The fastest way is iCloud, and it works while you set up the new phone

When you turn on a new iPhone, it asks whether you want to restore from iCloud or set it up as new. Choose restore from iCloud, sign in with your Apple ID, and the phone downloads your photos, messages, contacts, app data, and settings automatically. This takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how much you have stored and your internet speed, but you can use the phone while it happens.

This method works best if your old phone still turns on and you remember your Apple ID password. If you don't remember the password, you can reset it through Apple's website before you start, which takes a few minutes. If your old phone is broken or lost, iCloud restore is still your best option — you just won't be able to verify it's really you by unlocking the old phone, so Apple will ask you security questions instead.

The one thing iCloud restore does not transfer is your text messages with people who use Android phones (regular SMS texts). Those stay on your old phone. Everything else — iMessages, photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, notes, reminders, health data, and app settings — comes over.

Key Takeaways

  • iCloud restore during setup is the simplest method and transfers photos, messages, contacts, apps, and settings automatically.
  • You need your Apple ID password and a working internet connection, but the process happens in the background while you use the new phone.
  • If your old phone is broken or lost, you can still restore from iCloud by answering security questions instead of unlocking the old device.
  • Regular text messages with Android users do not transfer; only iMessages and data stored in iCloud come over.
  • A Mac or Windows computer can transfer data directly from old to new iPhone if you prefer not to use iCloud.

What happens if you already set up the new phone without restoring

If you already went through setup and chose "Set Up as New iPhone," you can still restore your data, but it takes longer. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, select iCloud, scroll down to iCloud Backup, and turn it on. Then go back and tap "Manage Storage" to see when your last backup was made. If it's recent, you can erase the new phone and start over with the restore option during setup.

Erasing and restoring takes about 30 minutes total, but it's cleaner than trying to add data piecemeal after you've already set everything up. If you don't want to erase, you can manually download individual apps and sign into them with your Apple ID — most apps will restore their settings and data automatically once you log in. Photos and videos can be restored separately through the Photos app by signing into iCloud.

Using a computer to transfer data directly

If you have a Mac or Windows PC, you can connect both phones with cables and transfer data directly without using iCloud. On a Mac, open Finder, plug in your old iPhone, select it in the sidebar, and click "Restore from Backup." Choose your new phone from the list of backups and wait for the transfer to finish. On Windows, use iTunes or the Devices and Drives section in File Explorer to do the same thing.

This method is useful if your internet is very slow or if you want to keep a backup on your computer. It's also slightly faster than iCloud for large amounts of data because the transfer happens over a cable instead of over the internet. The downside is that you need the cable, you need to have made a backup on that computer before, and you have to sit with both phones connected until it finishes.

Transferring specific types of data separately

If you only need certain things transferred — like just your photos, or just your contacts — you can move them individually without doing a full restore. Photos sync automatically if you turn on iCloud Photos on both phones and sign in with the same Apple ID. Contacts sync the same way through iCloud. Messages can be turned on in iCloud settings so they stay in sync across devices.

For apps, you don't need to transfer them — just download them again from the App Store on your new phone. Once you sign in with your Apple ID, the App Store remembers which apps you've bought and shows them as "Cloud" instead of "Get." Tap the cloud icon to download them. Your app data (saved games, settings, login information) restores automatically for most apps once you sign in.

Health data, Apple Watch data, and banking information stored in Wallet require you to set them up manually on the new phone for security reasons. Health data can be exported from the Health app on your old phone and imported on the new one, but Wallet cards need to be added again.

What to do if your old phone won't turn on

If your old iPhone is completely dead or won't power on, iCloud restore is your only option. During setup on the new phone, choose "Restore from iCloud," sign in with your Apple ID, and select the most recent backup. Apple will ask you security questions to verify your identity instead of asking you to unlock the old phone. This takes the same amount of time as a normal restore.

If you never set up iCloud backup on the old phone, or if you don't remember your Apple ID password, you'll need to reset your password through Apple's website before you can restore. Go to iforgot.apple.com, enter your Apple ID email, and follow the steps to reset it. This usually takes a few minutes and you'll get a confirmation email.

Transferring data from Android to iPhone

If you're switching from an Android phone, the process is different. Apple has a free app called "Move to iOS" that you download on your Android phone. Open it, follow the prompts, and it transfers your contacts, calendar events, photos, videos, and some app data to your new iPhone over WiFi. Text messages do not transfer because Android and iPhone use different systems.

Run the Move to iOS app before you sign into any accounts on the new iPhone. Once you've moved your data, you'll need to download your apps again from the App Store — the app itself doesn't transfer, only the data inside it. Some apps like Gmail, Outlook, and Google Photos will restore your data automatically once you sign in.

Checking that everything transferred correctly

After your restore finishes, spend a few minutes checking that the important things came over. Open Photos and scroll through to make sure your pictures and videos are there. Check your Contacts app to see if your phone numbers and email addresses transferred. Open a few of your most-used apps and sign in to make sure they still have your data.

If something didn't transfer, check whether it was stored in iCloud on your old phone. Go to Settings on your old iPhone, tap your name, select iCloud, and scroll through the list to see which apps have iCloud turned on. If an app doesn't have iCloud enabled, its data won't transfer automatically — you'll need to sign into that app on the new phone and it may ask you to log in again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer data if I don't have my Apple ID password?

Yes. Go to iforgot.apple.com and reset your password using your email address or phone number. You'll receive a confirmation email or text, and then you can use the new password to sign in during setup. This takes about 10 minutes.

Will my text messages transfer to the new phone?

iMessages (blue bubbles) transfer automatically through iCloud. Regular text messages with Android users (green bubbles) stay on your old phone. If you need those texts, take screenshots or export them before you switch phones.

Do I need WiFi to transfer data?

Yes, iCloud restore requires a WiFi connection. If you're using a computer to transfer data, you need WiFi or a cable connection. Make sure you're on a stable network — if the connection drops during transfer, the process may restart.

How long does a full restore take?

It depends on how much data you have and your internet speed. Most restores finish in 15 to 60 minutes. You can use the phone while it's restoring, so you don't have to wait and watch.

What if I want to keep my old phone as a backup?

You can keep both phones running with the same Apple ID, but they'll stay in sync — changes on one will show up on the other. If you want to keep the old phone separate, sign out of iCloud on it before you set up the new phone, or turn off iCloud sync for the apps you don't want synced.