How Do I Set Up a New iPhone and Move Everything From My Old One?

What this helps with: Moving your photos, contacts, apps, messages, and phone number from your old iPhone to a new one, step by step.

The short answer: Back up your old iPhone first. Then turn on the new iPhone and set it right next to the old one. Apple’s Quick Start shows up on the old phone and walks you through the rest. Keep both phones plugged in and close together until it says it’s done.

Before you start

Give yourself about an hour when you won’t need your phone. Have these ready:

• Both iPhones, charged, and a charger for each.
• Your Wi-Fi name and password.
• Your old iPhone’s passcode (the numbers you type to unlock it).
• Your Apple Account email and password. This is the account you use for iCloud and the App Store. If you can’t remember the password, reset it at account.apple.com before you start.

Step 1: Update and back up your old iPhone

Apple says both phones should have the latest software before you use Quick Start. See How to Update Your Phone.

Then make a fresh backup to iCloud:

1. On your old iPhone, open Settings.
2. Tap your name at the top.
3. Tap iCloud, then tap iCloud Backup.
4. Make sure Back Up This iPhone is turned on.
5. Tap Back Up Now. Stay on Wi-Fi until it finishes.

A backup is your safety net. If anything goes wrong during setup, your things are still saved. For photos, see How to Back Up Your Phone’s Photos.

Step 2: Turn on the new iPhone next to the old one

1. Make sure your old iPhone is on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is on. Unlock it and go to the Home Screen.
2. Turn on the new iPhone. Hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
3. Set the new iPhone right next to the old one.
4. A Quick Start message pops up on the old iPhone, offering to set up the new one. Tap Continue.
   • What you might see: An animation on the new iPhone. If the old iPhone asks, hold it over the new one so the animation shows in the circle on the old phone’s screen.
5. On the new iPhone, type your old iPhone’s passcode when asked.

If the Quick Start message doesn’t show up or goes away, restart both phones and try again.

Step 3: Follow the steps on the new iPhone

The new iPhone asks a few questions. Read each screen and tap Continue.

• Wi-Fi: Join your home Wi-Fi.
• Phone number: Most new iPhones sold in the U.S. have no SIM card slot. They use an eSIM, a digital SIM built into the phone. If the new iPhone asks to transfer your phone number, follow the steps on the screen. Your number moves over and your old iPhone stops working on the cell network. If you bought the phone from your carrier, they may have set this up already.
• Face ID or Touch ID: Set up your face or fingerprint so you can unlock the phone and pay without typing your passcode.
• How to move your things: You’ll see two choices:
  • Download from iCloud: You can start using the new phone right away while apps, photos, and messages download in the background.
  • Transfer directly from iPhone: Everything copies straight from the old phone. You can’t use either phone until it’s done, but it can be the most complete.

Either one works. If you’re not sure, pick the one the screen suggests.

Step 4: Wait, and keep the phones together

Keep both iPhones plugged in and next to each other until the new iPhone says the transfer is complete. This can take a few minutes or more than an hour if you have lots of photos.

Leave the new iPhone on Wi-Fi and plugged in overnight the first night. Photos and apps may keep downloading after you can use it.

Step 5: Check that everything came over

Before you do anything with the old phone, open these on the new iPhone and look:

• Photos: your recent pictures and albums.
• Phone and Contacts: your family’s numbers.
• Messages: your text conversations.
• Your important apps: bank, pharmacy, email. Some apps ask you to sign in again. Banking apps often do.
• Make a test call to check your phone number works.

Then make it comfortable to use. See How to Make Text Bigger on Your Phone.

Setting up a phone for a parent? See How Do I Set Up a Phone or Tablet for a Parent?

What about the old iPhone?

Don’t erase it until you’ve checked the new one. Once you’re sure everything is on the new phone, you can erase the old one before you give it away, sell it, or trade it in. Apple’s steps are on its page What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone. In short: back it up, sign out of your Apple Account in Settings, then go to Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings. Our step-by-step guide: How Do I Erase My Old Phone Before I Give It Away or Sell It?

Coming from an Android phone?

Quick Start only works from another iPhone or iPad. To move from Android, Apple has a free app called Move to iOS in the Google Play Store:

1. On the new iPhone’s Quick Start screen, tap Set Up Without Another Apple Device.
2. On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Android, then Transfer with App.
3. Open Move to iOS on the Android phone and type the code the iPhone shows.
4. Pick what to move (contacts, messages, photos, calendars) and leave both phones alone until the bar on the iPhone finishes.

Some newer Android phones can do this without the app. You may be asked to move your phone number, or sent to your carrier’s website to finish.

Getting a new Android phone instead? See How Do I Set Up a New Android Phone and Move My Contacts and Photos?

Stay safe while you set up

• Only get help from Apple, your carrier’s store, or someone you know and trust.
• Never give your passcode or Apple Account password to someone who calls, texts, or emails out of the blue to “help” with your new phone. That’s a common scam. See How to Spot a Scam Call, Text, or Email.
• Get apps only from the App Store on the new phone.

Official sources

• Apple: Use Quick Start to transfer data to a new iPhone or iPad
• Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone
• Apple: Backup methods for iPhone or iPad
• Apple: Move from Android to iPhone or iPad
• Apple: What does iCloud back up?
• Apple: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad

Last checked: Oct 29, 2026

This is general help, not personalized tech support. Screens can look a little different depending on your iPhone and iOS version.