Subway Surfers Save File Transfer to New Phone — Complete Data Migration Guide (2026)
Because Subway Surfers stores progress in an encrypted local save file inside the app sandbox rather than syncing automatically, simply signing into Google Play Games on a new phone does not by itself restore your coins, keys, or unlocked characters unless Save Online was enabled beforehand — see the Subway Surfers Mod APK page for the current build’s install details if you’re setting up the new phone from scratch.
QUICK FACTS
MOST COMPLETE METHOD
Manual Save-File Copy (Root Required)
CLOUD SYNC SCOPE
High Scores & Coins Only
ANDROID 13/14 FIX
Use This Folder Permission
iOS TRANSFER METHOD
Facebook Account Link Only
ROOT REQUIRED
Only for Manual Copy
Migration Method Reference
Four ways to move your save state to a new device, ranked by completeness and complexity.
Migration Method
Required Tools
Cross-Platform Support
Data Safety
Manual Save-File Copy
Root File Manager (e.g. rooted ZArchiver)
Android to Android / PC
100% Complete Migration
Facebook OAuth Cloud Sync
Active Facebook Account Link
Android to Android / iOS
High Score & Cloud Currency Only
OEM Phone Transfer
Samsung Smart Switch / Cable
Same-Brand Devices Only
Partial (Sandboxes May Reset)
Google Play Games Cloud
Google Play Services
Android to Android Only
Basic Achievement Sync Only
Facebook OAuth Cloud Syncing vs Local File Migration
Understanding the technical differences between cloud account synchronization and manual local file migration helps players select the optimal transfer strategy when setting up a new smartphone.
Facebook Cloud Sync Mechanics
Cloud-Synced Parameters: High score records, top run leaderboards, and primary coin/key counters linked to your Facebook User ID via OAuth 2.0 API calls.
Non-Synced Parameters: Certain local event progression data, specific seasonal token counts, and customized offline profile configurations may not sync automatically across differing game builds.
Manual Save-File Migration Mechanics
100% Full State Mirroring: Copies the entire encrypted PlayerPrefs save file as-is — coins, keys, multiplier, unlocked characters, hoverboards, and mission progress move together as one block, since Unity stores them together rather than in separate named files.
Offline Reliability: Works completely offline without requiring active social media authentications or external cloud server validation.
Manual Save-File Transfer (Root Required)
A direct copy of the save file moves every unlocked item, character, hoverboard, and currency balance to your new phone in one step — but only on a rooted device, since the file lives inside Android’s private per-app storage that ordinary file managers cannot reach.
Steps 1-4: Prepare & Transfer
1Install a root-enabled file manager (such as ZArchiver with root access) on your old phone — root is required for this method; without it, use Facebook Cloud Sync instead.
2Grant the file manager root/superuser access, then navigate to /data/data/com.kiloo.subwaysurf/shared_prefs/.
3Long-press the shared_prefs folder, select Compress to .zip, and create SubwaySaveBackup.zip.
4Send the ZIP to your new phone via Bluetooth, USB cable, Google Drive, or Nearby Share.
Steps 5-8: Install & Restore
5Download and install Subway Surfers on your new phone; launch once to generate starter sandbox folders, then close it.
6Open the root file manager, extract SubwaySaveBackup.zip, and copy the shared_prefs folder it contains.
7With root granted on the new phone, navigate to /data/data/com.kiloo.subwaysurf/shared_prefs/ and paste, selecting Replace All.
8Open Subway Surfers — full progress, coins, keys, characters, and high scores are 100% restored.
Why This Requires Root, Not a Permission Toggle
The save file lives in /data/data/, which Android sandboxes to each app’s own Linux user ID — a standard, non-root file manager cannot read or write another app’s /data/data/ folder on any Android version. Scoped Storage (Android 11+) is a separate restriction governing the public /Android/data/ folder used for OBB and cache files; it has no bearing on the actual save location.
What Root Access Actually Requires
1Root your Android device using your OEM’s supported method (commonly Magisk) — this is unrelated to the game and is the real barrier, not a game-specific setting.
2Open your root-enabled file manager; when it requests Superuser access, tap Grant.
3Navigate directly to /data/data/com.kiloo.subwaysurf/shared_prefs/ — visible now because the file manager has root, not because of any Android Settings toggle.
4Copy the shared_prefs folder as described in the transfer steps above.
5Not willing to root the device? Use Facebook Cloud Sync or Save Online instead — manual save-file transfer has no non-root path on stock Android.
Fixing Hidden Cloud Sync Buttons via In-Game Age Gate Reset
Selecting an age below 13 at the Age Gate on a new device hides the Facebook and cloud-sync buttons — see the Facebook login fix guide for why. The reset below restores them on this device.
App Data Reset to Restore Cloud Options
1Open Settings > Apps > Subway Surfers on the new phone.
2Tap Storage and select Clear Data (resets starter preferences).
3Relaunch Subway Surfers on the new phone.
4When the Age Gate prompt appears, enter an age of 18 or higher.
5Complete the initial 10-second movement tutorial.
6Tap the Settings gear icon — Facebook Connect and Cloud Save options now appear.
Cross-Platform Save Migration: PC Emulators & iOS Limitations
Understanding cross-platform data transfer limitations ensures realistic expectations when moving save states between differing operating systems.
Transferring to PC Emulators
Manual save-file migration works between Android smartphones and Android PC emulators, since most emulators offer a built-in root toggle that ordinary phones don’t.
BlueStacks 5: Enable Root Access under Settings > Advanced, then use a root file manager inside the emulator to import the shared_prefs folder into /data/data/com.kiloo.subwaysurf/shared_prefs/.
LDPlayer 9: Enable Root Permission in LDPlayer’s settings menu, drag SubwaySaveBackup.zip into the window, then use a root file manager inside the emulator to extract the save file to the same path.
Why Android to iOS Manual Transfer Is Not Supported
iOS Encrypted Sandbox Isolation: Apple’s platform uses encrypted keychain sandbox containers that prevent users or file managers from manually viewing or editing another app’s internal save data.
Cross-Platform Method: To move progress from Android to an iPhone or iPad, link your account to Facebook Cloud Sync on the Android device, then log into the same Facebook account inside the iOS game app.