How to Transfer Data to a New iPhone With Quick Start

Quick Start is the simplest answer to how to transfer data to a new iPhone, and it starts with the two phones side by side on the table. The new one is clean and quiet. The old one still holds years of photos, every group chat and the apps you sign into without thinking.

You can move everything from your old iPhone to the new one in a single sitting with Apple's Quick Start: turn on the new iPhone, set it next to your current iPhone, scan the pattern that appears, and enter your old passcode. If the old phone is gone or broken, restore an iCloud backup instead. If iCloud is full, restore a backup from a Mac or PC. Keep the old phone untouched until you've checked everything arrived.

The steps below follow Apple's support pages as read on Oct. 23, 2026. They're Apple's instructions, not hands-on testing by Plug.

Pick Your Method in 30 Seconds

Use Quick Start if your old phone still turns on. It needs nothing but the two phones, Wi-Fi and power. The other methods cover the cases it can't:

• Quick Start (both phones in hand): The old iPhone sets up the new one. Best for most people, and it also works from an iPad.
• iCloud Backup (no old phone needed): The new iPhone downloads your latest iCloud backup over Wi-Fi. Best when the old phone is lost, broken or already traded in, as long as you have a recent backup.
• A Computer (Mac or PC): The new iPhone restores a backup saved on your computer. Best when your iCloud storage is too small for a full backup, or you'd rather keep a copy at home.
• Wired Transfer (a variant of Quick Start): The same two-phone setup, but over a cable instead of Wi-Fi. Worth it when your Wi-Fi is slow or crowded.

If you're coming from an Android phone, none of these apply. Our guide to moving data to a refurbished iPhone 15 covers the switch from Android, so this page sticks to iPhone to iPhone. If the new phone was a present, our guide to setting up an iPhone you got as a Christmas gift covers the first-day basics.

Before You Start: What to Have Ready

A little prep heads off the most common problems. Here is how to get both phones ready:

• Power: Apple says to keep both devices near each other and connected to power until the migration is complete.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Turn both on for your current iPhone. Quick Start uses them to find the new phone and move your data.
• Software: Quick Start needs an iPhone running iOS 11 or later (or an iPad on iPadOS 13 or later), and Apple recommends updating both to the latest version each one can run.
• Your Apple Account: Know the email and password, and if you need an account, see how to set up an Apple ID on a new iPhone. You'll be asked for them during setup and again when you sign out of the old phone.
• Your Old Passcode: The new iPhone asks for it to confirm the transfer is yours.
• A Fresh Backup: Even if you plan to use Quick Start, back up your old iPhone first, so a hiccup costs you nothing.

Method 1, Quick Start: The Two-Phone Way

Quick Start moves your settings and data straight from your current iPhone to the new one, guided by onscreen instructions on both screens. Here is how it goes, following Apple's Quick Start page:

1. Turn On the New iPhone and Set It Next to the Old One

Power on the new phone and place it close to your current iPhone. The old phone offers to set up the new device with your Apple Account. Make sure it's the account you want before you go on.

2. Scan the Pattern

An animation appears on the new iPhone. Hold your old iPhone over it and center the pattern in the camera frame. This pairs the two phones.

3. Enter Your Old Passcode

Type your current iPhone's passcode on the new phone when it asks.

4. Set Up Face ID or Touch ID

Face ID and Touch ID don't copy over. The new iPhone walks you through setting them up again.

5. Choose How Your Data Moves

Quick Start gives you two choices:

• Transfer directly from your iPhone: Your data travels from the old phone to the new one. Both phones are tied up until it finishes.
• Download from iCloud: The new phone pulls your data from iCloud in the background, so you can start using it sooner while things keep arriving.

If your iCloud backup is recent and your Wi-Fi is good, the iCloud choice gets you a working phone faster. If you're not sure your backup is current, transfer directly.

6. Keep Both Phones Close and Plugged In

Leave the phones next to each other on power until the transfer is complete. If you're asked to activate your cellular service, follow the onscreen instructions (our guide to activating a new iPhone has more); that's where your number moves over.

Method 2, iCloud Backup: No Old Phone Needed

An iCloud restore puts your last backup on the new iPhone over Wi-Fi, so the old phone doesn't have to be there. It works as long as the backup exists and is recent.

1. Back Up the Old Phone First

On the old iPhone, connect to Wi-Fi and go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Wait for it to finish before you move on.

Short on iCloud storage? Apple offers temporary iCloud storage when you buy a new iPhone, if your phone qualifies. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap Get Started under "Prepare for New iPhone." You get 21 days to restore that backup to the new phone, plus another 21 if you choose Keep My Backup Longer because the new phone hasn't arrived yet. Apple keeps the backup for 7 days after you restore it.

2. Restore on the New iPhone

1. Turn on the new iPhone and join a Wi-Fi network.
2. Follow the setup screens to Apps & Data.
3. Tap Restore from iCloud Backup and sign in with your Apple Account.
4. Pick the backup by its date and size. Choose the most recent one.
5. Stay on Wi-Fi until the restore is complete.

Apple notes that "content such as your photos, music, and apps continues to download from iCloud after setup." This means your phone may look ready while photos are still filling in, so keep it on Wi-Fi and power for a while.

Method 3, A Computer: Finder, Apple Devices or iTunes

A computer restore uses a backup saved on your Mac (in Finder) or your Windows PC (in the Apple Devices app or iTunes). It's the route to use when iCloud doesn't have room for everything.

