Getting a new iPhone is fun until you think about moving everything over. Photos, messages, apps, passwords, all that stuff you have built up over years. It sounds like a chore, but Apple has made it pretty painless now, and you can usually get it done in one sitting if you pick the right method for your situation.
There are three main ways to do it. I would start with Quick Start if you have both phones in front of you. It is the one most people should use. If your old phone is not around, iCloud is your friend. And if you would rather keep a copy on your computer, Finder or the Apple Devices app will do the job.
Do this first
It is worth spending five minutes getting ready. It saves a lot of faff later on.
1. Update your old iPhone. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, and install anything waiting there.
2. Plug both phones in to charge. A transfer can take a while, especially if you have a lot of photos, so you do not want either phone dying halfway through.
3. Make sure you know your Apple Account password. You will need it on the new phone.
4. Turn on WiFi and Bluetooth on your old phone.
5. Make a fresh backup, just in case. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap iCloud Backup, then tap Back Up Now.
Do not wipe or trade in your old phone yet. Wait until you have checked the new one properly. That is the one rule I would not skip.
The easiest way: Quick Start
If both phones are with you, use this. It copies your stuff straight from the old phone to the new one, and it tends to keep you signed in to your apps, which is a nice bonus. You need iOS 11 or later on the old phone for Quick Start to show up, and iOS 12.4 or later if you want the direct phone to phone copy.
1. Turn on the new iPhone and put it next to your old one. Make sure the old one is unlocked and Bluetooth is on.
2. You should see a prompt on the old phone. Tap Continue.
3. Hold the old phone over the new one to scan the animation on its screen, then type your old passcode into the new phone.
4. Set up Face ID or Touch ID when it asks, and follow the prompts for WiFi and your Apple Account.
5. When you get to the Transfer Your Apps and Data screen, you will see two choices. Transfer Directly from iPhone copies everything phone to phone and does not need iCloud space, but both phones are tied up until it finishes. Download from iCloud restores your latest backup instead, so you can start using the new phone while the rest downloads in the background.
6. Leave both phones close together and plugged in until it says it is done.
If WiFi is slow or you have a huge photo library, a cable is often faster and more reliable. Use a USB C cable if both phones are iPhone 15 or later. If you are moving from an iPhone 14 or earlier to an iPhone 15 or later, you will need a USB C to Lightning cable.
If the prompt does not appear at all, restart both phones and try again. That fixes it most of the time.
If your old phone is not around: iCloud
This is the one to use if you have already traded in the old phone, lost it, or it is just sitting in a drawer somewhere else. All you need is a recent iCloud backup and decent WiFi.
1. If you still have the old phone, back it up first. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap iCloud Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Let it finish.
2. Turn on the new iPhone and go through setup until you reach the Transfer Your Apps and Data screen.
3. Tap From iCloud Backup, sign in, and pick the latest backup. Check the date and size to make sure it is the right one.
4. Stay on WiFi and keep the phone plugged in. Your apps and photos will keep arriving in the background. A full restore can take a few hours, so give it time and do not judge it by the first few minutes.
One catch. The free iCloud plan is only 5 GB, and most of us blow past that pretty quickly. If you have just bought a new iPhone, Apple will give you some temporary extra storage to make a full backup. On the old phone, go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, and tap Get Started under Prepare for New iPhone. Follow the prompts from there. You normally get 21 days to restore that backup.
If you would rather use a computer
Some people prefer having the backup on their own computer, and I get it. It is also the best way to make sure your Health data comes across. On a Mac, use Finder. On Windows, use the Apple Devices app. Older setups may still show iTunes.
1. Plug your old iPhone into your computer with a cable.
2. Open Finder on a Mac, or the Apple Devices app on Windows, and select your phone.
3. Tick Encrypt local backup. This bit matters. Health and Activity data, saved passwords, WiFi settings and call history only come across in an encrypted backup. Pick a password you will remember.
4. Click Back Up Now and wait for it to finish.
5. Unplug the old phone, plug in the new one, select it, then click Restore Backup and pick the backup you just made.
6. Leave it connected until the restore is done.
Coming from Android?
Quick Start only works between Apple phones, so if you are moving from Android, use the free Move to iOS app. On the new iPhone, choose From Android on the Transfer Your Apps and Data screen, then follow the steps in the app on your Android phone.
Already set up the new phone?
Quick Start and restores only happen during setup, so if you skipped it, you have a couple of options. You can wipe the new phone and start again. Go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Erase All Content and Settings, and run through setup again with Quick Start. Or you can leave it as it is, let iCloud sync bring your photos, contacts, notes and messages back, and download your apps by hand from the App Store. Just do not wipe the new phone until you are sure you have a good backup of the old one.
Before you wipe the old phone, check this
Most stuff moves over on its own. Apps, photos, messages, contacts, calendars, notes, settings, that sort of thing. But it is worth a quick check before you let the old phone go.
1. Open Photos and Messages and look at a few recent ones.
2. Open your banking and email apps. A few will ask you to sign in again, which is normal.
3. Make a call to check your mobile plan is working.
4. Check Apple Pay. You may need to add your cards again.
5. Open WhatsApp and make sure your chats are all there.
If it gets stuck
If the transfer feels slow, leave both phones plugged in, on WiFi, and next to each other. A big library can take 30 to 90 minutes or more, and using either phone during a direct transfer will only slow it down.
If the Quick Start prompt never shows up, restart both phones and check Bluetooth and WiFi are on.
If you are short on iCloud space, try the temporary storage trick above, or use Quick Start or a computer instead.
If the new phone is managed by a school or employer, Quick Start may not work. Apple blocks it on phones enrolled in Apple School Manager or Apple Business.
My take
For most people, Quick Start with a direct transfer is the easiest path. Put the phones next to each other, follow what is on screen, and let it finish while they charge. If your old phone is not around, restore from iCloud. If you want a local copy, back up to your computer with encryption on. Either way, back up first, and do not wipe the old phone until the new one feels like yours.
