with a client. Moreover, the employees are requested to conduct a proper self-assessment of their health in order to confirm that they do not have any symptoms like flu or cold. Charter Spectrum has also modified its procedures to ensure that technicians spend a minimum amount of time at your home or business for installation and service work.

Community Assistance

To serve the customers in the best possible way, Spectrum will continue to offer Internet Assist, which is a high-speed broadband network designed especially for low-income households. The company has also allowed free access to Wi-Fi hotspots, which are available throughout the nation. Spectrum’s network can sustain high internet usage during peak hours and the provider closely monitors the activity to continuously deliver reliable connectivity.

Conclusion

Charter Spectrum has set a benchmark for other providers by helping its customers in these difficult times. If you are looking to subscribe to Spectrum’s service, then head on to Local Cable Deals right away and search for the best internet plans available in your area. Simply enter your zip code and street address, and you will be presented with all the amazing offers in your vicinity.


EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

OnePlus: A history lesson

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OnePlus has become one of the best brands in the Android market; however if I’d mentioned the company in a room full of people three years ago I may not get anyone to recognize the name. In that short amount time things have changed quite a bit.

We wanted to take some time to spotlight the manufacturer and shed some light on the history behind OnePlus.

Where’d it all start?

OnePlus was brought into existence in December of 2013. Co-founders Peter Lau and Carl Pei both left their posts at Oppo Electronics to produce a new line of smartphones under the OnePlus banner. The company immediately had high aspirations, but the approach is what set them apart.

Lau and Pei felt that the Android market had a real opening for the “power-user” that wasn’t properly being represented by the Nexus line. The result was a very community-driven campaign that reminds me of how users respond to Linux on the desktop.

There were forums of OnePlus employees polling what users were looking for in a phone. And then there was CyanogenMod. The pinnacle of hobbyist Android ROMs was the default software available on the first generation OnePlus One.

This choice really got the users that OnePlus intended to perk up. CyanogenMod was popular among Android users, and especially Nexus owners, as the go-to option to install your own slice of Android. You had an almost endless option of UI customizations you just couldn’t find anywhere else.

Never Settle

In that same nerd haven methodology, was the Never Settle and Flagship Killer advertising. Both tied to the hardware and the over-the-top specs for the price of the OnePlus phones for generations of devices from the upstart. Never Settle has consistently translated to more internal RAM, storage, and modern CPU versus most phones on the market.

With a Flagship Killer mentality, OnePlus attacked the budget-minded market with truly impressive specs for only $299 for the original OnePlus One. This created a value proposition that gave you 90% of what a flagship offered but at around half the price.

Aura of Exclusivity

Another unique element of the OnePlus lore is the invite. For the first two generations of the company’s smartphone launches, you could only order the phone via an invite from another user or contest entry.

This led to a bit of a frustrating experience for those unable to secure an invitation. However, if you did snag one, you had this immediate nerd gratification of being “one of the chosen.” With that club, OnePlus cultivated a true cult following that helps the brand to this day.

Is there an elephant in the room?

Let’s talk about what many quick Google searches will uncover. OnePlus is not your normal startup. It’s often referred to as a subsidiary of the large Chinese firm Oppo Electronics. And while the Oppo is a major financial back, and hardware supplier, of OnePlus both companies, claim it’s only a partnership.

The line can still be blurry between the two. All the iterations of OnePlus hardware are closely related to phones previously released by Oppo. However, the consistent design language that OnePlus has curated sets it apart from its hardware cousins.

Evolution Continues

OnePlus continues to build on the heritage it instilled. With the latest launches of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, the company has entered a new age of true flagship specs that still come in much more affordable than the competition.

While the Flagship Killer now makes flagships, it still has a loyal following that swears by the brand. You could even argue it still caters to its original users with the even newer OnePlus Nord that brings many of the same internals of the 8 and 8 Pro to a much cheaper package.

OnepPlus has startup roots and has slowly built a following that many perceive as some of the best phones you can buy running Android. We hope this article can help shed some light on new users of just who and where the OnePlus brand came from.

