Top 5 Fixes to iPhone to iPhone Transfer Stuck Problem

How to fix the issue when you transfer data to new iPhone 16 but the migration stuck? Find answers in this passage to solve the transfer stuck problem.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on September 12, 2024

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iPhone transfer stuck on "Reconnecting".

I am trying to set up my new iPhone 16 Pro, and I got to the stage where I update the iOS, but my phone is stuck reconnecting. I tried turning the new phone on and off, but it's been hours now. What should I do? I already transferred the eSim onto the new phone, so I need to finish the setup.

- Question from Apple Community

Nowadays, transferring data to new iPhone is not a difficult task. The device-to-device migration of Quick Start can help users transfer data directly from the previous iPhone to the new iPhone. However, it’s not a bug-free utility, just like all other tools in the world. Many users have reported the iPhone migration stuck issue, such as:

  • iPhone to iPhone Transfer stuck on setting up Apple ID
  • iPhone to iPhone Transfer stuck on enter iPhone passcode
  • iPhone to iPhone Transfer stuck on preparing to transfer
  • iPhone to iPhone Transfer stuck on 1 minute remaining
  • ...

Have you also encountered such transferring data to new iPhone stuck issue? Well, various reasons can cause this issue, such as system errors, iPhone glitches or poor Wi-Fi connection. But don’t worry too much, next I’ll show you several solutions that can help you get out of trouble.

How to Fix iPhone to iPhone Transfer Stuck

Please try the following methods in turn to troubleshoot the iPhone to iPhone transfer stuck problem. And then you can know what to do if old iPhone is stuck on transferring data.

Tip 1. Make Sure Two iPhones Are Running on iOS 12.4 or Later

Quick Start can help you set up new iPhone from old iPhone. However, the device-to-device migration is only available for iPhones running iOS 12.4 or later. So please make sure that your current iPhone is using iOS 12.4 and later. You can go to Settings > General > Software Update to have a check.

Check iOS Update

If your current iPhone does not support iPhone migration, you can move to the next part to get another way to transfer all data quickly.

Tip 2. Keep Two iPhones Near Each Other

The transfer will only work when two iPhones are near each other. Otherwise, you will meet the iPhone to iPhone transfer stuck issue. Please keep your old iPhone near to the new iPhone throughout the process.

Tip 3. Wait for a While

Data transfer can be affected by many factors, especially wireless transfer. A poor network connection or any other minor problem can cause the iPhone migration stuck issue. It may take more time than you think. Just be patient and wait for a while.

Tip 4. Check Network Connection

As we said before, the poor Wi-Fi connection will lead to the transferring data to new iPhone stuck problem. You may reboot the router to have a try. Besides, please make sure that both iPhones have connected to the same Wi-Fi.

Check Network

Tip 5. Check New iPhone

If it has been stuck for a long time, go check out your new iPhone. The data transfer may have been completed, but for some reason, it is stuck in the interface. If everything is fine, you can stop the transfer process or force restart your iPhone.

The Best Way to Transfer Data from One iPhone to Another

When you encounter an iPhone-to-iPhone transfer error such as "iPhone 16 stuck on preparing to transfer", it would be lucky if one of the methods above can help you get out of the trouble. However, you may have tried all methods but none of them worked.

Take it easy! You can use the professional iPhone data backup & transfer tool - AOMEI FoneBackup to help you transfer data from your old iPhone to the new one.

Option 1. Move All Old iPhone Data to New iPhone in One Click

The iPhone-to-iPhone transfer feature has lots of advantages.

Highlights:
Stable USB connection helps you efficiently finish the transfer process. 
Fast transfer speed saves lots of time.
Easy-to-use interface allows you to begin the task within one click.
Wide compatibility supports transferring between various iPhone models and iOS versions.

Now you can click the button below to get this powerful tool on your Windows PC.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download
If you do not have a computer at hand, you may choose to first set up the new iPhone and then let the AOMEI FoneBackup mobile app help you transfer needed data wirelessly. Click here to learn more.

1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Connect old iPhone and new iPhone to computer via USB cable. 

If there is only one USB data cable, you can use the "Full Backup" function in AOMEI FoneBackup to back up the whole device to PC, and then restore the backup to another iPhone to realize the switch.

2. Click Phone Transfer > Go to iPhone to iPhone > Click Get Started.

iPhone to iPhone Transfer

3. Confirm the source device and target device > Enable backup encryption to encrypt data in the source iPhone > Click Start Transfer.

Start Transfer

Option 2. Selectively Transfer Data to New iPhone

AOMEI FoneBackup also lets you selectively transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos and songs. It’s a good choice if you want to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone after setup because it will not erase any existing data on the device.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

1. Open AOMEI FoneBackup > Plug in old iPhone.

2. Click Phone Transfer > Go to iPhone to PC.

Transfer to Computer

3. Then you can click the icon to select the files you want to transfer (Here we choose photos) > Choose a storage path from the Transfer Settings option > Click Start Transfer to begin the task.

Choose Photos

4. Unplug old iPhone and plug in new iPhone > Choose Phone Transfer and go to PC  to iPhone.

5. Click the Add icon to choose the files exported from old iPhone.

Select Files

6. Finally, click Start Transfer to add data to new iPhone.

Transfer to iPhone

Option 3. Transfer Data from Old iPhone to New iPhone Wirelessly

AOMEI FoneBackup also has a mobile app that can help you transfer data from iPhone to iPhone wirelessly. It can help you transfer photos, videos, songs, contacts or any other files saved in Files app.

1. Download AOMEI FoneBackup from the App Store.

2. Turn on  AOMEI FoneBackup on two iPhones and allow AOMEI FoneBackup to use WLAN. AOMEI FoneBackup does not need to be connected to WiFi, it only needs to use WLAN related services.

3. Go to Connect Device and tap the avatar on either iPhone to establish a connection.

4. Now you can go to File Transfer to transfer needed data. For example, you can choose photos and tap the Send button to transfer photos to new iPhone.

Send Photos

Conclusion

That’s all about how to fix the iPhone to iPhone transfer stuck issue. If all the methods do not help you get rid of the problem, you can choose to restore from iCloud or iTunes backup to transfer data. If you do not have a backup file, let AOMEI FoneBackup help you transfer data directly.

Lena
Lena · Editor
Lena is an editor of Aomei, with years of experience in the field of mobile data backup and transfer, possessing rich expertise in solving iOS-related issues. She loves traveling, eating, reading and so on. She takes most of her time with her family when she is not working.