How to Transfer Data to your New iPhone with iTunes

How to Transfer Data to your New iPhone with iTunes

iPhone Data Transfer

iPhone data transfer can become a headache if you don’t know what you are doing. When you upgrade to a new phone, you don’t want to start all over with downloads and settings and entering information; you want to just move your existing operations from your old phone onto your new phone. Luckily, Apple makes this easy with the backup options provided with the iTunes program.

Saving the Data From Your Old Phone

The iTunes program is not just a “storage container” for all the apps and music you’ve purchased, it’s also a storage option for your entire phone and can help you with your iPhone data transfer!  And it includes much more availability for data than you get with iCloud and its 5B storage limit.  When you back up your phone using iTunes on your computer, you have a safely stored version of everything on your phone, stowed securely in a separate location.

Here’s how you do it. You’ll need your phone, your Mac or PC, and a hardwire connection. (If you want to sync wirelessly, see the separate instructions just below.)

1. First, make sure the iTunes on your computer is updated to the latest version.
2. Connect your iPhone and your computer with a cable.
3. Turn OFF the iCloud capability on your iPhone (because you won’t be able to back up with iTunes while iCloud is enabled). Go to Settings, tap on iCloud, select “Storage & Backup” and make sure the switch is off.
4. Open iTunes on your computer, and right click (or Control-click) on your iPhone in the list of devices at the left of the pane.
5. Select “Back Up” from the list of options.

If you want to sync wirelessly to create a backup, rather than using a cable, you can select “General” from your Settings menu, then click “iTunes Wi-Fi Sync,” and pick your device from the list.  For this to work, your phone needs to have iCloud turned off, be connected to Wi-Fi, be plugged in to a source of power, and have the screen locked.

It’s worth noting that things you own that are not stored on your phone will not be backed up, because they’re already being stored elsewhere. So even though it’s not part of the backup process, you’re not losing anything!

An app or movie that you have bought, but don’t actually have installed on your phone, will be saved as part of your iTunes account, but not as part of your backup. However, ALL the stuff that’s actually saved on your phone (contacts, application settings and data, calendars, call history and messages, accounts and account settings, in-app purchases, bookmarks, and so on) will be included in the backup.

Loading your Data onto Your New Phone

When you bring home your new phone, you will essentially be reversing the process you used to save the data off your old phone, transferring it this time from the computer to the phone.

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer by cable.
2. Open iTunes on your computer, and right click (or Control-click) on your iPhone in the list of devices at the left of the pane.
3. Click on the tab labeled “Summary,” then select “Restore.” (Alternatively, you might see an option to “Restore From Back Up.”)
4. Wait for the loading! You’ll see a progress bar on the iTunes on your computer, as well as a “Restore in Progress” notice on the screen of your iPhone. When the progress bar has finished and the phone has entirely restarted, it’s safe to disconnect your iPhone.

It’s as easy as that! You’ll be able to pick up using your new phone as if it were the same phone, simply metamorphosed into the upgraded version. This process can also work for migrating data from one iPad to another.

If you need help with a iPhone data transfer, backup, restore, or migrating data to a new phone Repair Sharks offer’s these services to all of our customers. Feel free to give us a call or email us with any questions.