How to Transfer Data to a New iPhone: Quick Start, iCloud and Android

The quickest way to move everything to a new iPhone is Quick Start. Turn the new iPhone on, hold it next to your old one, and follow the prompts to copy your data either straight from the old phone or from iCloud. Coming from Android, use Apple’s Move to iOS app, or on a phone running a compatible version of Android 17, transfer without installing any app. The whole process takes a few minutes of setup, plus waiting time that depends on how much data you have.

With the iPhone 18 Pro in stores since September 18 and the iPhone Duo arriving on October 23, many people are moving to a new phone this fall. Below, each method is set out step by step, with each step taken from Apple’s own support documentation, so you can pick the right one before you start.

Which transfer method should you use?

Before you start: five things to check

1. Update your old iPhone. Apple says both devices should be on the latest version of iOS before you use Quick Start. For most people this fall, that means iOS 27. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update.
2. Make a fresh backup. Even if you plan to transfer directly, a backup is your safety net. To back up to iCloud, open Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Stay on Wi-Fi until it finishes, as Apple’s iCloud backup instructions explain.
3. Know your Apple Account password. You will need it to restore apps and purchases. If you have bought apps with more than one Apple Account, you will be asked to sign in to each.
4. Charge both phones and keep them plugged in. Apple recommends keeping the devices near each other and connected to power until the migration finishes.
5. Set aside time. Quick Start ties up both phones, so choose a time when you will not need your old phone for a while.

Not enough iCloud storage? Use Apple’s free temporary storage

If your iCloud plan is too small to back up your whole phone, Apple will lend you extra space when you buy a new iPhone. Its temporary iCloud storage guide gives these steps:

1. On your current iPhone, open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Under Prepare for New iPhone, tap Get Started.
4. If you see “iCloud Backup is Turned Off,” tap Turn On Backup to Transfer.
5. If you are eligible, you will see a message about free extra iCloud storage. Tap Continue and wait for the backup to finish.

You then have 21 days to restore that backup to the new iPhone. If your new phone has not arrived in time, tap Keep My Backup Longer in Settings on the old phone for another 21 days. That is useful if you have pre-ordered an iPhone Duo for October 23 delivery. After you restore, the temporary backup stays for seven more days before Apple deletes it. Apple’s advice is not to erase your old iPhone until the restore is done.

Method 1: Quick Start (iPhone to iPhone)

Quick Start works if your current iPhone or iPad runs iOS 11 or iPadOS 13 or later. These steps follow Apple’s Quick Start guide:

Step 1: Put the phones side by side

Make sure your current iPhone is on Wi-Fi with Bluetooth turned on. Unlock it and go to the Home Screen. Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to the old one.

Step 2: Follow the prompt on your old iPhone

A setup prompt should appear on your current iPhone. Follow the onscreen instructions. If the prompt disappears, restart both devices and try again.

Step 3: Connect and activate

Connect the new iPhone to Wi-Fi or your cellular network. You may be asked to activate your cellular service at this point. This is where your phone number moves over (see the eSIM section below).

Step 4: Set up Face ID or Touch ID

Register your face on an iPhone 18 Pro, or your fingerprint on an iPhone Duo, which uses Touch ID in the side button.

Step 5: Choose how to transfer

• Download from iCloud: your apps and data download in the background, so you can start using the new iPhone right away.
• Transfer directly from your iPhone: you have to wait until the transfer finishes on both devices before you can use either one.

Keep both phones close together and plugged in until the migration is complete. Apple notes that if your new iPhone is enrolled in Apple School Manager or Apple Business, you cannot use Quick Start to transfer from your current device.

Method 2: Transfer over a cable

A wired connection is useful if your Wi-Fi is slow or congested. The cable you need depends on both phones, according to Apple’s wired transfer guide:

Once the cable is connected, turn on both devices and follow the onscreen instructions. Then connect to Wi-Fi or cellular, set up Face ID or Touch ID, and wait for the transfer to finish on both phones.

Method 3: Restore from an iCloud backup

Use this if your old phone is lost, broken or already traded in, or if you want to set up the new phone without the old one nearby. Apple’s restore instructions:

1. Turn on the new iPhone. You should see the Hello screen. If you already set it up, you will need to erase it before you can restore.
2. Follow the setup steps until you reach Transfer Your Apps & Data, then tap From iCloud Backup.
3. Sign in to your Apple Account.
4. Choose a backup. Check the date and size of each backup and pick the most recent relevant one. If you are asked to update software first, follow the prompts.
5. Sign in again when asked, to restore apps and purchases.
6. Stay on Wi-Fi until the progress bar completes. Apple says this can take from a few minutes to an hour.
7. Finish setup. Photos, music and apps keep restoring in the background. Apple says this can take hours or days, so connect to Wi-Fi and power often.

