How to Switch iPhones or iPads and Transfer Data (2022)

Losing all of the stuff in your cellphone was no large deal earlier than the smartphone age. These days, it is virtually a Netflix horror film plot. Wondering how to swap iPhones or iPads efficiently, with out dropping something within the course of? If you are wanting to improve (these are the best iPhones to buy right now), it is doable to accomplish that painlessly. Your photographs, contacts, movies, message historical past, music, calendars, mail accounts, and a lot of your apps can all be transferred out of your earlier machine to the brand new one. We’ve outlined the steps under.

Updated September 2022: We tweaked the directions for the newest model of iOS and added particulars on eSIM.

Special provide for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This consists of limitless entry to WIRED.com and our print journal (if you would like). Subscriptions assist fund the work we do every single day.

1. Back Up Your Old iPhone or iPad

First, you want to back up your old device, which may you do by way of iCloud or your computer. We’ve damaged down these steps under. 

Using iCloud

Make positive your machine is linked to Wi-Fi. Then go into your iPhone or iPad’s settings and click on your title on the high, which can take you to your Apple ID web page. Depending on which mannequin you’ve, you’ll either choose iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now, or after clicking your Apple ID web page, you will see a listing of units your ID is signed into. If that is the case, click on in your iPhone or iPad. From there, select iCloud Backup, toggle it on, click on on Back Up Now, and let your machine again up whereas it’s nonetheless on Wi-Fi. It may be price setting your new machine to mechanically backup day by day, however bear in mind that Apple solely helps you to retailer 5 GB for free.

Using a Mac

Plug your iPhone or iPad into your MacGuide or iMac and open Finder. On the left, you must see your machine come up underneath Locations. You can undergo all of your saved information, from music and podcasts to photographs and recordsdata. If your photographs have been saved by way of iCloud, they will not present up right here except you flip that characteristic off. Under the General tab, you’ll be able to choose Back Up Now. To save Health and Activity information, select the choice to encrypt your backup, or else it is not going to be saved; not saving unencrypted Health and Activity data is a default privateness characteristic. All iCloud backups are encrypted mechanically.

Using a Windows Computer

You’ll want to download iTunes for Windows and plug your iPhone or iPad into your laptop computer or desktop by way of USB. Click the iPhone/iPad button on the high left of the iTunes window, then go to Summary > Back Up Now. Encrypt your backup by clicking Encrypt native backup and setting a password. Encrypting permits you to again up your Health and Activity information, as effectively. To discover your backups, click on Edit > Preferences > Devices. Apple additionally goes through the steps here.

2. Swap SIMs or Activate eSIM

Once you are absolutely backed up, it is time to type your SIM card. If you are within the US, the iPhone 14 vary not has a bodily SIM card slot, so you’ve to use eSIM. If you’ve beforehand used an eSIM on an iPhone, you’ll be able to activate it throughout setup by following the onscreen directions. If you might be switching from an older iPhone utilizing a bodily SIM card, then you’ll be requested about transferring your quantity as part of the Quick Start course of described under. Apple has full eSIM setup instructions for various situations. Just know that when you go from a bodily SIM to eSIM, your bodily SIM card will not work. 

To use a bodily SIM card with an older iPhone, merely swap the SIM card out of your previous cellphone into the iPhone. You may do that step after establishing your new iPhone, in case you don’t need to miss any calls or messages through the course of. Lightly pushing a SIM instrument or paperclip into the SIM tray gap will provide help to open it up. The SIM card has one sloped facet, which you’ll be able to line up on the SIM tray of your new iPhone.

3. Turn On Your New Device

We advocate absolutely charging each your previous machine and your new iPhone earlier than you start, and preserve a charger useful simply in case. You are prepared to activate the brand new machine. The subsequent half will depend on the model of iOS or iPadOS your previous machine is working. 

Note: Before we run by way of the strategies, anybody utilizing the Google Authenticator app (or every other two-factor authenticator app) needs to be cautious not to delete this app on their previous iPhone till they’ve moved their accounts throughout to the brand new one or they might lose entry. Here are Google’s instructions for transferring Authenticator codes to a brand new cellphone.