Backup iphone to icloud before new phone

When you are upgrading from one Apple iPhone to a new one, you’ll want to transfer all of your data as well. This includes all apps, settings and other precious files saved on your device or in the cloud. 

We’ll cover three different methods you can use to do this. None of these require you to install any additional third-party software or applications, but you can use Apple’s own trusty methods and apps instead.

Let’s begin with the first method.

Method 1. Transfer your iPhone’s data with Quick Start

For this method, you’ll need both the old and new iPhone. Make sure that both devices have enough power.

1. Start by bringing the two iPhones close to each other and check that the old iPhone’s Bluetooth is turned on.
2. Turn on the new iPhone and press “Continue” when a prompt appears on the screen of your old iPhone.
3. After pressing “Continue”, there should be an animation on the screen of your new iPhone. Use the camera of the old iPhone to scan this animation. This will connect the two devices.
4. Next, the new iPhone will ask for your passcode. Enter the passcode as well as your Apple ID. At this point, you can also set up Face ID to make identification on your phone much easier.
5. After entering your Apple ID and passcode, select “Transfer From iPhone” and wait for the transfer to complete. At this point, you can also choose to transfer data from iCloud or use some other option. Remember to keep the two iPhones close to each other the entire time during the transfer.
6. Done!

Method 2. Update to a new iPhone using iCloud

In order to use iCloud to transfer your data, you’ll first need an up-to-date backup of your old iPhone on iCloud. Check out our other blog post to learn how to back up your iPhone. 

This method also requires you to reset your iPhone so that you can enter the setup phase. Read more about resetting your phone here. You don’t need to worry about this if your iPhone has not been set-up already.

1. Once you have backed up your old iPhone into iCloud, turn on your new iPhone.
2. Proceed in the setup process and connect the new iPhone to WiFi.
3. In the “Apps & Data” -view, select “Restore from iCloud Backup” and sign in to iCloud.
4. Choose the backup you want to restore and wait for the backup to finish.
5. Done!

Method 3. Transfer data from your old iPhone with iTunes

Finally, you can transfer data from an old iPhone into a new one by using iTunes and your computer. Always make sure that you are using the latest version of iTunes – or any application or software for that matter. 

Just like in the second method we just went through, you need a backup of your old iPhone to use iTunes for transferring data. Read more about creating a backup with iTunes here. To use this method you may have to reset your iPhone if it has been set-up already. 

1. Once you have backed up your old iPhone into iTunes, turn on your new iPhone and proceed with the setup process.
2. In the “Apps & Data” -view, select “Restore from Mac or PC” and plug your iPhone into your Mac or PC with a USB cable.
3. On your computer, open iTunes and locate your new device on the top-left corner of the screen.
4. Select “Restore Backup” and choose the correct backup that you want to restore.
5. Wait for the backup to finish.
6. Done!

Summary: Three ways to transfer data to your new iPhone

Now you should be able to transfer data from your old iPhone into a new one using Quick Start, iCloud or iTunes. The great thing about using one of these methods is that none of them require you to use sketchy third-party software or apps. You’ll also be backing up your device which is a smart thing to do regularly, either locally on your computer or into the cloud.

With the new iPhones and iOS 12 all making their way into the world, now would be a good time to ensure you know how to backup your iPhone or iPad, and to ensure they are, in fact, backed up before upgrading to the shiny new stuff.

Here we will cover how to backup your iPhone and/or your your iPad both through iCloud and through iTunes.

Backing up with iCloud

An item of note before I explain the backup process: Apple has changed their iCloud storage tiers over time. You can see the current plans here, or by going to Settings → iCloud → Storage → Change Storage Plan.

