Direct transfer, phone to phone
Turn the new iPhone on and hold it near the old one. Quick Start appears, and after confirming you can choose Transfer from iPhone, which copies everything directly between the two devices rather than going via iCloud.
This is the most complete and usually the fastest option, and it needs no backup and no storage plan. Both phones are unusable during the transfer, so start it when you can leave them alone — plug both in and expect anywhere from 15 minutes to well over an hour depending on how much data there is. Our Quick Start guide covers the full sequence.
Restoring from an iCloud backup
If the old phone is lost, broken or already traded in, restore from the most recent iCloud backup during setup instead. The new iPhone downloads the backup over Wi-Fi and then continues pulling apps and photos in the background for a while afterwards.
Check the backup date before you erase or hand over the old device. Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup shows it, and if it is weeks old, run one now.
Restoring from a computer backup
Connect the new iPhone during setup and choose to restore from a Mac or PC. This is the fastest of the three when you already have a recent backup, since nothing is downloaded, and an encrypted backup carries passwords and Health data that an unencrypted one does not.
Our computer backup guide covers making one, including why the encryption tick box matters.
What does not come across
Some things do not transfer regardless of method. Apps removed from the App Store cannot be reinstalled, so their data is lost. Content bought from other stores may need re-downloading from those apps. Some banking and authentication apps deliberately refuse to migrate and must be set up again from scratch.
Two-factor authenticator apps are the one to plan for. If yours does not sync, export or re-enrol your codes before you wipe the old phone — recovering them afterwards ranges from tedious to impossible.
Keep the old phone until you are sure
Do not erase or trade in the old iPhone the same day. Live on the new one for a few days first and check the things you would not notice immediately: authenticator codes, transit cards, saved Wi-Fi at places you visit weekly, apps you only open occasionally.
When you are satisfied, erase the old device properly before it leaves your hands — our guide to erasing before selling covers doing it in the right order so Activation Lock does not strand the buyer.
eSIM and phone number
Quick Start offers to transfer your eSIM as part of setup, and on most carriers it simply works. If it does not, your carrier can reissue it, though some require a call or a visit rather than doing it in an app.
Do not delete the eSIM from the old phone manually hoping to move it — on several carriers that requires support intervention to reissue. Let the transfer flow handle it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to move to a new iPhone?
Direct transfer with Quick Start, holding the two phones together. It is the most complete method and needs no backup or storage plan.
Can I transfer to a new iPhone without iCloud?
Yes. Direct phone-to-phone transfer and restoring from a computer backup both work without iCloud storage.
What does not transfer to a new iPhone?
Apps pulled from the App Store, some banking and authentication apps, and anything from a non-syncing authenticator. Sort out two-factor codes before wiping the old phone.
Should I erase my old iPhone straight away?
No. Keep it for a few days until you are sure everything came across, then erase it properly before selling or trading it in.