The fastest way to move everything to a new iPhone

The quickest method is Quick Start, which transfers your apps, photos, messages, settings, and passwords directly from your old iPhone to your new one over Wi-Fi. You hold the two phones near each other, scan a code on the new phone with the old one, and the transfer begins automatically. This takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on how much data you have, and you don't need a computer.

If Quick Start doesn't work — because your old phone is too old, damaged, or you don't have it anymore — you can restore from an iCloud backup or a computer backup instead. Both methods put your data back on the new phone, but they take longer and require you to sign in to your Apple ID or connect a cable.

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Start is the easiest method: hold your old and new iPhones together, let them communicate, and everything transfers over Wi-Fi without a computer.
  • If you don't have your old phone, restore from an iCloud backup by signing into your Apple ID on the new phone and choosing the backup you want.
  • A computer backup (using a Mac or Windows PC with iTunes or Finder) works if iCloud is full or if you want to keep a local copy of your data.
  • All three methods transfer apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings, but they do not transfer your phone number — your carrier handles that separately.

Using Quick Start with two iPhones side by side

Turn on your new iPhone and place it next to your old one. On the old phone, you'll see a prompt asking if you want to set up another iPhone. Tap "Continue." The old phone will show an animation; hold your new phone above it and center the animation in the camera viewfinder on the new phone. Once the new phone recognizes the code, it will ask you to enter the passcode from your old phone.

After you enter the passcode, the new phone will ask whether to transfer data from iCloud or directly from the old phone. Choose "Transfer from iPhone" to move everything directly — this is faster than going through iCloud. The phones will stay connected over Wi-Fi while the transfer happens. You can use your old phone during this time, but keep both phones plugged in and nearby until the transfer finishes.

Once the transfer completes, finish setting up the new phone by adding your face or fingerprint, and choosing your privacy settings. Your apps will start downloading in the background, and you may need to sign into some apps individually if they require passwords.

Restoring from an iCloud backup when you don't have the old phone

If your old iPhone is lost, broken, or no longer available, you can restore from a backup stored in iCloud. Turn on the new iPhone and go through the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data." Tap "Restore from iCloud Backup," then sign in with the Apple ID you used on the old phone.

Choose which backup you want to restore. iCloud shows the date each backup was made and how large it is, so pick the most recent one unless you have a reason to use an older backup. The new phone will download your apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings from that backup. This process can take an hour or more if your backup is large or your internet connection is slow.

If you're not sure whether you have an iCloud backup, sign into iCloud.com on a computer or another device, go to Settings, and look under "iCloud" to see what backups exist. You need enough iCloud storage space for the backup to restore — if you're out of space, you can delete old backups or buy more storage before restoring.

Using a computer backup with Finder or iTunes

Connect your new iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC with a USB cable. On a Mac running Monterey or newer, open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar. On a Windows PC or older Mac, open iTunes. Click "Restore Backup" and choose the backup you want to transfer. You'll need to enter the password you used to encrypt the backup on your old phone.

The computer will restore all your data, apps, photos, messages, and settings to the new phone. This method is useful if your iCloud storage is full, if you want to keep a backup on your computer, or if you have a slow internet connection. The restore takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much data you're transferring.

Before you restore, make sure you have a backup file on your computer from your old iPhone. If you don't, you'll need to use Quick Start or iCloud instead. You can check what backups exist by opening Finder or iTunes, going to Preferences, and looking under "Devices" to see the list of saved backups.

What transfers and what doesn't

All three methods — Quick Start, iCloud, and computer backup — transfer your apps, photos, videos, messages, contacts, calendar events, notes, reminders, health data, and most of your settings. Your home screen layout, wallpaper, and app organization come back the way they were. Passwords and login information for websites and apps are included, though some apps may ask you to sign in again for security reasons.

Your phone number does not transfer — your carrier manages that separately. If you're switching carriers, contact your new carrier to port your number. If you're keeping the same carrier and phone number, they usually activate it automatically when you turn on the new phone, but call them if your number doesn't work within a few hours.

Some apps may not restore if they were deleted from the App Store, if they're region-locked, or if they require a subscription you no longer have. You can reinstall these apps manually from the App Store after the transfer finishes. Text messages from iMessage (Apple's messaging service) transfer completely, but SMS and MMS messages from your carrier may not transfer if you're switching phone numbers.

Troubleshooting when Quick Start doesn't work

If Quick Start fails to recognize the animation code, make sure both phones have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and that they're within a few feet of each other. Restart both phones and try again. If the old phone is too old to run the same iOS version as the new phone, Quick Start won't work — use iCloud or a computer backup instead.

If the transfer stops partway through, check that both phones are still plugged in and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If the connection drops, you can restart the transfer from the beginning. If you keep losing connection, try moving closer to your router or using a computer backup instead, which may be more stable on a slower connection.

If you see an error message during iCloud restore, sign out of iCloud on the new phone, restart it, and try again. If the backup is corrupted or too old, you may not be able to restore it — in that case, set up the new phone as new and manually download your apps and re-enter your data. Contact Apple Support if you see a specific error code that doesn't resolve after restarting.

Transferring specific data without transferring everything

If you only want to move certain things — like photos or contacts — without doing a full transfer, you can use iCloud, Google Photos, or other cloud services. Photos sync automatically if you turn on iCloud Photos on both phones. Contacts sync if you use iCloud or Google Contacts. Messages can be exported from your old phone and imported on the new one using third-party apps, though this is more complicated than a full transfer.

For most people, a full transfer is simpler and faster than picking and choosing. If you're concerned about moving unwanted data or apps, you can do a full transfer and then delete the apps and data you don't want afterward — it's easier than trying to select individual items during the transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Wi-Fi for Quick Start?

Yes, both phones need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for Quick Start to work. Make sure your Wi-Fi is on and both phones can see the same network. If your Wi-Fi is slow or unstable, the transfer may fail or take much longer.

Can I use my old iPhone while the transfer is happening?

You can use your old phone during Quick Start or iCloud restore, but it's better to leave both phones plugged in and untouched until the transfer finishes. If you make changes on the old phone during the transfer, those changes may not move to the new phone.

What if I don't remember my Apple ID password?

Go to iforgot.apple.com on a computer or another device and follow the steps to reset your password. You'll need access to your recovery email or phone number. Once you reset it, you can sign in on the new iPhone and restore your backup.

How long does a full transfer take?

Quick Start usually takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on how much data you have and how fast your Wi-Fi is. iCloud restore takes longer — often an hour or more — because it has to download everything from Apple's servers. Computer backup is usually fastest if your internet connection is slow.

Will my text messages transfer if I'm switching phone numbers?

iMessage conversations transfer, but SMS and MMS messages from your carrier may not transfer if your phone number changes. If you're keeping the same number, all messages transfer. If you're switching numbers, save important text messages before the transfer or take screenshots of conversations you want to keep.