For the US, the current plans and pricing are:

• 5 GB — Free (same as ever)
• 50 GB — $1/month
• 200 GB — $3/month
• 2 TB — $10/month

If you’re a regular iPhone / iPad / Mac user, you would likely get a lot of value from one of the paid plans. 50 GB will most likely cover the vast majority of people’s backup needs. If you have a bunch of photos, and/or if you want to use iCloud Drive for keeping all the files on your Mac in sync with your iPhone and iPad, then perhaps the 200GB or 2TB options would serve you better.

With that said, here’s how to back your data up to iCloud…

First, determine what you want to include in (or exclude from) the backup. To do that, navigate to Settings → iCloud → Storage → Manage Storage → Choose your device under ‘Backups’.

Under Backup Options you will see a list of toggles for the photo library and every app on your device, sorted by file size:

Everything will be toggled on by default, so turn off any items you’d rather not back up. If you’ve upgraded to one of the new storage tiers listed above and space is no concern, then we recommend leaving everything on.

Once you’ve determined what to back up, make sure the device is on a Wi-Fi network and, for best results, connected to a power source (this process can take a while). Now, navigate back to Settings → iCloud → Backup and ensure iCloud Backup is toggled on. If it is, you’ll see a Back Up Now option. Just tap that button and wait for the process to complete.

Also note that iCloud backups can happen automatically at night. Assuming your iOS device is plugged in and charging and is also connected to a Wi-Fi network, it will automatically back up to iCloud. If you’ve been running the iOS 9 betas on your iPhone 6, be sure that it has a current backup before setting up your iPhone 6s. Some versions of the public beta had issues making iCloud backups.

How to Backup an iPhone or iPad using iTunes

An iTunes backup is a great option if: (a) you need more space than the free/paid tier of iCloud storage you have allows; or (b) you want an extra layer of backup in addition to your iCloud backup.

The process is simple:

• Plug your device into your Mac or PC.
• Open iTunes and select the iPhone icon in the upper-left corner.
• Click the Summary tab and scroll down to the Backups section.
• Click the Back Up Now button and wait for the backup to complete.
• To verify that the backup worked, open iTunes Preferences and select the Devices tab. If the backup was successful, you’ll see it listed there.

It’s not as slow as iCloud, but can still take a while if you’re not in the habit of regularly backing up your device. If you don’t keep local copies of your applications stored in iTunes, you’ll want to transfer purchases before trying to restore to a new phone. You can do from File → Devices → Transfer Purchases. Once your new phone is restored and all your apps have been reloaded, you can delete the apps off your Mac to save space.

Regarding the Security of Your Backups

If you store a lot of sensitive information on your device, you’ll be happy to know that Apple’s two-factor authentication feature was recently extended to cover iCloud backups. If you still haven’t activated two-factor authentication yet, you can do so from your Apple ID control panel. We highly recommend it.

iTunes backups can also be protected with a passcode if you’re worried about that data falling into the wrong hands, but be wary—the backup contains your keychain information, meaning all the passwords you’ve saved for email accounts, Wi-Fi networks, websites, and certain apps.

On the plus side, encrypting such a backup allows you to transfer your keychain to a new device without having to re-enter all those passwords, a luxury that unencrypted backups do not enjoy.

Restoring Your Data

Though we would rather avoid having to wipe and restore a device altogether, a good backup eases the pain a bit.

• Restoring from iCloud: During the iOS Setup Assistant process that comes up with every new (or recently-wiped) device, you will eventually see options to either Set Up as New iPhone or Restore From [iCloud/iTunes] Backup. Choose whichever backup you made most recently.

  (Note: If you accidentally set up the device as new when you wanted to use a backup, you’ll have to wipe it and start over again. You can do this from Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This also applies if you ever get a replacement phone with an older version of iOS than your backup is.)

• Restoring from iTunes: Open iTunes and navigate to File > Devices > Restore from Back Up. Again, choose the most recent backup you’ve made. On older versions of iTunes (10.7 and earlier), you can right-click your device from the sidebar list and choose Restore from Backup.

We have a whole section of our site dedicated to doing easy backups of your computer. For more information on backups, check out our main Backups Page.

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