How to Transfer Data to New iPhone With Quick Start (2026 Guide)

To transfer data to a new iPhone with Quick Start, put the new phone next to your old one, scan the on-screen animation with the old phone’s camera and follow the prompts to move your account, settings, apps and data. It works best when both phones are on current iOS and plugged in, and if it fails, a cable or an iCloud backup gets you there anyway.

My read: Quick Start is the right default, but the transfer itself is the easy part. The mistakes that actually cost people happen after it finishes, when they wipe or trade in the old phone before checking cards, chats and the cellular plan.

What are the ways to move data to a new iPhone, and how do I pick one?

There are four routes, and the choice mostly comes down to whether the old phone is still in your hand.

Method	Old phone needed	Needs good Wi-Fi	Best for
Quick Start, wireless	Yes	Yes	The default when both phones work
Quick Start, cable	Yes	Barely	Wireless keeps dropping, or a huge photo library
iCloud backup restore	No	Yes	Old phone traded in, lost or broken
Mac or PC backup restore	No (needs backup file)	No, mostly local	iCloud storage is full and you have a computer

One thing surprises people: even after a clean transfer, apps are re-downloaded from the App Store and only their data comes across, so the new phone keeps working for a while afterward. That is normal. If your home Wi-Fi is the bottleneck, our home Wi-Fi security guide covers fixing the router side.

How to transfer data to new iPhone with Quick Start, step by step

Apple’s requirements, as widely documented: the old iPhone needs iOS 11 or later for Quick Start, and the direct phone-to-phone transfer needs iOS 12.4 or later on both. Bluetooth should be on and the phones close together. I would simply update both to the latest iOS before starting, because a mismatch is the top reason Quick Start never appears.

1. On the old iPhone, open Settings, General, Software Update and install the latest iOS.
2. Plug both phones into chargers. A long transfer can drain a battery.
3. Turn on the new iPhone and put it right beside the old one.
4. When the old phone shows the new-iPhone setup card, tap Continue.
5. Point the old phone’s camera at the animation on the new phone. If the camera will not read it, choose Authenticate Manually.
6. Enter the old phone’s passcode on the new one.
7. Set up Face ID on the new phone. It is not copied over.
8. Choose Transfer from iPhone, sign in with your Apple Account and review what will move.
9. Keep the phones together until the progress bar finishes.

Can I keep using the new iPhone while data transfers?

By default, a direct phone-to-phone transfer ties up both phones until it finishes. Recent iOS versions have offered an option to defer part of the transfer and start using the new phone while the rest downloads in the background. The exact wording of that option has changed between releases, so read the screen rather than trusting my label for it. If you need the phone for calls right away, pick the deferred option when you see it, and do not erase the old phone until the background download is fully done.

Which cable do I need to transfer by wire?

It depends on the connector on each phone. Third-party guides agree on the general pattern: USB-C to USB-C when both phones are USB-C, a USB-C to Lightning cable when moving from a Lightning iPhone to a USB-C one, and for two Lightning phones, a Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter on one side with a Lightning cable. Accounts disagree about which phone gets the adapter, so check Apple’s own Support page, “Transfer data from your previous iPhone to your new iPhone”, before buying anything.

A note on speed: the cable in the box is described as USB 2 speed, while some Pro models support faster USB 3 transfers. A cable is not always faster. Its real value is stability, and I switch to one the moment a wireless transfer drops twice.

What if the old iPhone isn’t with me? Restoring from a backup

Choose Restore from iCloud Backup on the new phone’s setup screen and sign in. The backup list shows dates, and the date is what matters: anything created after the last backup is not there. A full iCloud plan is a quiet trap, because the backup may have been failing for months. A Mac or PC backup is the alternative, and you must turn on encryption if you want health data and saved passwords included. Plan prices change often, so check Apple’s iCloud page. Before a trade-in, I also keep a PDF copy of the receipt and any device paperwork; our free PDF editor guide covers tools for that.