How to migrate your data to an Oppo phone

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With smartphones becoming increasingly more affordable, buying one can be a semi-regular occurrence. However, moving data between your old phone and the new one can be cumbersome.

Many people will opt to transfer the data to a computer and then to the new phone. Historically, that was what one had to do. Or, users would back up what they could to a microSD card. Today, smartphone manufacturers have dedicated apps that make this process easy, efficient, and seamless.

This guide will teach you how to move all your personal data (SMS, calls, apps, photos, etc.) from your old phone to a Oppo branded phone. With this, you won’t have to worry about copying data on a computer or removable storage.

With Oppo gaining popularity and momentum in the smartphone market, many people may soon find themselves getting their first taste of the brand. If you’ve recently bought any Oppo device, you’ll be glad to know that you can still carry over your previous phone’s data, accounts, and other important details via their proprietary app.

How to migrate your data to an Oppo phone

Pre-requisites

Install the Oppo Clone Phone app on the new Oppo phone and your old smartphone you’re looking to get the data out of. It’s recommended to have both phones at least at 80% charge if there is a significant amount of data to transfer.

For best results, put both phones on a flat surface and wait for the transfer to finish. As this will be a wireless transfer, it’s not recommended to use either phone during the transfer process.

Let’s Go!

Launch the app on both phones and do the following steps:

On your old phone, open the app and choose the This is the Old Phone option. You’ll be prompted to scan a QR Code. Switch over to your new Oppo phone, and choose the This is the New Phone option. A QR Code will appear on the screen. Scan the QR code with the old phone.

From your old phone, select the content you wish to transfer to your new phone. Once you’re ready, tap on the Start Cloning button on your old phone.

Image courtesy of Oppo

You will now see the transfer take place, it is imperative that during this time you avoid using either phone for the duration of the transfer. This ensures no data is lost along the way.

Image courtesy of Oppo

Once the data is transferred, you’ll get a notification on both phones informing you of the transfer being completed or repeating the process again.

Image courtesy of Oppo

From here, just press Done on both phones and enjoy your brand new Oppo phone.

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Verizon announces LG Velvet pricing and August 21 arrival

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Verizon on Tuesday announced the pricing and availability of its version of the LG Velvet. Set to arrive on August 21, the new phone will be offered in a variety of colors, including one exclusive to Verizon.

The LG Velvet will retail for $699.99 outright through Verizon; customers are able to purchase it at $29.17 per month over two years.

The LG Velvet is equipped to support both the 5G Ultra Wideband network and the forthcoming 5G Nationwide network. As such, that’s likely the reason the Verizon model is about $100 more than what’s found at other carriers.

Another standout feature for the Verizon edition is that it comes in Aurora Red, a color exclusive to the carrier. Indeed, it’s a Red Velvet handset.

For a limited time, anyone who purchases the LG Velvet online can get it for just $10 per months with a new line of service on one of Verizon’s Premium Unlimited rate plans. More specifically that includes the Above, Beyond, Do, Play, and Get options.

Existing Verizon customers who trade their old phone in can receive a guaranteed $350 for devices in good working condition. The discount is applied over a recurring 24-month bill credit.

Cricket now offering 6.5-inch Ovation

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Cricket is now selling another self-branded smartphone as part of it Android roster, this time in the form of the Cricket Ovation. Priced $130, it’s a blend of mid-range hardware features that’s backed by a two-year warranty.

The Cricket Ovation runs Android 10 and offers up a generous 6.5-inch display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It’s powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. A microSD expansion card slot allows for external media and files.

Other specifications of the Cricket Ovation include triple rear cameras, dual-band Wi-Fi, fingerprint reader, a headphone jack, and a 4,000mAh battery.

Given that it’s a Cricket-branded phone it comes with a two-year “Worry Free” warranty.

ZTE to debut world’s first 5G phone with under-display camera

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ZTE this week announced that it will soon introduce the world’s first “mass-produced” smartphone to feature an under-display selfie camera. Scheduled for September 1, the Axon 20 5G will also have support for 5G. It is in the name, after all.

We’ve seen the phone industry evolve over the last few generations, playing with different designs for front-facing cameras. What was once tucked into the top bezel has shifted to notch and cutout displays, pop-up selfies, and hole-punches. The ZTE Axon 20 5G will presumably have no obvious indication that there is a camera.