1. Turn on the new iPhone and follow the setup screens to Apps & Data.
2. Tap Restore from Mac or PC.
3. Connect the new iPhone to the computer that holds your backup.
4. Choose Restore Backup, then pick the backup by its date and size.
5. Enter the backup password if it's encrypted.
6. After setup, keep the phone on Wi-Fi and power so the rest of your content can download.

Encrypt the backup first. Apple says an unencrypted computer backup doesn't carry Health and Activity data from your iPhone or Apple Watch. If you track steps or workouts, turn on encryption when you back up, and write the password down.

Wired Transfer: When Wi-Fi Is Slow

A wired connection runs the same two-phone transfer over a cable. Which cable you need depends on the two phones, per Apple's wired transfer page:

Moving from	Moving to	What you need
iPhone 15 or later	iPhone 15 or later	A USB-C Charge Cable
iPhone 14 or earlier	iPhone 15 or later	A USB-C to Lightning cable
iPhone 14 or earlier	iPhone 14 or earlier	A Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter, a Lightning to USB cable and a 12W or higher power adapter

That last row catches people out: two Lightning phones need the adapter kit, not a single cable. Whatever the pairing, wait for the transfer to finish on both phones before you use either one.

How Long Does It Take?

Apple doesn't give a number. Its Quick Start and wired transfer pages both say "transfer times can vary based on factors such as network conditions and the amount of data being transferred." Two things decide your wait: how much you have, and how fast your connection is.

Think of it like moving house. A direct transfer is carrying every box from the old room to the new one yourself: nothing is lost on the way, but neither room is usable until the last box is down. The iCloud choice is having the boxes delivered: you move in sooner, and the rest shows up while you get on with your day.

A phone holding 200 GB has ten times as much to move as one holding 20 GB, so plan for the longer wait. If yours is full of photos and videos, start in the evening and leave both phones on power overnight.

What Doesn't Come Across (and What to Check)

Most of your apps, photos, messages and settings arrive, but a few things need a second look. Apple confirms the first item; the rest are sensible checks before you erase the old phone:

• Face ID and Touch ID: Set up again on the new iPhone. Quick Start prompts you during setup.
• Health and Activity data: Skipped by an unencrypted computer backup, so encrypt the backup if you use a computer.
• Apple Pay cards: Expect to add your cards again in the Wallet app and confirm them with your bank.
• Apple Watch: Pair it with the new iPhone. Until you do, it stays tied to the old one.
• Authenticator apps: Codes for two-step sign-in often need their own move inside the app. Check each one works on the new phone before you erase the old phone, or you can lock yourself out of an account.
• Chat apps like WhatsApp: Some keep their own backup. Open the app on the new phone and confirm your chats are there.
• Your phone number: With an eSIM on your iPhone, your carrier may let you move the number during setup. Your old SIM stops working once it moves.

If the Transfer Won't Finish

When Quick Start stalls or the transfer stops partway, start with the simple fixes. Apple's setup troubleshooting guide suggests:

1. Restart both phones.
2. Check that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.
3. Keep the phones close together and plugged into power.

If it still won't finish, complete setup on the new iPhone, then erase it with Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, and start the transfer again. Your old phone keeps everything, so a second attempt costs you time, not data.

Your Old iPhone Afterward

Once everything you care about is on the new phone, prepare the old one in the order Apple sets out for selling, giving away or trading in. If you plan to sell, these tips on maximizing your iPhone trade-in value can help. A sensible precaution first: leave the old phone alone for about a week while you use the new one, so you can still go back for a missing photo or code.

Here is how to clear it, in Apple's order:

1. Back up: One last backup, just in case.
2. Unpair your Apple Watch: If it's still paired to the old phone.
3. Sign out: Sign out of iCloud, iTunes and the App Store.
4. Deregister iMessage: Only if you're switching to a phone that isn't an iPhone.
5. Erase: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. This also turns off Find My and Activation Lock, and you can check Activation Lock on an iPhone afterward to be sure. If the phone uses an eSIM, choose to erase the eSIM profile along with the device.
6. Remove it from your trusted devices: Take the old phone off the list of devices tied to your Apple Account.

After that, it's ready to hand down or sell. Plug buys iPhones by mail through its trade-in pages, and the trade-in tool shows the live offer for your model. If you're still choosing a new phone, every Plug Certified iPhone from the full iPhone collection arrives unlocked with battery health of 80% or higher, which you can check on a new iPhone in a few taps, and you set it up exactly as above. Each one is backed by Plug's 12-Month Warranty and 30-day returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you put a SIM card in a new iPhone before transferring data?

No. Your data moves over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a cable, not through the SIM, so a physical SIM card (not sure what a prepaid SIM card is?) can go in before or after the transfer. The exception is a US iPhone 14 or iPhone 15. Those models are eSIM only, so there's no card to move, and your number comes across through your carrier instead.

Can I transfer data to a new iPhone after it's already set up?

Yes, but only after erasing the new phone back to its Hello screen, which wipes anything you've added since setup. Move any new photos off it first. If you've turned on iCloud for photos, contacts and notes, those may already be on the phone without a restore, so check before you erase.

What does Quick Start do on iPhone?

Quick Start pairs your current iPhone or iPad with the new one over a short-range connection, which is why the two have to sit side by side. The one place Apple says it won't work is a device enrolled in Apple School Manager or Apple Business, such as a school-issued or work-managed phone. For those, ask the school or employer's IT team.