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[Solved] iPhone 16/15/14/13 Stuck on Preparing to Transfer
If you fail to transfer data to iPhone 13 from the old one because iPhone 13 stuck on preparing to transfer for a long time, try 3 simple solutions or alternatives introduced in this guide to achieve iPhone to iPhone transfer quickly.
By Demi / Updated on November 27, 2024
iPhone stuck on "Preparing to Transfer"
I was setting up my iPhone. After going through the Apple ID and settings, it returned to the transfer process. It got to a screen that said 'Preparing to transfer...' But it has been more than 20 minutes and nothing has changed. Is there anything I can do to rectify this? Or is it fine?
- Question from Apple Community
The birth of Quick Start makes changing mobile phones no longer a worrisome thing for people, if you buy a new iPhone, Quick Start can transfer data from old iPhone to new iPhone. And all the data and settings of your old iPhone (including photos, contacts, emails, etc.) will be transferred to the new iPhone.
However, there are always user feedback that after setting up the new iPhone, they will encounter the problem that the quick boot is not working and the iPhone 15 is stuck on Preparing to Transfer. Don't worry, this guide will take you through it step by step.
Why is iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer?
If you are curious about why it is taking so long to transfer data to your new iPhone, the following reasons may explain why for you.
🙁 A poor Wi-Fi connection. If you are using Quick Start wirelessly under a poor WiFi connection, it may take time for iPhones to detect each other.
🙁 The size of data on the source iPhone. If there are a large number of files waiting to transfer, it may take you more than one hour on the preparing page.
🙁 Some unknown software issues. Chances are that some unknown software issues may stop you from using Quick Start.
Hopefully, you can get rid of the issue with the solutions below. Optionally, iPhone to iPhone transfer tools are also available in this guide.
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Solutions and tools presented in this post can be used to solve newiPhone stuck on preparing to transfer, as well as other iPhone migration issues.
4 fixes on iPhone stuck on the "Preparing to Transfer" screen
iPhone to iPhone transfer stuck may result from many reasons. After all, Quick Start requires a lot to work well. Optionally, if you are in a hurry, you can transfer everything from old iPhone to new iPhone with the tool mentioned in the next part. You can do some checks before fixing the iPhone keeps saying Preparing to Transfer.
• Keep the two iPhones near to each other. A short-range between two iPhones is a prerequisite throughout the transfer process using Quick Start.
• Keep both iPhones on charge. The transfer process always takes time. If either of your iPhone is on a low battery, the iPhone to iPhone transfer may get stuck. Therefore, you can keep both iPhones on charge.
Way 1. Check the versions of iOS on both iPhones
Quick Start service can offer you a full iPhone migration unless both your iPhones are using iOS 12.4 or later. Therefore, you can check the versions of iOS on both iPhone.
On both of your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Software Update to have a check. If necessary, you can also update iOS to the latest version.
Way 2. Check the WiFi network condition of two iPhones
Both iPhones need to connect to the same WiFi network when using Quick Start to iPhone migration. You can go to Settings > WiFi to have a check. Besides that, the WiFi network needs to be stable.
To avoid any unknown network issue that lead to iPhone stuck on transferring data, you can even reset network settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Then, enter your password to make it.
It doesn’t erase the data on your iPhone, but erases all Wi-Fi password and Bluetooth connection history. Now, you can connect to the Wi-Fi again to try again.
Way 3. Delete unwanted data and files from old iPhone
It will take a long time to transfer your data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone, especially if there is a lot of data to transfer. It is unavoidable for the iPhone to become stuck on the preparing to transfer screen. In this instance, you can erase some unnecessary data and files from your old iPhone to speed up the transfer process.
Way 4. Use Quick Start in a wired way
Quick Start provides you both wireless and wired ways to achieve iPhone to iPhone transfer. If you failed wirelessly, get a USB 3 Camera Adaptor and a Lightning to USB cable to migrate data to iPhone using Quick Start. The steps are exactly the same as you do wirelessly.
Alternatives to Quick Start to transfer data to new iPhone
If your new iPhone is still stuck on preparing to transfer, why don’t you try some alternatives to migrate data? You can achieve iPhone to iPhone transfer directly with AOMEI FoneBackup or backup data on old iPhone using iCloud and restore to the new one.
1. 1-Click transfer data from iPhone to iPhone transfer via AOMEI FoneBackup
You can try AOMEI FoneBackup, the professional transfer software, to help you transfer from iPhone to iPhone directly with a few clicks. Without any bother of network or distance, the task is offline at a superfast speed. It can transfer almost all data to your iPhone, which includes photos, contacts, call history, text messages, memos, calendars, Safari (history, bookmarks), applications (data files, preference) as well as system settings, etc.
AOMEI FoneBackup- Quick transfer data to iPhone after setup won't erase any data.
- 1-Click transfer all data from old iPhone to new iPhone.
- Selectively transfer photos, apps, etc between devices.
- 100% safe and reliable iPhone transfer solution with simple steps.
- Support the latest iPhone models and all iOS versions.
100% SecureHow to transfer all data to your new iPhone with AOMEI FoneBackup
Step 1. On a Windows PC, download and install AOMEI FoneBackup by clicking the icon below.
Step 2. Connect both iPhones to the computer with USB > Click Phone Transfer on the Home screen of AOMEI FoneBackup > Click Get Started under iPhone to iPhone.
If you have only one Apple Lightning USB cable, you are also given Full Backup option to backup all of your old iPhone data and restore it to your new iPhone with no data loss.
Step 3. To protect your privacy, you can enable Backup encryption. You will be asked to enter the password when you try to access the data in the future.
Step 4. Click Start Transfer to begin the task. When it finishes, your new iPhone will be restarted automatically.
2. Transfer data from iPhone to iPhone using iCloud
You can also rely on the built-in service, iCloud, to backup your old iPhone. Note that iCloud just provides you 5 GB of free storage space. Therefore, it is suggested to restore data from iCloud backup only when you have paid for extra space to back up your previous iPhone,
To restore iCloud backup successfully, your iPhone needs to connect to WiFi network. Once the iPhone disconnects from WiFi, the process will pause until it reconnects.
To transfer data to iPhone using iCloud, turn on your new iPhone > Follow the steps until you see Apps & Data screen > Choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
Then you can sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and choose a backup to start transferring.
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Depending on the number of data, contents like your apps, photos, music, and other information will continue to restore in the background in the next hours or days.
Conclusion
That’s all about iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer. If the issue remains after you try every effort. It is suggested to try AOMEI FoneBackup, iCloud or other tools to migrate data to your new iPhone.
Besides, if you just need, to transfer photos from old iPhone to new iPhone, AOMEI FoneBackup can be your best choice. For more queries or feedback, feel free to leave your comments or contact us.
