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The Bottom Line
The fastest way to move everything to a new iPhone is Quick Start: place the new iPhone next to the old one, both powered on, and follow the on-screen prompt to scan an animation and authenticate with your old device's passcode or Face ID. It pulls apps, settings, and data either directly (device-to-device over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) or from your most recent iCloud backup. Direct transfer keeps both phones on and near each other until it finishes, which for a large photo library can take over an hour. Skipping Quick Start and restoring from an iCloud backup instead is slower to start but easier if the two phones can't be next to each other.
Quick Start, Step by Step
- Turn on the new iPhone and place it near the old, unlocked iPhone.
- Your old iPhone will show a Quick Start prompt asking if you want to use it to set up the new one. Tap Continue.
- Look through the camera at the new iPhone to capture the swirling animation shown on its screen (this pairs the two devices). If the camera can't be used, tap "Authenticate Manually" instead and enter the code shown on the new phone.
- Enter your old iPhone's passcode on the new iPhone when prompted.
- Set up Face ID / Touch ID on the new device.
- Choose Transfer from iPhone (direct, device-to-device) if both phones can stay next to each other and on power for the duration, or Download from iCloud if you'd rather use your latest backup and don't want to babysit both phones.
- Keep both phones on Wi-Fi and near each other (for direct transfer) until the progress bar completes. Apps will keep re-downloading in the background even after the initial transfer finishes.
Direct Transfer vs. iCloud Restore
| Direct transfer (device-to-device) | iCloud backup restore | |
|---|---|---|
| Requires | Both phones on, nearby, for the full duration | A recent iCloud backup and Wi-Fi on the new phone only |
| Speed | Faster for large photo/video libraries since it can transfer directly over a local connection | Limited by your iCloud storage plan and upload speed of your last backup |
| Best when | You have your old phone in hand right now | Your old phone is lost, damaged, being returned, or already wiped |
| Gotcha | If either phone loses power or you walk out of range mid-transfer, it can stall and need a restart | Only as current as your last backup - check Settings > [name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup for the timestamp before wiping the old phone |
What Doesn't Come Over Automatically
A few things regularly surprise people after a transfer:
- Some third-party app data that stores its data on the app's own servers rather than in the app's iOS container may require you to log back in rather than appearing already-populated.
- SMS/RCS text history transfers via the backup, but if you're switching carriers or SIM setups at the same time, texts can be briefly delayed until the new SIM/eSIM is fully active.
- Authenticator app codes (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.) sometimes need their own manual export/import step, separate from the general iPhone transfer, since some don't back up via iCloud at all.
- Apple Pay cards need to be re-verified on the new device even though the transfer carries over the rest of Wallet.
One Thing Actually Worth Setting Up Fresh
Your iPhone's native clipboard never had any history to transfer in the first place; it only ever holds whatever you copied most recently, so there's nothing to lose there. But if you were relying on a clipboard manager's saved snippets (templates, addresses, pinned replies) on the old phone, that app's own backup/sync needs to carry over separately from the general iPhone transfer. ClipboardAI syncs your clipboard history through your iCloud account, so once you sign in on the new iPhone with the same Apple ID, your pinned snippets and recent history reappear rather than starting from zero.
Honest Caveats
Direct transfer over a local connection is genuinely faster for most people, but if your old iPhone's battery is low, plug it in before starting. A transfer that dies partway through a multi-hour photo library move is more frustrating than starting with the slower iCloud method. If you're trading in or recycling the old iPhone afterward, don't erase it until you've confirmed the new phone actually has everything: check your camera roll count and a couple of key apps before wiping the old device.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does transferring everything to a new iPhone take?
Setup itself takes a few minutes, but the full data transfer (especially photos and videos) can run anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours depending on how much data you have and whether you use direct transfer or iCloud restore.
Can I transfer to a new iPhone without the old one?
Yes, using "Download from iCloud" during setup, as long as you have a recent iCloud backup. Check the backup date under Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on the old device (or on iCloud.com) before you lose access to it.
Do I need to wipe my old iPhone before transferring?
No. The transfer reads from the old iPhone (or its backup) without requiring you to erase it first. Only erase the old iPhone after confirming everything landed correctly on the new one, especially if you're selling or trading it in.