ZTE is definitely not alone in adopting this design choice, and it’s not even the first. If history is an indicator, we’ll see Chinese vendors adopt it before it makes its way to other markets.

ZTE hasn’t revealed any of the hardware features of the Axon 20 5G, but an XDA source says it should have a 6.92-inch 2460 x 1080 pixel OLED display. The front-facing camera, for its part, is rumored to be 32-megapixels.

Other specifications are alleged to include 64-megapixel and 8-megapixel rear cameras, a 2.4GHz processor with up to 12GB RAM, and a 4,120mAh battery.

All details for the ZTE Axon 20 5G and, we hope, price and availability should be clear on September 1.

Tribit FlyBuds 3 review

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When I first learned of the Bragi Dash wireless earbuds back in 2015, I was intrigued and amazed that earbuds were finally able to “cut the cord.”

As an avid runner; I couldn’t wait to eliminate the tether wire that connected right and left earphones. While that wire was a drastic improvement over wired earbuds, it would still rub uncomfortably on my neck as I ticked off miles. Not bad if you’re running a few miles but as the miles begin to add up in marathon training, that seemingly lightweight wire starts to become sandpaper.

Fast forward five years and there is certainly no lack of options when it comes to “true” wireless earbuds across many price points.

The TriBit Flybuds 3 True Wireless Earbuds are a relatively low-priced option compared to Apple Airpods or Bose Soundsport Free.

Available on Amazon for only $39.99; I’d say that’s a pretty good deal. When starting this review, I happened to come across a Lightning Deal price of $29.99 with an extra $8 off coupon which is a fantastic deal!

Design

Like many of the other true-wireless earbuds today, the Flybuds 3 comprise of a charging case and left and right sided earbuds.

The case measures 3.40 x 2.00 x 1.20 inches and is mostly matte black plastic with a glossy black plastic strip that serves as the divider between top and bottom. Its rounded edges remind me of a bar of soap that’s given up about ½ of its useful life. Sort of pocketable if absolutely necessary but otherwise it wouldn’t be something I’d want to carry around while using the earbuds.

The front of the case features a single button and flap cover which houses a USB-type C connector and USB-type A connector. The USB-C is to charge the case and earbuds while the USB-A allows the case to be used as a portable device charger tapping into the 2600maH battery. This might be a valid reason for some to carry the case around in their pocket.

The earbuds themselves are made of the same matte and shiny plastic as the case with rubber “earfins” and tips. The box contains S/M/L earfins as well as S/M/L eartips of different color combinations (grey/red or black). You also get a USB-C charging cable, user manual and thank you card inside the box.

Setup and Usage

The Flybuds 3 earbuds borrowed from the Apple playbook when it comes to ease of  connecting.  Open the case, and they are placed in bluetooth pairing mode. Open bluetooth settings on your device and connect to “FlyBuds 3.”

The earbuds ship with a small sticker covering the charging contacts which need to be removed. Tweezers may be necessary if you lack fingernails. After removing those stickers, I found the magnets holding the earbuds in place were stronger and therefore, I couldn’t grasp the earbuds out of the case as easily. I’ve discovered that it’s easier to hold the case in both hands and use my thumbs to push in towards the center to dislodge the earbuds.

Placing the earbuds in my respective ears was easy, comfortable and provided great noise isolation with the installed earfins and tips. There’s a voice prompt that indicates the earbuds are “connected,” but unless you’re fast; you’re going to miss it.

Users can control music and phone calls by touching/tapping either left or right earbuds as follows:

  • Double Tap – Play/Pause music
  • Double Tap – Answer/end phone call
  • Triple Tap – Next Track
  • Press and hold for 2s – Reject incoming call
  • Press and hold for 2s – Activate voice assistant

My only complaint with touch controls is that I would’ve preferred to have the option to use left or right earbuds to skip or play the previous track. Or the ability to play previous track, period.

