How to Switch iPhones

This wikiHow teaches you how to seamlessly transition from one iPhone to another, including how to transfer your data.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using iCloud

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    1
    Open Settings on your old iPhone. It's a gray app with gears (⚙️) that's typically located on your home screen.[1]
  2. Image titled Switch iPhones Step 2
    2
    Tap your Apple ID. According to mobile phone repair specialist Josef Storzi, "It's the section at the top of the menu that contains your name."
    • If you are not signed in, tap Sign in to your iPhone, enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Sign In.
    • If you are running an older version of iOS, you may not need to do this step.
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    Tap iCloud. It's in the second section of the menu.
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    Select data to back up. According to mobile phone repair specialist Storzi, "You can do this with the slider on the right side of each item. It is turned on when it is green."
    • Any data that is "Off" (white) will not be backed up and transferred to your new iPhone.
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    Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. It's at the bottom of the "APPS USING ICLOUD" section.
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    Tap Back Up Now. It's at the bottom of the screen. This will manually invoke a backup of your old iPhone. Wait until the backup is complete. Mobile phone specialist Josef Storzi suggests "making sure you're connected to WiFi and waiting for the backup to complete."
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    7
    Tap iCloud. It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. This will take you back to the iCloud settings page.
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    Turn on the new iPhone and complete the initial setup process. You will be prompted to specify certain information such as your language and country, your Wi-Fi network, and more.
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    9
    Tap Restore from iCloud Backup. Do so when prompted to select a way to setup your new iPhone during the setup process. Rather than setting up as a new iPhone with no data, this will transfer data from your old iPhone to your new iPhone.[3]
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    10
    Tap Next. It's in the upper-right corner of the screen.
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    11
    Enter your Apple ID and password. Do so in the labeled fields.[4]
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    12
    Tap an iCloud backup. Choose the one with the most recent date and time.
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    Tap Restore. According to mobile phone repair specialist Josef Storzi, "All you need to do is wait for the process to finish" before you can start using your phone.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using iTunes

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    1
    Connect your old iPhone to a computer. Use the USB cable that came with your device.[5]
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    Open iTunes on your computer. Do so if it doesn't launch automatically when your device is connected.
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    Click on your iPhone. An icon for your iPhone will appear at the top of the screen once iTunes recognizes it.[8]
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    Click the button next to "This computer". It's in the "Automatically Back Up" section.
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    5
    Click on Back Up Now. It's in the right pane of the window under the "Manually Back Up and Restore" section.[10]
    • Wait for iTunes to finish backing up and saving your data. The process may take up to several minutes to complete depending on the amount of data you have stored on your iPhone.
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    6
    Click the Eject button, and then disconnect your phone from the computer. The eject button is located to the right of your iPhone's name. Disconnect your phone by unplugging the USB cord.
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    7
    Power off your old iPhone. Do so by holding the lock button on the right-top or upper-right side of your phone's housing until "slide to power off" appears on the screen, then swipe "slide to power off" to the right.
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    8
    Power on your new iPhone. Do so by pressing the lock button.
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    Walk through the initial iPhone setup process. You will be asked to select your country, language, location services preferences, and more.
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    Tap Restore from iTunes backup. It will be listed as one of the options to set up or restore your new device.
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    11
    Connect your new iPhone to the same computer. Use the cable that came with your new device as it may be different (lightning connector instead of 30-pin connector).
    • iTunes will recognize the new device and display “Welcome to your new iPhone.”
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    12
    Click on the “Restore from this backup” radio button. Select the most recent backup from the dropdown menu.
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    13
    Click on Continue. iTunes will begin to transfer data from iTunes to your new iPhone.
    • Wait for your new iPhone to restart. After your iPhone reboots, it will be ready for use.
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Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    Why should I encrypt my data when I switch to a new iPhone?
    Josef Storzi
    Josef Storzi
    Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
    Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.
    Josef Storzi
    Josef Storzi
    Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    I recommend encrypting the backup for two reasons. The first is security. The second is that certain data requires encryption in order to be backed up. Without encryption, this data will be skipped.
  • Question
    How do I download iTunes to a PC?
    Josef Storzi
    Josef Storzi
    Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
    Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.
    Josef Storzi
    Josef Storzi
    Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Go to apple.com/iTunes. If you're on Windows 8 or above, you may click "Get it from Microsoft." If you are on Windows 7 or lower, scroll down to where it says "Looking for other versions?" and click on WIndows.
  • Question
    My friend and I want to swap iPhones. How do we switch all data between the two phones?
    KingTehMasteh Games
    KingTehMasteh Games
    Community Answer
    Back up your data, erase the phones, swap SIM cards, and restore the backed up data.
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Warnings

  • You will not have the ability to install backups from newer iPhones onto older iPhones that have earlier versions of iOS installed. If you want to transfer data between iPhones with older versions of iOS, make sure you run a software update by going to “Settings,” tapping on “General,” and selecting “Software Update.” This installs the latest iOS version available for your iPhone.[11] .
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  6. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  7. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  8. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  9. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  1. ↑ Josef Storzi. Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 December 2020.
  2. ↑ http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4623

About This Article

Josef Storzi
Co-authored by:
Josef Storzi
Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
This article was co-authored by Josef Storzi. Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates. This article has been viewed 460,336 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 16
Updated: February 10, 2022
Views: 460,336
Categories: IPhone
Article SummaryX

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your Apple ID.
3. Tap iCloud.
4. Select data to back up.
5. Enable iCloud Backup.
6. Tap Back Up Now.
7. Turn on the new iPhone.
8. Select Restore from iCloud Backup when prompted.
9. Sign in with your Apple ID.

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