# How to transfer data from your old iPhone to your new one

> With Quick Start you just bring the two iPhones close during setup: your data moves wirelessly, with a cable or from your iCloud backup. What to prepare, which method to choose and how to wipe the old iPhone before you give it away.

Source: https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/trasferire-dati-iphone-iphone
Author: SimpleBuild, Build simple. Deliver value.
Category: iPhone and Android
Procedure verified on: 2026-09-30

To move your data to a new iPhone use **Quick Start**: turn on the new iPhone, bring it close to the old one and follow the instructions. At some point you choose **how to transfer**: directly from the old iPhone (wirelessly or with a cable) or by downloading your **iCloud backup**. Apps, photos, settings and nearly everything else come across. Then, before you give away or sell the old iPhone, it has to be wiped the right way.

## Before you start

- **Update the old iPhone** to the latest iOS version it accepts. Quick Start works from iOS 11 on, but Apple recommends updating both.
- **Have your Apple Account password handy.** If you don't remember it, recover it first: see [how to recover your Apple Account password](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/recuperare-password-account-apple).
- **Back up** the old iPhone, to iCloud or to your computer. If something goes wrong you have a copy: see [how to back up your iPhone to a PC or Mac](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/backup-iphone-su-pc-o-mac).
- **Move the SIM** from the old phone to the new one, or get ready to transfer the eSIM. If the new iPhone needs a different SIM, ask your carrier.
- **Pick a quiet moment**: for a few minutes (or more) you won't be able to use the old iPhone.
- **Keep both iPhones plugged into power** until the end.

## Which method to choose

- **Directly from the old iPhone, wirelessly**: the simplest. You have to wait until it finishes on both phones before using them.
- **Directly, with a cable**: useful if Wi-Fi is slow or you have a lot of data.
- **Downloading from iCloud**: the new iPhone is ready right away, and apps and data arrive in the background. You need an up-to-date iCloud backup.

## With Quick Start, wirelessly

1. On the **old iPhone** make sure it's connected to **Wi-Fi** and that **Bluetooth** is on. Unlock it and go to the Home Screen.
2. Turn on the **new iPhone** and place it next to the old one.

   ![Quick Start screen on the new iPhone: it's looking for nearby devices and asks you to bring the iPhone you're already using close to it.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/trasferire-dati-iphone-iphone-inizia-subito-en-640.webp) (Image: [Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102659))

3. On the old iPhone you'll be offered to set up the new one: follow the instructions on screen.
4. Connect the new iPhone to **Wi-Fi** or the cellular network. You might be asked to activate your cellular service.
5. Set up **Face ID** or **Touch ID**.
6. Choose **how to transfer your data**: from the old iPhone or from iCloud.
7. Keep the phones close together and plugged in until the migration is complete.

If the setup prompt disappears from the old iPhone, **restart both** and try again.

## With a cable

The cable depends on the models:

- **From an iPhone 15 or later to an iPhone 15 or later**: a **USB-C** charge cable.
- **From an iPhone 14 or earlier to an iPhone 15 or later**: a **USB-C to Lightning** cable.
- **Between two iPhone 14 or earlier models**: Apple lists the **Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter**, powered by a 12W or higher power adapter, plus a Lightning to USB cable.

Then:

1. Connect the cable to the charging ports of the two iPhones.
2. Turn on both and follow the instructions on screen.
3. Connect the new iPhone to Wi-Fi or the cellular network and set up Face ID or Touch ID.
4. Wait for the transfer to finish on both.

## From your iCloud backup

### If you still have the old iPhone

You need iOS 17.2 or later.

1. On the old iPhone turn on **Wi-Fi** and **Bluetooth** in **Settings**, and plug both phones into power.
2. Turn on the new iPhone and follow the instructions until the **Quick Start** screen.
3. Bring the old iPhone close and scan the animation, then enter the old iPhone's passcode on the new one.
4. On the **Transfer Your Data** screen tap **Download from iCloud**.

