I recently got a new iPhone, and I want to transfer everything—contacts, photos, apps—from my old one to the new one. I’m not very tech-savvy and want the simplest way to make sure I don’t lose anything. Any advice or step-by-step directions would really help.
Dude, transferring data between iPhones is easy these days. Apple practically hands it to you like it’s a gift. First, make sure both phones are on Wi-Fi and updated because nothing’s worse than something glitching halfway through and you’re stuck screaming into the void.
Use Quick Start – that’s the built-in magic tool. Put your phones next to each other and, boom, the new one’ll pick up the old one’s vibes. It’ll ask you to use your Apple ID to sign in. Follow the onscreen stuff, set up Face ID, and let it do its thing.
If you’ve backed up to iCloud like a sane person, you can restore your data that way too. Go to Settings on the old phone, tap your name, go to iCloud, and make sure everything is toggled on—contacts, photos, notes, the works. Then hit iCloud Backup and run a fresh backup. On the new phone, when setting it up, choose “Restore from iCloud Backup.” Done.
Too much? Fine. Plug both into your computer, use Finder or iTunes, and do a full backup of the old one. Then restore that onto the new one. It’s slower, but some folks like the control. Whatever works for you.
Oh, and don’t forget to sign back into your apps. Not all of them auto-magically pull in your data. You might lose some game progress or login info if you’re not careful. Bummer, but hey, the rest is a breeze. Welcome to the new phone life! 
Quick Start and iCloud? Meh, too mainstream. Let me throw another option at you—if you want something reliable, use Mac or PC and do the transfer manually. Don’t @ me, but sometimes Apple’s wireless options can be slow or buggy if your Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough (seriously, Quick Start can hang halfway like it’s stuck in time).
Here’s how you go old-school:
- Plug your OLD iPhone into your computer. For Mac, use Finder. For Windows, open iTunes.
- Do a FULL backup. Turn on “Encrypt Backup” if you wanna keep passwords and health data (trust me, worth it, unless you love resetting every app).
- Once it’s done, plug in your shiny new iPhone. Finder/iTunes will ask, “Set up as a new iPhone or restore from backup?” Pick restore, obviously.
- Watch as your phone becomes an exact clone.
Why this way? It’s faster if you’ve got a lot of data or a weak internet connection. Plus, it doesn’t rely on iCloud storage limits. You don’t have to pay for extra space just because you hoard 52,000 memes on your camera roll.
@viajeroceleste offered solid advice, but you don’t have to rely on iCloud if you don’t want to. Oh, and let’s not forget Apple Migration service—might be cool, but you gotta trust it works without glitches every time. The only downside to my method: you need a computer. But hey, who doesn’t have one lying around these days? Except maybe those “I do everything on iPads” people… no shade (ok, a little).
Also, PSA: double-check your new phone is logged into your Apple ID, or half your apps won’t download automatically. And be prepared to re-download media files if you didn’t opt for syncing in the backup. Otherwise, should be smooth sailing!