The fastest way to move everything to a new iPhone

The fastest way to move your data to a new iPhone is to use Quick Start, Apple's built-in transfer tool. You hold your old phone next to your new one, scan a code that appears on the new phone's screen with the old phone's camera, and then choose what to transfer. The process takes 15 to 45 minutes depending on how much data you have, and everything — photos, messages, contacts, apps, settings — moves over automatically.

If your old phone is not an iPhone, or if Quick Start does not work for some reason, you have two other routes: restoring from an iCloud backup or restoring from a computer backup. Both take longer than Quick Start but work just as well. The method you choose depends on what device you are transferring from and whether you have a computer handy.

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Start is the fastest method and works when you have both phones in your hands at the same time — it takes 15 to 45 minutes and transfers everything automatically.
  • iCloud backup works if your old phone is an iPhone and you have already backed it up to iCloud, or if you have time to back it up before transferring.
  • Computer backup (Mac or Windows) is the slowest method but works for any phone and does not require an internet connection.
  • After any transfer completes, check that your photos, messages, and apps all arrived before you erase or sell your old phone.

Using Quick Start to transfer from another iPhone

Quick Start is the method Apple built specifically for moving from one iPhone to another. Turn on your new iPhone and hold it next to your old iPhone. Your old phone will detect the new one and show a setup screen. Look at your old phone's screen — it will display an animated pattern. Hold your old phone's camera over that pattern on the new phone's screen until the old phone finishes scanning it.

After the scan completes, your old phone will ask you to enter your Apple ID password. Type it in, then choose which data you want to transfer. You can transfer everything or pick and choose — for example, you might skip transferring old messages to start fresh. Your old phone will then send all the selected data to the new phone over a local wireless connection. Do not move the phones far apart or turn either one off during this process. When it finishes, your new iPhone will restart and you will be ready to use it.

Quick Start works only when transferring from another iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later. If your old phone is older than that, or if it is not an iPhone, you will need to use iCloud or computer backup instead.

Restoring from an iCloud backup

iCloud backup works if your old iPhone has already backed itself up to iCloud, or if you have time to back it up before you start the transfer. To check whether your old phone has a recent backup, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. If it says "Back Up Now" in green text, your phone has not backed up recently — tap that button to start a backup. If it shows a date and time, you already have a recent backup.

Once you have a backup, turn on your new iPhone and follow the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data." Tap "Restore from iCloud Backup," then sign in with your Apple ID. Choose the backup you want to restore from — usually the most recent one — and wait for the transfer to complete. This can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on your internet speed and how much data you have. Your new phone will restart when it is done.

The advantage of iCloud backup is that you do not need your old phone nearby. The disadvantage is that it depends on your internet connection, and if your old phone did not back up recently, you will lose any data created after the last backup.

Transferring data using a computer

If you have a Mac or Windows computer, you can back up your old iPhone to the computer and then restore that backup to your new iPhone. This method does not require an internet connection and works for any iPhone. Connect your old iPhone to your computer with a USB cable, open Finder (on Mac) or iTunes (on Windows), and click on your phone's name when it appears. Click "Back Up Now" and wait for the backup to finish.

Once the backup is complete, disconnect your old phone and connect your new iPhone to the same computer. Open Finder or iTunes again, click on your new phone's name, and choose "Restore Backup." Select the backup you just created and click Restore. Your computer will transfer all the data to your new phone. This can take 30 minutes to an hour. When it finishes, your new phone will restart and you will see all your old data.

Computer backup is the most reliable method if your internet is slow or unreliable, but it requires you to have a computer available and to use a USB cable. If you do not have a computer, stick with Quick Start or iCloud backup.

What happens to photos, messages, and app data

All three transfer methods move your photos, videos, and messages to your new phone. However, the way they handle app data depends on the app. Most apps that you download from the App Store will reinstall themselves on your new phone and restore their data automatically — for example, your email app will show all your old messages, and your banking app will log you back in. Some older apps or apps that store data locally may not restore perfectly.

If an app does not restore its data, you can usually fix it by signing back into the app with your username and password. Messages, photos, and contacts almost always transfer completely. If you notice that some photos or messages are missing after the transfer completes, check your old phone to make sure they were actually there before you erase it.

Checking your transfer before erasing your old phone

After your new iPhone finishes transferring data, spend 10 to 15 minutes checking that everything arrived. Open your Photos app and scroll through a few albums. Open Messages and check that your recent conversations are there. Open a few apps that you use regularly and make sure they still have your data. If you use email, send yourself a test message from your new phone to make sure email is working.

If you find that something is missing, do not erase your old phone yet. Instead, try the transfer again using a different method — for example, if Quick Start did not transfer all your photos, try iCloud backup. Once you are confident that everything is on your new phone, you can erase your old phone by going to Settings, tapping General, tapping Transfer or Reset, and tapping Erase All Content and Settings. This removes all your data from the old phone so that it cannot be recovered if the phone is lost or stolen.

Troubleshooting a failed or incomplete transfer

If Quick Start fails partway through, the most common cause is that one of the phones lost its wireless connection. Make sure both phones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and that you are not moving them too far apart. If Quick Start keeps failing, try iCloud backup or computer backup instead.

If iCloud backup fails, check that your old phone is connected to Wi-Fi and that you have enough iCloud storage space. You get 5 GB of free iCloud storage, and if your backup is larger than that, you will need to pay for more storage or delete some data before backing up. If you are not sure how much storage you are using, open Settings on your old phone, tap your name, tap iCloud, and tap Manage Storage.

If computer backup fails, make sure you are using a genuine Apple USB cable or a certified third-party cable — some cheap cables do not work reliably. Try a different USB port on your computer, and make sure your computer's operating system is up to date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer data from an Android phone to an iPhone?

No, Quick Start, iCloud backup, and computer backup all work only for iPhones. If you are switching from Android, you will need to use Apple's Move to iOS app, which is available free on the Google Play Store. The app transfers your contacts, messages, photos, and some app data, but not everything transfers perfectly — you may need to manually set up some apps and services.

What if my old iPhone is broken and won't turn on?

If your old phone will not turn on, you cannot use Quick Start. Your best option is iCloud backup — if your old phone backed up to iCloud before it broke, you can restore that backup to your new phone without ever touching the old one. If you do not have an iCloud backup, you will lose any data that was not backed up to your computer.

How long does the transfer take?

Quick Start usually takes 15 to 45 minutes. iCloud backup and computer backup can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much data you have and how fast your internet or computer is. The larger your photo library and the more apps you have, the longer the transfer will take.

Do I need to be connected to Wi-Fi during the transfer?

Quick Start uses a local wireless connection between the two phones, so you do not need Wi-Fi, but it is faster if you have it. iCloud backup requires Wi-Fi. Computer backup does not require any internet connection at all.

Will my old apps and subscriptions work on the new phone?

Yes. When you transfer data, your new phone will automatically reinstall all the apps you had on your old phone, and they will still be linked to your Apple ID. Any subscriptions you had will continue to work on the new phone. You will not be charged twice.