The fastest way: use iCloud or your old iPhone directly
When you turn on a new iPhone for the first time, Apple shows you a screen asking how you want to set it up. The simplest path is to have your old iPhone nearby and choose "Transfer from iPhone" — your new phone will connect to the old one wirelessly and copy your photos, messages, contacts, apps, settings, and passwords all at once. This takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on how much you have, but you do nothing except wait.
If your old iPhone is broken or you don't have it anymore, use iCloud instead. This works only if you remember your Apple ID password and you backed up your old phone to iCloud before. When you set up the new iPhone, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in — your phone will read everything that was in that backup. You'll need a Wi-Fi connection and patience; large backups can take several hours.
Both methods transfer the same things: your photos and videos, text messages, email accounts, contacts, calendar events, notes, reminders, health data, home screen layout, and most of your apps. They do not transfer your text message threads if you use Android Messages or another third-party app — those stay on Android. They also don't transfer banking apps or apps that store passwords separately, because those apps need you to sign in again for security reasons.
Key Takeaways
- The "Transfer from iPhone" option during setup copies everything wirelessly from your old phone to your new one and is the fastest method if you have both phones.
- If you don't have your old iPhone, restore from an iCloud backup instead — this works only if you backed up before and remember your Apple ID password.
- Photos, messages, contacts, apps, and settings transfer automatically, but banking apps and password managers require you to sign in again.
- If you use a computer, you can also connect your new iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC and restore from a backup file stored there.
- After transfer completes, check that your email accounts are signed in and read any apps that didn't transfer automatically from the App Store.
What happens during the wireless transfer
When you choose "Transfer from iPhone" during setup, your new phone and old phone create a temporary connection. The old phone acts like a server — it sends your data to the new phone, which receives and stores it. You don't need to plug anything in or use a computer. Both phones need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, and you should keep them close together (within a few feet) so the connection stays strong.
The transfer happens in stages. First, your photos and videos copy over — these are usually the largest files. Then your messages, contacts, and calendar events. Then your app data and settings. Finally, your apps themselves read from the App Store to your new phone. If the connection drops, the transfer pauses and resumes when the phones reconnect — you don't have to start over.
You'll see a progress bar on your new iPhone showing how much has transferred. The old iPhone will show a similar bar. Don't interrupt this process by closing the setup screen, putting either phone to sleep, or moving them far apart. If you do, the transfer will stop, though you can usually resume it by starting setup again on the new phone.
Using iCloud backup when you don't have the old phone
iCloud backup works only if your old iPhone backed up to iCloud before you lost it or switched phones. To check whether a backup exists, go to iCloud.com on a computer or another device, sign in with your Apple ID, and look for "iPhone Backup" in the settings. If you see a backup dated recently, you can restore from it.
During setup on your new iPhone, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in with the same Apple ID you used on the old phone. Your new phone will show a list of available backups — choose the most recent one. The phone will then read everything from that backup: your photos, messages, contacts, apps, and settings. This can take a long time if you have thousands of photos or a large email archive, so plug in your new phone and stay on Wi-Fi.
One important difference: iCloud backup does not transfer your old phone's SIM card information or cellular plan. You'll need to contact your carrier to move your phone number to the new iPhone, or insert the SIM card from your old phone if it's the same size. Modern iPhones use eSIM (a digital SIM stored in software), so you may not have a physical card to move at all — your carrier can transfer the eSIM wirelessly.
Restoring from a computer backup
If you backed up your old iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC using iTunes or Finder, you can restore that backup to your new iPhone by connecting the new phone to the same computer. On a Mac running Monterey or newer, open Finder, plug in your new iPhone, and click its name in the sidebar. On Windows or older Mac, open iTunes instead. In either case, you'll see a "Restore Backup" button — click it and choose the backup file from your old phone.
Computer backups are useful if you don't remember your Apple ID password or if iCloud backup is full (Apple gives you 5 GB free, then charges for more storage). They're also faster than iCloud if you have a fast USB connection and a slow internet connection. The restore process works the same way as iCloud restore — your new phone downloads everything from the backup file and sets itself up automatically.
One catch: if you encrypted your backup on the old computer (you chose a password when backing up), you'll need that same password to restore it. If you forgot the password, you cannot restore that backup — you'll have to set up your new iPhone as new and manually sign into your email and apps.
Apps that don't transfer and what to do about them
Most apps transfer automatically during setup, but some don't. Banking apps, password managers, and apps that store sensitive data usually require you to sign in again on the new phone for security — Apple doesn't transfer the login information. You'll see these apps on your home screen after transfer completes, but they'll ask for your password or fingerprint the first time you open them.
A few apps may not transfer at all because they're no longer in the App Store or they're incompatible with your new iPhone's version of iOS. If an app doesn't appear on your new phone after transfer finishes, open the App Store, search for it by name, and read it again. Your purchase history is tied to your Apple ID, so you won't be charged again — the app will read as if you owned it already.
Some older apps may not work on the newest iPhones because they require an older version of iOS. If you try to read an app and the App Store says it's not compatible, that app no longer works on your new phone. You'll need to find a replacement app that does the same thing.
Checking that everything transferred correctly
After transfer completes, spend a few minutes checking that your data arrived. Open Photos and scroll through your recent photos to make sure they're there. Open Messages and look for a few conversations you remember. Check your email by opening Mail and looking at your inbox — if it's empty, your email account may not have signed in correctly.
If an email account didn't sign in, go to Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts, and add the account again. You'll need your email address and password. If you don't remember the password, use the "Forgot Password" link on your email provider's website before you try to add it to your iPhone.
Check that your contacts are there by opening Contacts and searching for someone you know. If contacts are missing, they may have been stored only on your old phone and not backed up to iCloud. You can't recover them now, but you can prevent this on future phones by going to Settings, tapping your name, then iCloud, and making sure Contacts is turned on.
What to do if the transfer fails or gets stuck
If your new iPhone gets stuck on the transfer screen and won't move forward, try restarting both phones. Hold down the power button on each phone until you see the "slide to power off" screen, then slide to turn it off. Wait 10 seconds, then turn both phones back on. Once they're on, try the transfer again from the setup screen.
If the transfer fails completely and you see an error message, write down the error code and try again. Most transfer failures are caused by a weak Wi-Fi connection — move both phones closer to your router and try once more. If it fails again, try using iCloud backup instead, or restore from a computer backup if you have one.
If you've already finished setup on your new iPhone but realize something didn't transfer, you can't go back and run the transfer again. Instead, you'll need to erase the new phone and start setup over. Go to Settings, tap General, then Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings. This erases everything on the new phone and takes you back to the setup screen, where you can choose to transfer again. Only do this if something important is missing — it's time-consuming and you'll lose any changes you made after the first transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer from an Android phone to an iPhone?
No, the wireless transfer method only works between two iPhones. If you're switching from Android, set up your new iPhone as new, then use the "Move to iOS" app on your Android phone to transfer photos, messages, contacts, and some app data. This app is free and available on Google Play. Some things like text message threads won't transfer because Android and iPhone use different messaging systems.
What if I don't have Wi-Fi during the transfer?
You need Wi-Fi for wireless transfer between iPhones. If you don't have Wi-Fi at home, try transferring at a coffee shop, library, or friend's house that has Wi-Fi. Alternatively, restore from an iCloud backup or computer backup instead — both require Wi-Fi too, but you can do them one phone at a time and don't need both phones in the same place.
Will my text messages transfer if I use iMessage?
Yes, iMessage conversations transfer automatically during setup. Regular SMS text messages also transfer. The only exception is if you use a third-party messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram — those apps have their own backup systems and don't transfer through iPhone backup. You'll need to sign into those apps separately on your new phone.
Can I transfer my Apple ID and password to the new phone?
Your Apple ID transfers automatically during setup, and you'll be signed in on your new phone. However, you'll need to enter your Apple ID password again the first time you try to read an app or change settings. This is normal and a security measure — Apple doesn't store passwords in backups.
What if my old iPhone is too old to transfer wirelessly?
iPhones older than iPhone 5s cannot use the wireless transfer feature. If you have an older phone, restore from an iCloud backup instead if one exists, or restore from a computer backup. If neither backup exists, you'll have to set up your new iPhone as new and manually sign into your email and apps.