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iPhone and iPadTransfer Directly from iPhone Not Working

How to Fix Transfer Directly from iPhone Not Working Issue

By Achilles Hill | Last Updated

Situation 1: "I bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max and need to transfer data from my iPhone 8. But every time I go to the 'Transfer from iPhone' screen, it gets stuck. Can anyone assist me in resolving this issue?" Situation 2: “I can't transfer from iPhone X to iPhone 13, it keeps showing that the transfer is being prepared, sometimes the transfer is suddenly cut off when there are more than 10 minutes left, I haven't touched my iPhone during this period, the two phones are very close to each other, I have tried repeatedly dozens of times, but I can't finish the migration from the old iPhone to the new iPhone, this makes me crazy, how can I migrate data successfully?”

Maybe you also tried to transfer data to your new iPhone, but encountered the problem that direct transfer from iPhone doesn't work. Then you've come to the right place! In this article, I will provide you with effective solutions that you can apply to fix transfer directly from iPhone not working issue.

Overview

  1. Section 1: Preliminary understanding of what is 'Transfer directly from iPhone'
  2. Section 2: What to do if 'Transfer directly from iPhone' isn’t working? [7 Fixes]
  3. Section 3: The best alternative method to transfer directly from iPhone

transfer directly from iphone not working

Section 1: Preliminary understanding of what is 'Transfer directly from iPhone'

When you set up a new iPhone or erased iPhone, you will get an Apps & Data screen which offers you several ways to migrate data to iPhone, just like the screen shown below.

transfer directly from iphone

And the "Transfer directly from iPhone" option means using Wi-Fi to clone all data and settings directly from iPhone to this iPhone. this is the official method provided by Apple to transfer data between two Apple smartphones.

Section 2: What to do if 'Transfer directly from iPhone' isn’t working? [7 Fixes]

You probably unable to find the "Transfer directly from iPhone" option, or you may have failed to use this option to transfer from an iPhone to another iPhone. Some people have encountered 'loop' problems and 'unable to complete data transfer' issues when using this method to migrate data. Just take it easy! You can follow the fixes below to try them one by one.

Fix 1: Force Restart Both iPhones

A forced reboot is the quickest way to eliminate any glitches in your iPhone that might be preventing direct transfers from working. Since the problem can occur on either device, be sure to reboot both phones to fix the issue.

The steps are slightly different for different iPhone models. See the guide below to force a reboot of your device.

For iPhone 8 or later:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, and repeat the same action with the Volume Down button.
  2. Then, press and hold the side button and release the side button until the Apple logo is displayed on your iPhone screen.

For iPhone 7/7 Plus:

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons.
  2. Release them when the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 6/6s/SE 1 or earlier:

  1. Press and hold the "Sleep/Wake" button and the "Home" button until the Apple logo appears.

forced restart of different iphone models

Fix 2: Update both iPhones to the latest iOS version

First, iPhone direct transfer or Quick start will only work if iOS 12.4 or later is installed on your device. In addition, Direct Transfer may not work if the iOS on the source device is higher than the iOS on the recipient or target phone.

And most importantly, every iOS update automatically provides fixes for many potential problems. So there's no reason not to update both devices to the latest iOS version.

You just need to go to Settings > General > Software Update. If a new update is available, tap Download and Install and wait for the process to finish.

update ios for both phones

Fix 3: Use iCloud Sync to transfer data between two iPhones

Apple offers iOS users a variety of ways to share data between two iPhones. One of these methods is iCloud Sync, which involves backing up your old device and restoring this backup on the new iPhone.

Please Note: Not all types of data on your iPhone can be moved via iCloud sync. It can transfer photos, emails, contacts, calendars, memos, reminders, etc. Files such as messages, music, ringtones, and apps cannot be synced through iCloud.

You need to meet the following conditions before you go to the operation guide.

  1. Connect both iPhones to a Wi-Fi network.
  2. Sign in with the same Apple ID on both of your devices.

Step 1: On your old iPhone, tap Settings > Your Name (at the top) > iCloud.

click your apple id and icloud

Step 2: Select the services you want to sync, turn on the toggle button in front of them, then click iCloud Backup and click Enable Back Up This iPhone. Click Back up now and wait for it to finish.

back up your iphone

Step 3: Turn on your new iPhone and start setting it up. When you reach the Apps & Data screen, click the Restore from iCloud Backup option.

Step 4: Enter your Apple ID to view all available backups. Select and install the latest backup.

Tip: If you have set up a new iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Contents and Settings. Then go through the settings again and restore your iCloud backup.

erase all content and settings

Fix 4: Turn on Bluetooth

Direct iPhone transfer requires you to enable Bluetooth on both devices to establish a wireless connection between them. So, if iPhone transfer doesn't work, be sure to check if Bluetooth is turned on.

You just need to swipe down from the top right corner (on the latest iPhone models) or swipe up (on older phones) to go to Control Center. From there, check if the Bluetooth icon is turned on.

enable bluetooth

Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn on the toggle button.

turn on bluetooth

Fix 5: Refer to the latest Apple Guide

Make sure you've followed the latest Apple guidelines for transferring data. Use Quick Start to transfer data to your new iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Some unofficial guides may not be up to date, so you won't find any information about transferring directly from your iPhone.

In any case, avoid following outdated unofficial tutorials as you may be misled.

Read the tutorials carefully and follow some basic requirements, such as keep your devices close to each other, turn on Bluetooth and connect to the same Wi-Fi.

Fix 6: Make sure you have enough storage space on your iPhone

If your old iPhone has more internal storage than your new iPhone, the transfer process may not be completed.

For instance, you have 256GB of data on your old iPhone, but your new iPhone only has 128GB. in this case, you won't be able to transfer all the data.

Fix 7: Change your Internet connection

Since data transfer is done through your Wi-Fi connection, you need to make sure that your connection is strong and reliable.

If your connection is not stable, this process may be affected and may be cancelled time and time again. Therefore, you should try a different Wi-Fi connection to see if it solves the problem.

Section 3: The best alternative method to transfer directly from iPhone

If none of the above fixes work, then you can use the best alternative tool, iSunshare iSyncGenius, which works every time. It is a one-stop solution to transfer all your data from the old iPhone to the new one without any trouble. The program has won the hearts of thousands of users with its super fast transfer speed, universal compatibility and user-friendly interface. It includes the below highlights:

  1. Transfer data between iOS devices even for novice users.
  2. Selectively transfer iPhone data to another iPhone.
  3. Supports all popular data types, including photos, recordings, contacts, and so on and so forth.
  4. Support almost all iPhone/iPad/ iPad touch.

free download

Step 1: Connect both of your iPhones to the computer with USB cables, tap Trust under the "Trust This Computer?" pop-up on your phones.

trust this computer

Step 2: Run the software and then tap the Transfer option in the top menu. Define the source iPhone and the target iPhone. you can tap the device model drop-down arrow to change the iPhone. After confirming that there is no error, click the Transfer button.

tap transfer button

Step 3: After loading all the data, you can check the files you want to transfer. Such as pictures, music, ringtones, contacts, calendar, bookmarks and recordings. Once you have made your selection, you can click the Transfer Now button to start the migration.

select the files and tap transfer now

Step 4: Wait for a while and the data migration is successfully completed, click Finished to end the process.

data migration is successful

Bottom Line

If you don't want to spend time solving the transfer directly from iPhone not working issue, your best choice is to use a data transfer tool like iSunshare iSyncGenius to perform iPhone to iPhone data transfer without any hassle, which is a great helper when it comes to transferring all types of files between iOS or iPadOS devices.

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