Performance

Dave Matthews Band “Say Goodbye” is a great track to kick off the audio review as the intro features a flute solo against the backdrop of kick drum, tom-toms and cymbals. I was impressed, the bass notes were not overly pronounced and crisp while the treble notes remained in the foreground of the audio soundstage. Midrange is also balanced as Dave Matthews’ vocals begin. So far so good.

Time to test bass response.  Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” can push some of the “name brand” earbuds, headphones and even home audio systems to distortion. Not the case at all with the FlyBuds 3. The bass interlude at the 2:31 mark didn’t come off strained or distorted. Not bad for a $40 set of earbuds.

I tested across genres and artists including The Head and The Heart, Santigold, DIIV, Darius Rucker, etc. and I wasn’t disappointed at all. At a little less than ½ volume, I couldn’t hear my children asking me questions from only a few feet away.

After roughly an hour of playtime, the FlyBuds 3 still showed approximately 70% battery life remaining; which leads me to believe their stated playtime of five hours would be accurate. The case can supply 20 charges for a whopping 100 hours of playtime. More than enough for a weekend getaway or the Barkley Marathon with extra juice to spare.

Bluetooth range is stated at 33ft. I walked from one side of my house to the opposite side with no dropout or hiccups. That said, when adjusting volume from my Apple watch there was a delay when I was away from my phone.

Call Quality

I only briefly tested the call feature of the FlyBuds 3. The audio was clear on both ends of the phone conversation but I personally don’t like using noise isolating earbuds to make phone calls due to the closedness of hearing my voice in my ears. Definitely passable in a pinch, but I wouldn’t use these for all-day conference calls.

Final Thoughts

The Tribit FlyBuds 3 earbuds are truly impressive at their ~$40 price point. They sound great, they’re comfortable, and unobtrusive. I even wore them to sleep and didn’t wake up with sore ear canals. I did lose the left earbud at some point during the night but the right side stayed put without any discomfort in the morning. Even side sleepers can enjoy these while drifting off to sleep!

With five hours of estimated play time and IPX7 waterproofing, these would be the perfect companion for marathoners. Although, I would hesitate to use these except on closed courses due to the effectiveness of the noise isolation.

Unless you are tech-fashion conscious and wouldn’t be caught dead in public with anything less than those white earbuds; I highly recommend the Tribit FlyBuds 3. Besides their excellent sound and design, they are backed by a 30-day money back guarantee as well as 18-month replacement warranty.

How to fix iPhone boot loop or frozen Apple logo issues

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EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

Apple users are quite aware of the updates that need to be done often. During these updates Apple users come across a common problem. There is nothing worse than getting your iPhone stuck in the ‘boot loop’. Boot loop is a phenomenon where the phone gets stuck in the restart. Basically the iPhone won’t turn on stuck on Apple logo. This becomes a frustrating moment as you can’t get past it.

There are many reasons due to which the iPhone gets stuck in the boot loop. If you have your iPhone facing the same problem, you are at the right place. As we have a list of methods that can fix your iPhone right at your home. You don’t need to visit the Apple store. Before doing that, you need to analyze the reason and then act accordingly.

Reasons responsible for the iPhone’s boot loop or stuck on Apple logo

  • If there is any kind of malfunction in hardware such as battery and wifi adaptor this can be responsible for the iPhone stuck in boot loop or stuck on Apple logo.
  • During the transfer from PC to the iPhone, softwares in the computer can interfere during the iOS update. This happens because the iPhone is an external device for the computer.
  • When the update is done using iTunes, during the process of reboot, the computer thinks it has just unplugged and plugged it in back. Hence, the antivirus software starts scanning and interrupts the data transfer. Due to which iTunes aborts the update and the phone remains half updated. And the iPhone goes onto the recovery mode and later gets stuck on Apple logo.

These things can be taken care of, without visiting any technician just by using few basic Microsoft skills. Here are three methods you can follow:

Hard reset

This will help clear all the third party applications, passwords, accounts and restore the iPhone’s setting to initial configuration. This can sometimes fix the iOS system.

DFU Mode: (Device firmware update)

This mode is the deepest type of phone restore. This method doesn’t use the iTunes for installing the latest version of iOS. It allows to choose and change the firmware you want to install in your iPhone. It can help in the situation of the iPhone stuck in the black screen.

