Key Points
- There are many reasons why you might need to transfer files from one iPhone to another, including upgrading devices and sharing data with others. There are several methods to transfer files, one is the Quick Start option, and another is AirDrop.You can also use a third-party transfer service, like the app MobileTrans.
Many people can benefit from knowing how to move files from iPhone to iPhone. Some people are upgrading to a new phone and want to transfer all their data fast. Others just want to share a quick file or photo with another iPhone holder nearby. No matter why it is you want to send files between iPhones, there are several ways you can do so. Taking the time to learn how to move files easily will empower you to exchange data whenever you want.
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Transfer All Important Data with Quick Start
The iPhone has a capability known as Quick Start when you’re changing from one iPhone to a new device. If you want to back up all the important data on your phone, you can choose to do this before setting up your new phone to seamlessly swap from one to the other with all your files.
Backup Your Old Phone
Before you can use the Quick Start option, you must back up the data on your old phone. Go through the menus below to begin this process.
Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone
Choose the “Get Started” option when you reach this page.
Follow along with all the prompts given by your phone to back up all your app data, contacts, passwords, and everything else to the iCloud. As long as you have enough space available on your iCloud, you can conveniently store everything you want to keep from your original phone for use on your next.
Load Your Stored Data on Your New Phone
While configuring your new iPhone, hold your old phone near it. This will activate the “Quick Start” feature. The phone will now take you through prompts requiring you to unlock your old phone and scan a special code on the new phone with your old device. Go through these quick steps, and your phone will restore all the data from your old device to your new one. This method is the fastest way to copy everything from an old iPhone to a new one, and it’s the first method you should always utilize.
Move Data Using Airdrop
If you only want to move a single file, or a small collection of files from one iPhone to another, the best way to accomplish this is via Airdrop. This quick wireless transfer tool enables you to rapidly send a file from one iPhone to another as long as the devices are on the same network. If you have two phones accessing the same wireless network, you can rapidly transfer files from one to the other. If you’re transferring files without a local network, the process will take far longer.
Locate the File
To Airdrop a file, go into Files on your device. Navigate through your file menus until you locate the file you wish to share. It’s important to note that you can use this same strategy when looking through your photos as well as to transfer photos or videos.
Share the File
Once you locate the file you want to share, select it with a quick tap. Now choose the “share” icon. This looks like a box with an arrow pointing up and out of it. This brings up a range of different share options that are available to you.
Airdrop the File
Choose the Airdrop option and choose which nearby device you wish to send the file to. When you go through these options, your phone will immediately attempt to transfer the file to the other device. As long as the user accepts the file transfer on the other device, the file will move rapidly from one iPhone to the other.
Transfer many Files at Once
You can use this technique on several files at once as well. Simply share an entire folder in files, or select multiple files and then choose to share them. You may have to wait several minutes for multiple large files to transfer from one device to another via Airdrop.
Transfer Data Using a Transfer App
If you want to transfer data from an old iPhone to a new one and you want more control over what you transfer, you should consider a transfer app like MobileTrans. This third-party application gives you the chance to check off the file types you want to transfer to your new device. It’s important to note that these apps often come with subscription fees. Check what these fees are, and only use an app that you’re comfortable paying for.
Acquire the Transfer App
Visit the Appstore on your iPhone and search for file transfer devices. Carefully choose a transfer solution that allows multiple file transfers and complete device transfers. MobileTrans is one example of this type of app, but it comes with a subscription required to use most of its services. Once you have your chosen app, you can move on to using it for file transfers. The remaining steps are instructions based on MobileTrans, but other file transfer solutions are similar in design.
Complete a Device Transfer
The most common option that people choose when using a third-party app such as MobileTrans is the Phone Transfer option. This gives you the chance to transfer all the important files on your device. Select this option if you’re moving from one device to another. This guide is for making iPhone to iPhone transfers, but many of these apps will work when moving data from an iPhone to an Android device as well.
You can very rapidly select the types of files that you want to move and get an estimate of how long it will take to transfer the files between one device and another. Once you choose all your selections, you can initiate the file transfer. The app will now begin moving all your files over for you.
A third-party file transfer tool is the best option when you want to move all your information to a new iPhone, and you’ve already gone through the setup process and started using the new device without using Quick Start.
Transfer Select Files
If you want to transfer select files from one iPhone to another, you can use a third-party file transfer solution for that too. Choose the File Transfer option, select Send and then choose the files you want to send to a different device and select the device to transfer to. The app will now send your files to the selected device rapidly.
Share Data Using iCloud
If you’re looking for a way to share data between multiple devices in the same household, iCloud is the number one option for iPhone users. The iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage solution that’s configured to make file-sharing between Apple devices nearly effortless.
Choose the Folder to Share
iCloud is best for sharing full folders in your household. If you want to be able to pool files together, it’s nice having a shared folder to do it in. To make this happen, open Files on your iPhone, tap the “Share” button, and select Share Folder in iCloud.
Once you do that, you’ll get a chance to send invites to other people through email, Messages, or any other service you want by generating a unique link. Share the file with everyone you want to have access to it and begin collaborating.
Easily Share Files
Once you have a shared iCloud folder, you can put files in it to give other people immediate access. Move files, or create new files in the shared folder, and everyone will see them. This is a powerful tool for Apple households, and it can be used for remote file sharing between multiple people as well.
It’s important to note that sharing a folder to your iCloud will utilize your iCloud storage. If you’re going to share large files with other people, all the space the files consume will come out of your available iCloud storage space.
Each Apple account comes with 5GB of iCloud storage, but you’ll have to purchase an iCloud+ subscription for access to more space than that. Subscriptions start as low as $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage currently, and the maximum storage option is currently 2TB. Expand your iCloud storage space to enable sharing larger files, and you’ll always have a convenient way to share files to all your Apple devices and to other people as well.
Summary
There are many different ways to transfer files from iPhone to iPhone, and the best method for you depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. For sending just a few files, you’ll likely want to use AirDrop. To transfer everything from an old phone to a new one, you can use the Quick Start method that’s built into iPhones, or you can invest in a third-party application such as MobileTrans to do the work for you. If you’re looking to share a large number of files between many devices, an iCloud-shared folder is likely the best solution for you. No matter what your goals are, you have several tools available to you to make transfers between iPhones whenever you need to.
