How To Transfer From iPhone To iPhone

To transfer from iPhone to iPhone, use Quick Start, iCloud, or a computer backup to move your apps, photos, and settings to the new phone.

How iPhone To iPhone Transfer Works

Upgrading your iPhone does not mean starting from scratch. Apple gives you several ways to move almost everything from your old iPhone to your new one so the new device feels familiar within minutes. The three main routes are Quick Start device-to-device transfer, restoring from an iCloud backup, and restoring from a computer backup in Finder or iTunes.

Each method copies your apps, photos, messages, and most settings, but they differ in speed, how much storage you need, and whether you must keep both phones nearby. Apple keeps an up-to-date list of transfer options in Apple’s transfer steps, and this guide walks through them in plain language with extra tips that real users care about.

How To Transfer From iPhone To iPhone With Quick Start

Quick Start is usually the easiest way to transfer from iPhone to iPhone. It sets up your new device by reading settings from the old iPhone and then copying your data directly, either over Wi-Fi or with a cable between the two phones.

Before You Start Quick Start

Charge both iPhones — Aim for at least 50 percent battery or keep both phones plugged in during the transfer.
Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the old phone — Quick Start uses these radios to detect the new iPhone and start the setup flow.
Update iOS if possible — When both iPhones run recent versions of iOS, transfers fail less often and more settings move correctly.
Have your Apple ID password ready — You will sign in during setup and may need the password for two-factor prompts.

Use Wireless Quick Start

Turn on the new iPhone — Place it next to your old iPhone. A card appears on the old phone offering to set up the new device.
Scan the swirling pattern — Point the old iPhone’s camera at the animation on the new one to link the pair.
Enter your passcode on the new iPhone — This clones core settings such as Face ID, Apple Pay eligibility, and Wi-Fi networks.
Choose Transfer From iPhone — When asked how you want to move data, pick the direct transfer option instead of Download From iCloud.
Keep both phones near each other — Leave them connected to power and on Wi-Fi until the progress bar finishes on both screens.

Direct transfer from iPhone to iPhone can take from a few minutes to more than an hour, depending on how many photos, videos, and apps you have and the speed of your Wi-Fi network.

Use A Cable Between iPhones

If both phones have USB-C, or you have a USB-C to Lightning cable, you can connect the two iPhones directly. Apple documents the cable options and steps in this wired transfer guide. A wired transfer can be more stable than Wi-Fi, especially when you have a large photo library.

Connect the cable between the two phones — Use a USB-C cable for iPhone 15 models or a USB-C to Lightning cable when one device still has Lightning.
Start Quick Start as normal — Turn on the new iPhone, keep it near the old one, and follow the prompts.
Select the wired transfer option — When the setup assistant offers to transfer data, it detects the cable and prefers the faster wired path.
Leave both devices connected — Do not unplug the cable until the transfer completes on both screens.

Transfer From iPhone To iPhone Using iCloud Backup

iCloud backup is handy when your old iPhone is not physically with you during setup, or when Quick Start keeps failing. You first create a fresh backup from the old phone, then restore that backup on the new iPhone during setup.

Create A Fresh iCloud Backup On The Old iPhone

Connect to Wi-Fi — iCloud backups only run over Wi-Fi, not mobile data.
Open Settings and tap your name — Then tap iCloud, then iCloud Backup.
Turn on iCloud Backup if it is off — On recent iOS versions you may see Back Up This iPhone instead.
Tap Back Up Now — Wait until the backup finishes; stay on Wi-Fi and keep the screen on if the backup is large.

If you run out of iCloud storage, Apple sometimes offers temporary extra space so you can move everything to the new device, as described in Apple’s transfer help pages.

Restore That iCloud Backup On The New iPhone

Turn on the new iPhone — Swipe up, choose your language and region, and connect to Wi-Fi.
On Apps & Data, pick Restore From iCloud Backup — Sign in with the same Apple ID used on the old phone.
Pick the most recent backup — Check the date and time so you move the latest copy of your data.
Wait for the restore to finish — Core data comes down first. Apps and media continue to download in the background.

With an iCloud restore the new iPhone becomes usable fairly quickly while photos and apps continue to download for a while in the background, so keep Wi-Fi on and power connected.

Transfer From iPhone To iPhone With A Computer Backup

Transferring between iPhones with a Mac or Windows PC is still a solid choice, especially when your Wi-Fi is slow or you have limited iCloud space. You back up the old iPhone to the computer using Finder on macOS or iTunes on Windows, then restore that backup to the new device.

Back Up The Old iPhone To A Computer

Connect the old iPhone with a cable — Use USB-C or Lightning depending on the model and your computer.
Open Finder or iTunes — In Finder, select the iPhone in the sidebar. In iTunes, click the device icon near the top.
Choose Back Up Now — Select Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac or This Computer.
Encrypt the backup if you care about Health data and saved passwords — Tick Encrypt local backup and set a password so items like passwords and Health data move over.
Wait for the backup to complete — Do not unplug the phone until Finder or iTunes shows the latest backup time.

