How to Transfer Data to a New iPhone

The simplest way to transfer data to a new iPhone is Quick Start: switch the new phone on, hold your current iPhone next to it and follow the prompts. Your apps, photos, messages and settings move across, either straight from phone to phone or via your latest iCloud backup. If that is not an option, a backup on a computer does the same job, and Android owners have their own route.

Before you start

• Update the old iPhone to the newest iOS version it supports. Transfers go more smoothly when both phones are current.
• Charge both phones, or better, keep them plugged in throughout.
• Know your Apple Account password. You will need it during setup, and again to release the old phone afterwards.
• Connect to reliable Wi-Fi and turn on Bluetooth on the old phone.
• Trim the clutter first. Less data means a faster move; our guide to freeing up storage on iPhone shows where the big files hide.
• Check two-factor apps. If you use an authenticator app for logins, find out how it moves to a new phone before you erase the old one.

Three ways to move your data

Method 1: Quick Start

1. Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to the old one.
2. A Quick Start panel appears on the old phone offering to set up the new one with your Apple Account. Tap Continue.
3. An animated pattern appears on the new iPhone. Hold the old phone over it so the camera can see it.
4. Enter the old phone's passcode on the new one, then set up Face ID or Touch ID.
5. When asked how to move your data, choose to transfer directly from your iPhone, or to download from iCloud if your backup is recent.
6. Keep the phones close together and plugged in until the transfer finishes. The time depends on how much there is to move.

Method 2: iCloud backup

On the old iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud > iCloud Backup and choose Back Up Now. Wait until it says the backup completed a moment ago.

On the new iPhone, follow the setup screens until you reach the transfer options and pick restoring from an iCloud backup. Sign in, choose the newest backup and let it run. Apps and photos keep downloading for a while after the home screen appears, so leave the phone on Wi-Fi and power overnight if you can.

Short on iCloud space? Look for Prepare for New iPhone under Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. It can grant temporary extra iCloud storage for the move.

Method 3: a computer backup

Connect the old iPhone to a Mac and select it in Finder, or on Windows open Apple's device management app. Choose to back up to the computer and tick the option to encrypt the backup; an encrypted backup includes saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings and Health data that an unencrypted one leaves out. Note the password somewhere safe. Then connect the new iPhone, choose to restore from that backup and keep the cable connected until it restarts.

Coming from Android

Apple's Move to iOS app on the Android phone handles the switch. Set up the new iPhone until it asks about transferring data, choose to move from Android, and enter the code it shows into the app. Contacts, messages, photos, videos, mail accounts and calendars come across, along with some free apps where an iPhone version exists. Paid apps and some chat histories need their own steps.

Check before you wipe the old phone

• Open Photos and scroll back a few years to confirm older pictures arrived. Our guide on backing up photos explains why a second copy is wise anyway.
• Open messaging and banking apps; many ask you to sign in again or confirm by text message.
• Make sure your phone number, eSIM or physical SIM works on the new phone. Carriers handle eSIM moves differently.
• Re-pair any Apple Watch when prompted, and reconnect headphones and car systems.
• Revisit notification and Focus settings; the steps in turning off notifications without missing what matters are a good fresh-start checklist.

Then wipe the old iPhone

1. If you have an Apple Watch paired to it, unpair the watch first.
2. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and choose Erase All Content and Settings.
3. Enter your Apple Account password when asked. This signs the phone out and switches off Find My, so the next owner can activate it.
4. Remove the SIM card, and remove the old phone from your account's device list if it still shows there.

Quick answers

Can I use the new phone while the transfer is running?

With a direct Quick Start transfer, no; both phones are tied up until it is done. With an iCloud restore you can start using the phone while content keeps downloading.

What if the transfer stalls?

Keep both phones on power and Wi-Fi, restart them and try again. If it keeps failing, a computer backup is the most reliable fallback.