### If you no longer have the old iPhone

1. Turn on the new iPhone and follow the instructions until the **Wi-Fi** screen, then join a network.
2. Continue until the **Apps & Data** screen and tap **Restore from iCloud Backup**.
3. Sign in with your Apple Account.
4. Choose the right backup: check the **date and size**.
5. Stay connected to Wi-Fi and wait for it to finish, then complete setup. If you leave the iPhone on Wi-Fi and power afterwards too, photos, music and apps finish downloading on their own.

### If your iCloud storage isn't enough

Apple offers **temporary iCloud storage** to anyone who buys a new iPhone. On the **old iPhone**:

1. Open **Settings** > **General**.
2. Tap **Transfer or Reset iPhone**.
3. Under **Prepare for New iPhone** tap **Get Started**.

   ![Transfer or Reset iPhone screen with the Prepare for New iPhone panel and the Get Started button.](https://simplebuild.it/assets/img/tutorial/trasferire-dati-iphone-iphone-prepara-en-760.webp) (Image: [Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104980))

4. If you see "iCloud Backup is Turned Off," tap **Turn On Backup to Transfer**. If it says you're eligible for free extra storage, tap **Continue**.
5. Wait for the backup to finish.

You have **21 days** to restore it to the new iPhone (with **Restore from iCloud Backup**, as above). If the new phone is late, you can get another 21 days from the old one with **Keep My Backup Longer**. **Don't erase the old iPhone** until the restore is complete.

## Before you give away the old iPhone

Only once you've checked on the new iPhone that everything is there:

1. If you had a paired **Apple Watch**, unpair it.
2. Open **Settings**, tap **[your name]**, scroll down and tap **Sign Out**. From iOS 26 it asks whether to erase the device or just sign out.
3. Go back to **Settings** > **General** > **Transfer or Reset iPhone** and tap **Erase All Content and Settings**.
4. Enter your passcode if asked and confirm with **Erase iPhone**. If you use an eSIM and are selling the phone, choose to erase the eSIM too.

Apple points out that erasing deletes the phone but **not** your data in iCloud, and that it turns off Find My and Activation Lock: that way the new owner can use it.

Watch out: if you're still signed in to iCloud and you **delete by hand** contacts, photos or documents from the old iPhone, you delete them from iCloud and from the new iPhone too. Always use "Erase All Content and Settings."

## If it still doesn't work

- **The old iPhone doesn't offer to set up the new one**: check Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, unlock the phone, restart both.
- **The new iPhone is enrolled by a company or school**: Apple says that in that case Quick Start can't be used.
- **The new iPhone is full or slow to fill up**: photos in iCloud download over time; to make room see [how to free up space on iPhone](https://simplebuild.it/tutorial/liberare-spazio-iphone).
- **You don't remember your Apple Account password**: without it, you can't restore the backup or remove the old iPhone from your account. Recover it before anything else.
- If you want someone by your side while you move a family member's data, to be sure nothing gets lost before the old phone is erased, a technician can do it with you.

## Frequently asked questions

### My iCloud storage is full: do I have to buy more for the transfer?

Not necessarily. Apple offers temporary iCloud storage to anyone who buys a new iPhone: you turn it on from the old one in Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare for New iPhone, and the backup stays available for 21 days.

### Can I use the old iPhone while transferring?

If you transfer directly from one iPhone to the other, no: you have to wait until it finishes on both. If you choose to download from iCloud, the new iPhone is usable right away and apps arrive in the background.

### I've already set up the new iPhone: can I still transfer my data?

With Quick Start and with iCloud the transfer happens during setup. If you've already set up the phone, Apple says to erase it first, which deletes whatever is on it.

### Which cable do I need for a wired transfer?

Between two iPhone 15 or later models a USB-C cable is enough. From an iPhone 14 or earlier to an iPhone 15 or later you need a USB-C to Lightning cable.

## Sources

- [Use Quick Start to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102659)
- [Transfer data from your previous iOS or iPadOS device to your new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/119967)
- [Use iCloud to transfer data from your previous iOS or iPadOS device to your new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108344)
- [Use a wired connection to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/117383)
- [Get temporary iCloud storage when you buy a new iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104980)
- [What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511)