The fastest way to move everything to a new iPhone

The quickest method is Quick Start, Apple's built-in transfer tool. Hold your new iPhone next to your old one, and Quick Start will walk you through moving your apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings in one go. The transfer happens over Wi-Fi and takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how much data you have. You don't need a computer, and you don't have to remember passwords — your old phone does the heavy lifting.

If Quick Start doesn't work — your old phone is too old, or you're switching from Android — you can restore from an iCloud backup instead. This takes longer but works just as well. You'll need your Apple ID, a Wi-Fi connection, and enough iCloud storage for your data, or you'll have to buy more space temporarily.

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Start is the fastest method: place your new iPhone next to your old one, and it transfers everything wirelessly without a computer.
  • If Quick Start won't work, restore from an iCloud backup by signing into your Apple ID on the new phone and selecting the backup you want.
  • A full transfer includes apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings, but some apps may need to be re-downloaded from the App Store.
  • If you're switching from Android, use Google's Move to iOS app to transfer photos, contacts, and some app data to your new iPhone.
  • Make sure your old phone is plugged in and stays close to your new phone during Quick Start, or the transfer may pause or fail.

Using Quick Start for an iPhone-to-iPhone transfer

Quick Start is the method Apple built for this exact situation. Turn on your new iPhone and place it next to your old one. Your old phone will detect the new one and ask if you want to set it up. Tap "Continue," then hold your old phone's camera over the animation on your new phone's screen. This pairs the two phones securely.

Next, enter your old phone's passcode on the new phone when prompted. Then choose whether to restore from iCloud or set up as new. If you have an iCloud backup, select "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in with your Apple ID. Pick the backup you want — usually the most recent one — and let the transfer run. Keep both phones plugged in and close together until it finishes. Apps and data will download in the background even after you start using the new phone.

Quick Start works between any two iPhones running iOS 12.4 or later. If your old phone is much older, it may not support Quick Start, and you'll need to use iCloud backup instead.

Restoring from an iCloud backup when Quick Start isn't an option

If your old iPhone is too old for Quick Start, or if you don't have it with you, restore from iCloud instead. On your new iPhone, 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 your old phone. Choose the backup you want — the date and size are listed so you can pick the right one.

The restore process downloads your photos, messages, contacts, calendars, notes, and most of your settings. Apps themselves don't restore from iCloud; instead, the App Store automatically re-downloads them in the background. This can take hours if you have many apps, so plug your phone in and leave it on Wi-Fi overnight if possible.

One catch: iCloud backups include only what Apple stores in iCloud. Some apps store their data locally on your phone instead, so you may need to sign back into those apps and re-download your data within them. Banking apps, games with local saves, and some messaging apps fall into this category.

Transferring data from an Android phone to iPhone

If you're switching from Android, Apple's Move to iOS app bridges the gap. Download it from Google Play on your Android phone. On your new iPhone, go through setup until you reach "Apps & Data," then tap "Move Data from Android." A code will appear on your iPhone screen.

On your Android phone, open Move to iOS, tap "Continue," and enter the code from your iPhone. The app will then transfer your contacts, calendar events, photos, and some app data over Wi-Fi. The transfer can take a while depending on how much you're moving. Keep both phones on Wi-Fi and plugged in until it finishes.

Move to iOS doesn't transfer Android apps themselves — you'll need to download the iPhone versions from the App Store. It also won't move text messages, call history, or data stored inside individual Android apps. For those, you may need to export them manually or contact the app developer to see if they offer a migration tool.

What gets transferred and what doesn't

A full iPhone-to-iPhone transfer via Quick Start or iCloud backup includes: all your photos and videos, text messages and iMessage conversations, contacts, calendars, notes, reminders, health data, home automation settings, and your home screen layout. Your Apple ID, passwords, and Wi-Fi networks transfer too, so you won't have to re-enter them.

Apps themselves download fresh from the App Store rather than copying directly from your old phone. This means you'll see a list of apps installing in the background for hours after the transfer finishes. Some apps may ask you to sign in again or re-download their data — this is normal and happens because the app's internal files didn't transfer, only the fact that you own the app.

A few things don't transfer: voicemail (you'll need to set that up again with your carrier), some banking or security apps (they often refuse to restore for safety reasons), and data stored only on your old phone's local storage that isn't backed up to iCloud. If you're unsure whether something transferred, check your new phone — if an app is there but empty, sign into it and see if it can re-download your data.

Troubleshooting a stalled or failed transfer

If Quick Start gets stuck, the most common cause is a weak Wi-Fi connection or one of the phones losing power. Make sure both phones are plugged in and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If the transfer pauses, unplug both phones, plug them back in, and try again from the beginning.

If you see an error message during Quick Start, restart both phones and try once more. If it fails a second time, switch to iCloud backup instead: sign out of iCloud on your old phone, then sign back in to make sure you have a fresh backup. Then restore that backup on your new phone.

If an iCloud restore is taking too long, check your Wi-Fi speed and make sure no other devices are using most of the bandwidth. Restores can take several hours for large backups. If your backup is larger than your available iCloud storage, you'll need to buy more storage temporarily or delete old backups from other devices to make room.

Manually transferring specific data if automatic methods fail

If the automatic transfer doesn't work or you only need certain data, you can move things manually. Photos can be transferred through iCloud Photos, Google Photos, or by connecting both phones to a computer and using Finder (on Mac) or iTunes (on Windows). Contacts can be exported from your old phone as a file and imported on your new one. Messages are harder to move manually, but some third-party apps claim to export them — check the App Store if you need this.

For app data, sign into each app on your new phone and see if it syncs your data from the cloud. Most modern apps store your information on their servers, so signing in should restore everything. For older apps or games with local saves, contact the app developer to ask if they offer a migration or export tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a computer to transfer data between iPhones?

No. Quick Start and iCloud backup both work wirelessly over Wi-Fi. You only need a computer if you want to manually transfer specific files or if you're using an older method like iTunes, which is no longer the standard approach.

Will my text messages transfer to the new iPhone?

Yes, if you use iMessage or if the messages are backed up to iCloud. SMS text messages (regular green-bubble texts) will transfer too. However, if you're switching from Android, text messages won't transfer — you'll need to use a third-party app or contact your carrier about exporting them.

How long does a transfer usually take?

Quick Start typically takes 10 minutes to an hour, depending on how much data you have. iCloud restores can take several hours, especially for large backups. Apps download in the background after the main transfer finishes, which can add more time. Plug your phone in and leave it on Wi-Fi overnight if you have a lot of data.

What if my old iPhone is broken or lost?

If you have an iCloud backup, you can restore it on your new phone without the old phone present. Sign into your Apple ID during setup and choose the backup you want. If you don't have a backup, you'll lose any data that wasn't synced to iCloud, so set up your new phone as new and manually re-add what you can.

Do I need to keep my old iPhone after the transfer?

No, but it's a good idea to wait a few days and make sure everything transferred correctly before erasing it. Once you're confident the new phone has everything, you can erase the old one by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.