Restore That Backup To The New iPhone

Turn on the new iPhone and reach Apps & Data — On that screen choose Restore From Mac Or PC.
Connect the new iPhone to the same computer — Open Finder or iTunes again and select the new device.
Select Restore Backup — Pick the backup you just made from the list, then click Restore.
Enter the backup password if you encrypted it — The restore will not start without this password.
Keep the phone connected — Wait until the progress bar on the iPhone finishes and it restarts.

Once the restore finishes, the new iPhone will continue downloading some apps and media over the network, so leave Wi-Fi or mobile data enabled for a while.

What Moves When You Transfer iPhone To iPhone

Most people care about apps, photos, messages, and the feel of the Home Screen. All three methods carry those across, but some items need extra steps. This quick table shows how common data types behave when you transfer from iPhone to iPhone.

Item	Transfer Status	Notes
Apps And App Data	Moves	Apps re-download from the App Store; some apps may ask you to sign in again.
Photos And Videos	Moves	Stored either in the backup or through iCloud Photos, depending on your settings.
Messages	Moves	iMessage and SMS history move with backups; with Messages in iCloud they sync across devices.
Apple Watch	Needs Extra Step	Unpair from the old iPhone and pair with the new one so the watch backup restores to the new phone.
eSIM Or Physical SIM	Needs Extra Step	Move your SIM or transfer the eSIM through your carrier or the Cellular settings on the iPhone.
Apple Pay Cards	Needs Extra Step	Cards do not move in backups; add them again in Wallet on the new device.
Work Or School Profiles	Needs Extra Step	Mobile device management may require new enrollment from your company or school.
Touch ID Or Face ID Scans	Never Moves	You always set up fingerprints or face scans again on the new iPhone.

Checks Before You Erase The Old iPhone

Before you wipe the old device or hand it to someone else, walk through a short checklist. Apple maintains a similar list in Apple’s erase checklist, and these points cover the parts most owners forget.

Confirm your data is on the new iPhone — Open Photos, Messages, and a few banking or work apps to make sure they behave as expected.
Move your SIM or eSIM — If you use a physical SIM, move it to the new phone and check calls and data. For eSIM, use the carrier’s transfer option in Settings > Cellular.
Check your Apple Watch — If you wear a watch, unpair it from the old phone. During pairing with the new device, choose to restore from the latest watch backup.
Review iCloud syncing — In Settings on the new iPhone, tap your name and open iCloud to confirm photos, passwords, and other main items show as On.
Sign out on the old iPhone — On the old device go to Settings > [your name] > Sign Out to remove the phone from your Apple account.
Erase all content and settings — In Settings > General > Transfer Or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content And Settings, follow the prompts to wipe the device.

Erasing the old iPhone removes Activation Lock and personal data so the next owner can set it up like a new device and so your information is no longer present on that hardware.

Troubleshooting iPhone To iPhone Transfer Problems

Most iPhone to iPhone transfers finish on the first try, yet sometimes progress bars stall or the new phone feels incomplete. These common fixes often clear things up without a trip to a store.

Transfers Stuck On “Time Remaining”

Wait longer than you think — If you have many photos and videos, the estimate can freeze for quite a while before jumping ahead again.
Check Wi-Fi stability — If Quick Start uses wireless, move closer to the router or switch to a wired cable transfer when possible.
Restart both iPhones — Cancel the transfer, restart both devices, and start Quick Start again from the beginning.

New iPhone Missing Photos Or Apps

Connect to Wi-Fi and power — Restores keep running in the background. Leaving the phone on charge and on Wi-Fi overnight often finishes the job.
Open the App Store — Tap your profile picture and check the Purchased section to make sure any missing apps show in the history, then re-download them.
Check iCloud Photos status — In Photos > Library, look for a progress line at the bottom that shows items still syncing from iCloud.

Not Enough Space On The New iPhone

Compare storage sizes — If the old iPhone has more storage than the new one, you may need to trim large games, videos, or downloads before trying again.
Delete temporary downloads — In Settings > General > iPhone Storage, remove offline Netflix shows, podcasts, or similar cached media you can grab again later.
Rely more on cloud services — Moving photo libraries to iCloud Photos or another cloud service can free a lot of local space.

Old iPhone Is Broken Or Lost

If the old iPhone does not turn on or is missing, your options depend on what you set up earlier. If you had iCloud Backup enabled, sign in on the new iPhone and use Restore From iCloud Backup during setup. If you use iCloud Photos and Messages in iCloud, much of your content will still appear on the new device once you sign in, even without a recent backup.

If you never used backups of any kind, you can still sign in to accounts such as Gmail, Outlook, or third-party apps to recover contacts, calendars, and files that live in those services, but items stored only on the old iPhone’s local storage cannot be recovered.