Wondershare Dr. Fone software

Wondershare Technology has created another masterpiece, that is Dr. Fone software. The software is known for bringing your iPhone back to life if it got stuck on the boot loop. This is a multi-tasking platform where you can perform various tasks such as data recovery, updating the iPhone, data transfer, unlock device, iOS system repair, iPhone error 14, iPhone stuck in boot loop, iPhone stuck on restore screen, iPhone stuck on Apple logo etc.

  • Dr. Fone software has over 50 million users all over the world and this is because it is user-friendly and has all that other software existing on the internet doesn’t.
  • The above two mentioned methods do not guarantee the data recovery but Dr. Fone can keep your data safe. It makes your iPhone usable with just a few clicks.
  • Unlike the Hard reset and DFU mode method, Dr. Fone makes the iOS system repair is safe and less time-consuming. It is secured by McAfee.
  • Dr. Fone consists of various modes one of which is Repair modes. This includes functions like Stuck in DFU mode, Stuck in recovery mode, White screen of death, iPhone black screen, iPhone boot loop, etc.
  • Supports all versions of the iPhone, iPad, iPod.
  • A toolkit of Dr. Fone consists of a Data recovery system, system repair, Phone manager, iTunes repair, etc.
  • Allows downgrading iOS without iTunes and there is no loss of data.
  • Privacy is taken care of through both data encryption and advanced fraud protection.

If the software provides so many facilities anyone can fix their iPhone problem at home itself. You only have to download the software from the official website and install it on your PC. Make sure you don’t download the software other than the website or else you can face the issue of malware. They have both free and paid versions. The free one has few limitations but the paid one is free to explore any tool. There is a policy of 7 days’ money-back guarantee available. Few functions such as Recover, Backup and restore, and Transfer can be purchased separately if you don’t need the other functions.

To guide you through the tools, there are videos available for each tool. So that you won’t be blank when using any of the tools. If you have any query you can contact them through live chat and emails. This is the exact kind of software you need if your iPhone gets stuck in boot loop or stuck on Apple logo.


EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

How to migrate your data to an LG phone

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With smartphones becoming increasingly more affordable, buying one can be a semi-regular occurrence. However, moving data between your old phone and the new one can be cumbersome.

Many people will opt to transfer the data to a computer and then to the new phone. Historically, that was what one had to do. Or, users would back up what they could to a microSD card. Today, smartphone manufacturers have dedicated apps that make this process easy, efficient, and seamless.

This guide will teach you how to move all your personal data (SMS, calls, apps, photos, etc.) from your old phone to a LG branded phone. With this, you won’t have to worry about copying data on a computer or removable storage.

LG is one of the oldest names in the smartphone game, and its phones have proven to stand the test of time. LG is better known for making some great looking phones that deliver great specs.

If you’ve recently bought yourself an LG phone, find out how you can transfer your data from your old phone to your new LG phone in only a few minutes!

Pre-Requisites

Download and install the LG Mobile Switch App to your old phone and new LG Phone. Make sure both phones have at least 80% charge and both are lying on a flat surface, as this is a wireless transfer and can take as long as an hour to transfer a vast amount of data.

Let’s Get Started

Once you have installed both apps on each phone, run the app on each phone. First pick up your new LG Phone and choose the wireless option.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

Next, you will select the receive prompt on screen.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

You will be prompted to install the LG Mobile Switch app to your old phone, as we have already done that, launch the app from the phone and choose Wireless.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

You will see a screen that will tell you to switch back to your new LG device, tap Start at the bottom right before you do so.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

Wait for the old phone to find the new phone, and you will see your LG device show in the search as shown below, tap on it to proceed.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

Switch back to your old phone and select the content which you wish to transfer to your new phone. Once you have done so, tap on the Next button at the bottom right.

Image via VerizonWireless.com

The transfer process will now commence. If you have a sizeable amount of data, this process can take up to an hour, and sometimes even longer.

It is highly recommended you don’t use either phone during this process and you wait patiently for the process to finish to avoid data loss.

Once the transfer is complete, you will see a notification on both phones.

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