If you have just decided to buy a new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 pro or iPhone Airyou'll probably want to update it and get it up and running as soon as possible. These are four ways to transfer your data quickly, securely and, most importantly, stress-free (even if you're from out of town). Android phone).
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1. Convenient method: Recover from iCloud.
During the setup process, you'll be asked if you want to directly transfer apps and information from your old iPhone to your new iPhone using Quick Launch. This feature was first introduced in iOS 12.4, so if it's been a few years since phones updated, this is the first time you'll see this option.
The easiest and fastest way to set up your new iPhone is to restore it from your latest iCloud backup. While going through the initial setup process, click Recover from iCloud backupSign in to your Apple account (previously called Apple ID before iOS 18) and then select the most recent backup of your old iPhone.
If the backup is more than one or two days old, take a few extra minutes to create a new backup. To do this, open Settings app on your old phone, find iCloud Backup V Search field at the top of the screen, and then click the corresponding result. Click Back up now update your cloud backup.
Once this is finished, go back to your new iPhone and select the backup you just created that you want to use for recovery.
Your phone will then restore your settings and preferences, and you can start using it in about 15 minutes. It will continue to download installed applications in the background.
Once everything is restored, you'll need to sign back into all the accounts you've added to your phone, as well as review your apps and make sure you're still signed in.
You have several options for customizing your new iPhone.
2. Fastest way: Apple direct transfer.
If you don't have a recent iCloud backup or have a slow internet connection, you can transfer everything from iPhone to iPhone wirelessly or via cable. When the Quick Start process prompts for a source, select the direct transfer option.
Using The cable is designed for high data transfer ratesthis process can be surprisingly quick and is my preferred method for upgrading to a new iPhone. Connect both phones with a cable; Note that you may need an adapter if your current phone is an iPhone 14 or earlier with a Lightning port. Apple has more details about how to make wire transfer work.
If you go the wireless route, make sure both phones are plugged in and charging to ensure they don't run out of battery, and that they're connected to your Wi-Fi network (this is part of the setup process on a new phone). Also, make sure you have enough time to complete the process – it may take more than an hour.
The more information you have on your phone, such as photos in your library, the longer this will take. When the transmission starts, the phones will show you the approximate time. Every time I've used this tool, this estimate has been accurate within minutes. It's worth the time if you don't use Apple's iCloud service to back up your phone.
3. Longer and more complex method: use Mac or PC.
A longer but more secure method is to restore from an encrypted backup using a Mac or PC. This process not only transfers all your apps, settings and preferences, but also means you don't have to log into the countless apps you have on your phone.
Before you can use this method, you need to create an encrypted backup of your current iPhone. I know this may sound scary or too complicated, but it just means that you need to check an additional box and enter a password.
On a Mac, you'll use Finder to back up your old iPhone—and be sure to follow the steps to make a backup copy of the archive. Check Encrypt backup and enter a password that you will remember when prompted. Then let your Mac get to work by creating a backup file. He will notify you when everything is ready.
Recover data from an old iPhone backup using a computer.
On PC you will need to use iTunes (this is not fully dead) or the Apple Devices app to create a backup, like explained here. Again, you need to make sure that Encrypt backup checkbox is checked and enter the password.
To restore a new phone, open Finder or iTunes and connect your phone to your computer. Click Trust when prompted, and then follow the instructions, selecting the backup you just created as the backup you want to use to restore your phone. You will need to enter your backup password before starting the process, so make sure you don't forget it.
Once this is done, your new phone will be an exact copy of your old phone, and you won't have to waste time logging into apps or random accounts.
4. For Android users: Go to iOS.
Apple doesn't have many Android apps on the Google Play Store, but Go to iOS is one of them. This free app will connect your Android phone to your new iPhone and let you transfer your most important information from one phone to another.
Here's the whole step-by-step processas well as some caveats, such as the fact that it won't stream locally stored music or PDF files.
Apple has created an Android app called Move to iOS that makes it easy to transfer your messages, photos, videos, and more from your Android phone to your iPhone.
Apple said it has updated the design of Move to iOS to make the transition from an Android phone to a new iPhone faster and easier. The company goes on to say that it has accelerated Wi-Fi migration by increasing data speeds to 5GHz, and you can use Wi-Fi on your iPhone to connect to an Android phone. You can also connect your Android phone to the new iPhone using a USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cable to make things faster, Apple says.
No matter what process you used to set up your new phone, you'll be excited and pleased to discover what it can do.
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