How to Transfer Everything to a New iPhone with Quick Start
Use Quick Start to move your apps, settings, and data from your old iPhone to a new one by holding the two phones near each other during setup.
Why: Quick Start pairs your old and new iPhones wirelessly so you don’t have to set everything up from scratch. Your old device must be running iOS 11 or later. Before you begin, it’s worth making a fresh iCloud backup on the old phone (Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now).
Step 1: Bring the two iPhones together
- Make sure your current iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and that Bluetooth is on.
- Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to your current one.
- A Set Up New iPhone screen appears on your current device. Tap Continue to begin.
If you don’t see Continue, turn Bluetooth off and back on, or restart both devices.
Step 2: Scan the animation and confirm your Apple Account
- An animation appears on the new iPhone. Hold your current iPhone over it so the animation is centered in the viewfinder, and wait for the “Finish on New iPhone” message.
- When prompted, enter your current iPhone’s passcode on the new device.
- Follow the prompts to set up Face ID or Touch ID, then sign in with your Apple Account password if asked.
Step 3: Choose how to transfer your data
You’ll be asked how to bring over your data:
- Transfer directly from iPhone — copies your data straight from the old phone to the new one. Keep both phones near each other and plugged in to power until it finishes; you can’t use either until it’s done.
- Download from iCloud — restores from your latest iCloud backup. Apps and data download in the background, so you can start using the new phone right away.
For a direct transfer you can also use a wired (Lightning/USB-C) cable between the two phones for a faster, more reliable move.
FAQ
Will I lose anything from my old phone? No. Quick Start copies your data to the new iPhone; it doesn’t erase the old one. Keep the old phone untouched until you confirm everything arrived.
How long does it take? It depends on how much data you have and your connection. A direct transfer of a full phone can take 30 minutes to over an hour — keep both devices plugged in.
Sources: Apple Support — Use Quick Start to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad, Apple Support — Use a wired connection to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad