How to Transfer Everything to a New iPhone With Quick Start

Moving to a new iPhone? Quick Start copies your apps, photos, messages and settings from your old iPhone. Here's how to prepare and what to do step by step.

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Published 6 min read
Checked against 2 sources
Illustration: How to Transfer Everything to a New iPhone With Quick Start

The short answer

Turn on your new iPhone and place it next to your old one with Bluetooth on. A Quick Start screen appears on the old iPhone: tap Continue, scan the animation on the new iPhone with the old one, enter your old passcode, then choose Transfer from iPhone. Keep both phones close and plugged in until it finishes.

Setting up a new iPhone used to mean hours of downloading apps and re-entering passwords. With Apple’s Quick Start, your old iPhone hands everything over to the new one: apps, photos, messages, settings and more.

Before you start

  • Back up your old iPhone, just in case. See our iPhone backup guide.
  • Update your old iPhone to the latest iOS if possible.
  • Charge both phones, or keep them plugged in.
  • Turn on Bluetooth on the old iPhone.
  • Have your Wi-Fi password and Apple Account password ready.
  • Moving a SIM or eSIM? Your carrier may need to activate the new phone. Follow the prompts during setup.

Step-by-step: Quick Start

  1. Turn on the new iPhone and place it next to your old one.
  2. On the old iPhone, a Quick Start screen offers to set up the new iPhone with your Apple Account. Tap Continue.
  3. An animation appears on the new iPhone. Hold your old iPhone over it so the animation is centered in the camera viewfinder.
  4. When asked, enter your old iPhone’s passcode on the new iPhone.
  5. Set up Face ID or Touch ID on the new iPhone.
  6. When you see Transfer Your Data, choose Transfer from iPhone. (You can also choose to restore from an iCloud backup or set up as new.)
  7. Keep the phones close together and plugged in until the transfer finishes.

After the transfer

  • Check your apps: some may continue downloading in the background.
  • Sign in to apps that don’t carry over logins, like some banking apps.
  • Set up two-factor apps: authenticator apps may need their accounts moved separately. Check each app’s own transfer option before you erase the old phone. See our two-factor authentication guide.
  • Check WhatsApp: make sure your chats came across, or restore them from a backup. See how to back up WhatsApp chats.

If Quick Start doesn’t appear

  • Make sure Bluetooth is on and both phones are close together.
  • Restart both iPhones and try again.
  • You can still restore from an iCloud backup or a computer backup during setup.

Before you sell or give away your old iPhone

  1. Make sure everything you need is on the new iPhone.
  2. On the old iPhone, go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  3. Tap Erase All Content and Settings and follow the steps. This also signs you out and turns off Find My.

Before you start, make a fresh iPhone backup just in case. Your WhatsApp chats move with the transfer, but it’s still smart to back up your WhatsApp chats first. For sending a few photos or files between devices, see how to fix AirDrop if it isn’t working.

The bottom line

Back up first, keep both phones side by side and charged, and choose Transfer from iPhone. When everything’s moved and checked, erase the old phone before passing it on.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Quick Start take?

It depends on how much data you have and your connection. It can take from a few minutes to over an hour. Keep both iPhones next to each other and connected to power.

Do I need an iCloud backup to use Quick Start?

No. Quick Start can transfer data directly from your old iPhone. You can also choose to restore from an iCloud backup during setup instead. Backing up first is still a good safety step.

What should I do with my old iPhone afterwards?

Before you sell or give it away, sign out of your Apple Account and erase it in Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Erase All Content and Settings.

Why you can trust this guide
  • Based on official sources. The steps here are checked against the 2 official sources listed below, such as the help pages of the companies involved.
  • Checked and dated. Last checked on November 10, 2026. We update guides when software or advice changes.
  • Independent. No company paid for or reviewed this guide. We don't sell products, and ads never influence our advice.
  • Open to corrections. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll fix it. Read how we research.

Sources

  1. Apple Support — Use Quick Start to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad
  2. Apple Support — How to back up your iPhone or iPad

This guide is general information. Menus and features can change with software updates, and steps may differ on your device or version. Back up important data before making big changes. Read our disclaimer.

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