How long does an iPhone data transfer take?

Apple gives no guaranteed time. These are rough tendencies from experience, not official numbers.

Amount of data	Wireless	Cable	Note
Small	Tens of minutes	Similar or faster	App re-downloads may take longer
Medium	About an hour or more	Usually shorter	Wi-Fi speed is the swing factor
Large photo and video library	Hours	Often the safer option	Keep chargers connected

The time estimate on screen jumps around early. Ignore it, and judge by whether the bar moves at all.

Why is Quick Start not working, or stuck halfway?

Work from cheap checks to expensive ones.

1. Quick Start never appears: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, old phone unlocked, phones nearly touching, Airplane Mode off.
2. Still nothing: compare iOS versions on both phones.
3. Restart both phones.
4. Frozen mid-transfer: check chargers and Wi-Fi, then wait 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Still stuck: use a cable between the phones.
6. Last resort: restore from an iCloud or computer backup.

What went wrong for one reader. A pattern I see constantly: someone updates only the new phone and leaves the old one on years-old iOS. Quick Start never appears on the old phone, so they toggle Bluetooth for an hour. The real cause is that the old phone is too full to install the update. After clearing space and updating, it works on the first try. Check versions and free space before you blame the setup.

If a forgotten Apple Account password is what blocks you, use Apple’s official account recovery and then wait out any timer it shows. Repeated attempts can lock the process longer.

How do I redo a transfer if I already finished setup?

Quick Start only appears at first setup, so you have two options. Erase the new phone (Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings) and begin again, or leave it as is and sync items like iCloud Photos, Contacts and Notes. Save any photos you took since setup before erasing, because it cannot be undone.

How does iPhone eSIM transfer work with carriers?

A physical SIM card simply moves to the new phone if the size fits, and newer iPhones sold in the US have no SIM tray at all, so check your model. For eSIM, Quick Start may offer to move your cellular plan during setup, provided your carrier supports it. Support varies, so if that option does not appear, use your carrier’s app or call them to transfer or reissue the eSIM. Before you wipe the old phone, send yourself a test text and place a call on the new one. Banking apps that text you verification codes will punish you if the number is missing.

What does not carry over, and what should I do afterward?

• Face ID: set up again on the new phone.
• Apple Pay cards: re-add each in Wallet and verify with the issuer.
• Apple Watch: pair it again with the new iPhone.
• Authenticator apps: some do not migrate automatically, so follow each app’s account-transfer steps first.
• WhatsApp, Signal and other chat apps: use the app’s own backup or transfer feature.
• Banking apps: expect new-device verification.
• Streaming and smart-home apps: expect fresh logins. If your doorbell or cameras live in an app, our Wyze vs Eufy vs Ring comparison is a reminder to re-link them. Same for note apps, as in Notion vs Obsidian vs Bear.

Item	Moves automatically	You do it
Photos, contacts, settings	Mostly	Spot check
App data	App re-downloads, data restores	Log in per app
Face ID	No	Re-enroll
Wallet cards	No	Issuer verification
Apple Watch	No	Re-pair
Chat history	Not guaranteed	App backup

If you rely on streaming accounts, see Netflix hidden features for the settings worth re-checking on a new device.

What about trade-in timing and moving from Android?

Wipe the old iPhone last. A few quiet days on the new one tell you more than any checklist does. Trade-in credits usually have a return window, so look at the deadline, but do not let it hurry you into erasing early.

Moving from Android is a different path. During iPhone setup choose Move Data from Android, then install Apple’s Move to iOS app on the Android phone and enter the code shown on the iPhone. Per Apple, keep Wi-Fi on for the Android phone, plug both in, and make sure the content, including any microSD card, fits on the new iPhone. A USB-C cable between the two is an option for speed. This only works at first setup, so an already configured iPhone must be erased first.

This article is general information. Menus and options vary by iOS version and carrier, so confirm details on Apple Support and with your carrier before erasing a device.