Method 4: Restore from a Mac or PC backup

If you back up locally, open Finder on a Mac, or the Apple Devices app on Windows (iTunes on Windows without that app, or on macOS Mojave or earlier). Connect the new iPhone with a USB cable and tap Trust This Computer if asked. Select the iPhone, choose Restore Backup, pick the most recent backup and click Restore. Enter the password if the backup is encrypted. Keep the phone connected after it restarts until it finishes syncing.

Moving from Android to iPhone

Apple’s Android switching guide gives two options. The standard route uses the Move to iOS app on Google Play. Phones running a compatible version of Android 17 can transfer without it.

Option A: Use the Move to iOS app

1. Prepare: turn on Wi-Fi on the Android phone and plug both phones into power. You can also connect them directly with a USB-C cable for a faster transfer. Make sure the content, including anything on a microSD card, will fit on the iPhone. To bring over Chrome bookmarks, update Chrome first.
2. On the iPhone: follow setup until the Quick Start screen, then tap Set Up Without Another Apple Device. On Transfer Your Apps & Data, tap From Android, then Transfer with App.
3. On the Android phone: open Move to iOS. If it isn’t installed, scan the QR code on the iPhone to open Google Play. Tap Continue, agree to the terms, and grant the location and notification permissions it asks for.
4. Enter the code: the iPhone shows a six- or ten-digit code. Type it into the Android phone. You can ignore any weak connection warning on the Android side.
5. Join the temporary network: the iPhone creates its own Wi-Fi network. Tap Connect on the Android phone.
6. Choose content and wait: select what to move and tap Continue. Leave both phones alone until the loading bar on the iPhone finishes, even if Android says it is done.
7. Finish: tap Done on Android, then Continue on the iPhone to complete setup.

Apple says Move to iOS transfers contacts, message history, SMS, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, accessibility and display settings, web bookmarks, mail accounts, WhatsApp messages and media, Voice Memos, call history and calendars. Some free apps come across if they are on both stores. Music, books and PDFs have to be moved manually.

Option B: Transfer without an app (Android 17)

1. On the iPhone’s Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Android, then Transfer without App.
2. Place the Android phone next to the iPhone and tap Continue.
3. Scan the QR code on the iPhone with the Android camera to connect.
4. On Android, choose what to move, such as photos, contacts, calendars, call history or messages.
5. To bring your eSIM, select the number on Android and tap Transfer, then tap Continue on the iPhone.

If the QR code will not scan, tap Other Options on the iPhone. Then on Android go to Settings, Google Services, All Services, Pair with iPhone or iPad, Copy Data, and enter the session ID and pairing code shown on the iPhone. Apple says to check with your phone’s manufacturer whether it supports app-free transfer.

How to move your phone number (eSIM)

Every iPhone Duo, and iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the U.S., Canada, Japan and several other markets, are eSIM-only, so your number moves digitally. Apple’s eSIM setup guide says eSIM Quick Transfer can move it from your old iPhone without calling your carrier, if the carrier supports it. You need:

• Both iPhones signed in to the same Apple Account
• Your old iPhone unlocked with its passcode
• Both phones nearby with Bluetooth on
• Both on iOS 18.4 or later

If you are prompted during setup, follow the onscreen steps. With iOS 26 or later, you can transfer more than one number. To do it after setup, open Settings, tap Cellular, then Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM, choose the plan to transfer (or tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone) and confirm on the old phone. When the new plan activates, the old SIM stops working. If a banner says Finish Setting Up Your Carrier’s Cellular Plan, tap it to complete the process on your carrier’s site.

If the transfer stalls or fails

• The Quick Start prompt vanished: restart both devices and hold them close together again.
• Move to iOS stopped partway: keep the app onscreen the whole time. Apple warns that switching apps or taking a call on Android stops the transfer. Turn off Wi-Fi optimizers such as Smart Network Switch, forget known Wi-Fi networks, turn off mobile data, restart both phones and try again.
• The iPhone ran out of space: Apple says to erase the iPhone and start again, after making sure your Android content fits.
• You finished setup too soon: the Android transfer and iCloud restore only work during setup. You will need to erase the iPhone and start over, or move content manually.
• Wrong backup chosen: if you set up as new and later want to restore an older iCloud backup, erase and restore as soon as possible. Apple warns that new backups can overwrite the older one.

After the transfer: final checks

Before you erase or trade in the old phone, open the apps you rely on most. Check that your photos, messages and two-factor authentication apps came across, and sign in to any banking apps that need a fresh login. If you bought the phone directly from Apple, it offers online Personal Setup sessions where a Specialist walks you through setup and data transfer. Only when everything checks out should you erase the old phone and send it off for trade-in.

Written byNadia Osei

Nadia Osei covers mobile and consumer gadgets for Pandromeda: smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds and smart-home devices. She tracks launches, software updates and pricing across Apple, Google, Samsung and the rest, and builds comparisons from the manufacturers' published specifications.

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