The fastest way to move everything to your new iPhone

The quickest method is Quick Start, Apple's built-in transfer tool that moves your apps, photos, messages, settings, and passwords in one go. You hold your old iPhone next to your new one, scan a code with the new phone's camera, and let it copy everything while both phones stay plugged in. The whole process takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on how much data you have.

If Quick Start doesn't work — your old phone is too old, won't turn on, or you don't have it anymore — you can restore from an iCloud backup instead. This requires you to have backed up your old iPhone to iCloud before, and it takes longer because the new phone downloads everything from Apple's servers rather than copying it directly.

A third option is restoring from a Mac or Windows computer backup, which works if you've been syncing your iPhone to a computer. This is slower than Quick Start but faster than iCloud if you have a large backup file.

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Start is the fastest method and works by holding your old iPhone next to your new one, scanning a code, and letting them transfer data directly.
  • Both phones must be plugged in and stay close together during Quick Start, and the process can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on your data volume.
  • If you don't have your old iPhone, restoring from an iCloud backup requires that you backed up your old phone before and will take longer than Quick Start.
  • Restoring from a Mac or Windows backup is an option if you've been syncing your iPhone to a computer, though it's slower than Quick Start.
  • After any transfer method completes, check that your photos, messages, and apps are all there before you erase your old iPhone.

How to use Quick Start to transfer everything at once

Turn on your new iPhone and place it next to your old one. Your old iPhone will detect the new phone and show a setup screen asking if you want to transfer data. Tap "Continue" on the old phone.

The new iPhone will display an animation. Hold your old iPhone's camera over that animation until it focuses and scans the code. If the camera won't focus — because your old phone's camera is damaged or you're having trouble holding it steady — you can enter your Apple ID and password manually instead, but scanning is faster.

When prompted, enter your old iPhone's passcode on the new phone. Then choose whether to set up Face ID or Touch ID on the new phone. The phones will now transfer your data directly to each other. Keep both phones plugged in, close together, and connected to Wi-Fi. Do not use either phone during this time.

The transfer can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. A phone with 64 GB of photos and apps might take an hour; a phone with 256 GB could take three hours or more. When it finishes, your new iPhone will restart and be ready to use.

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

If your old iPhone is lost, broken, or you no longer have it, you can restore from iCloud instead — but only if you backed up that phone to iCloud before. During the setup screen on your new iPhone, tap "Restore from iCloud Backup" instead of using Quick Start.

Sign in with your Apple ID and password. Your new iPhone will show a list of available backups. Choose the most recent one from your old iPhone. The phone will download your apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings from iCloud.

This process is much slower than Quick Start because everything comes from Apple's servers over the internet rather than copying directly from your old phone. A 64 GB backup might take 2 to 4 hours; larger backups can take 6 hours or more. Your new iPhone must stay plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi the entire time. Do not interrupt the restore or close the setup screen.

After the restore finishes, your new iPhone will restart. Some apps may take a few minutes to fully download and install in the background. Check that your photos, messages, and important apps are present before you do anything else with the phone.

Restoring from a Mac or Windows backup

If you've been syncing your iPhone to a computer using iTunes (on Windows or older Macs) or Finder (on newer Macs), you can restore from that backup. Connect your new iPhone to the same computer with a USB cable.

On a Mac with macOS Catalina or newer, open Finder, click your iPhone in the sidebar, and select "Restore from Backup." On Windows or older Macs, open iTunes, click your iPhone, and choose "Restore Backup." Select the most recent backup from your old iPhone.

The computer will restore your apps, photos, messages, and settings to your new iPhone. This is faster than iCloud if your backup file is large, because the data transfers over USB rather than over the internet. The process typically takes 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on backup size.

Keep your iPhone connected to the computer until the restore completes and your phone restarts. Do not disconnect the cable or close the backup window during the process.

What happens to your old iPhone after the transfer

After you've confirmed that everything transferred correctly — your photos are there, your messages are there, your apps work — you can erase your old iPhone. This removes all your personal data so that if you sell it, give it away, or recycle it, the next person cannot access your information.

On your old iPhone, go to Settings, tap General, then tap Transfer or Reset. Choose "Erase All Content and Settings." Enter your passcode and Apple ID password when prompted. The phone will erase everything and restart as if it were brand new.

If your old iPhone won't turn on or you don't have it anymore, you don't need to erase it. You can remove it from your Apple ID account by going to Settings on your new iPhone, tapping your name at the top, selecting "Find My," and removing the old device from the list.

Troubleshooting when Quick Start won't work

If Quick Start fails to scan the code, make sure both phones are on the latest iOS version. Restart both phones and try again. If your old iPhone's camera is damaged or won't focus, you can skip the camera scan and enter your Apple ID and password manually instead — the transfer will still work, just more slowly.

If the transfer stops partway through, both phones will usually resume where they left off when you bring them close together again. If it stops completely, restart both phones, make sure they're both plugged in and on Wi-Fi, and try Quick Start again from the beginning.

If you see an error message saying your phones can't connect, check that both are on the same Wi-Fi network. If they're on different networks, move them closer together so they can connect directly to each other. Some public Wi-Fi networks block this connection, so if you're at work or a coffee shop, try moving to a location with a personal Wi-Fi network.

If Quick Start keeps failing after multiple attempts, switch to restoring from an iCloud backup instead. This is slower but more reliable when direct phone-to-phone transfer isn't working.

How long your data takes to transfer

Quick Start is the fastest method overall because it copies data directly between phones over a short-range connection. A phone with 64 GB of data typically takes 30 minutes to an hour. A phone with 128 GB takes 1 to 2 hours. A phone with 256 GB or more can take 3 to 5 hours.

iCloud backup restore is slower because everything downloads from the internet. The same 64 GB backup might take 2 to 4 hours on a fast home Wi-Fi network, and much longer on slower internet. If your internet speed is below 10 Mbps, expect the process to take 6 hours or more.

Computer backup restore falls between the two. USB transfer is faster than internet download, so a 128 GB backup typically takes 1 to 3 hours depending on your computer's speed.

The time also depends on what's on your phone. A phone full of large video files transfers slower than one with mostly apps and photos. If you're transferring to a new phone model that's significantly faster than your old one, the new phone may finish downloading and installing apps in the background after the main transfer completes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer data if my old iPhone won't turn on?

No, Quick Start requires both phones to be on and able to communicate. If your old iPhone won't turn on, restore from an iCloud backup instead. This works as long as you backed up your old phone to iCloud before it stopped working. If you never backed up to iCloud, a computer backup is your only option if you have one.

Will my text messages and iMessages transfer?

Yes, all three transfer methods — Quick Start, iCloud backup, and computer backup — move your text messages and iMessages to your new phone. They appear in the Messages app exactly as they were on your old phone, including the full conversation history.

What if I want to transfer only some data, not everything?

Quick Start, iCloud backup, and computer backup all transfer everything by default. If you want to move only certain apps or photos, you'll need to manually download apps from the App Store and manually copy photos after the transfer completes. There's no built-in way to do a partial transfer.

Do I need Wi-Fi for Quick Start?

Yes, both phones need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network during Quick Start. The phones use Wi-Fi to transfer your data, not cellular data. Make sure your Wi-Fi network is stable and that you stay close to the router during the transfer.

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

No, you should not use either phone during Quick Start or any other transfer method. Using the phones can interrupt the transfer and cause it to fail. Keep both phones plugged in, close together, and untouched until the process finishes.