[Top Fixes] iPhone 14/15 Unable to Transfer Phone Number

Why your iPhone 14/15 (Plus) /Pro (Max) can’t transfer phone number? What to do when you encounter this issue? This article will give you 5 ways to fix the issue, and you can also find 3 alternative ways to transfer contacts after setup.

By @Kathy Last Updated September 18, 2024
 

Phone number didn't transfer to new iPhone 15.

I just got my new iPhone today and followed all the steps on the screen. My phone finally finished downloading but my number did not transfer onto this phone. I also have no service so I cannot text or call anyone. How do I fix this? I still have my old SIM card but I am using the new one that came with the phone. Thank you!

- Question from Apple Community

Why are you unable to transfer phone number iPhone 15/14? 

After the iPhone 14/15 setup, you may find that your phone number could not be transferred to this iPhone. It is possibly caused by the 5 primary reasons below.

Different iCloud/Apple account: If you've synced your contacts using iCloud and utilize a different iCloud account on your new iPhone, it can hinder the contact transfer process.
Disabled iCloud sync: If the iCloud contacts syncing option is disabled on your new iPhone, your iPhone 14/15 won’t transfer phone number as well.
Unstable Internet connection: If you face the phone number transferring failure again and again, probably because the connection between two devices is poor.
Full iCloud space: Make sure that there is sufficient space in iCloud, if there’s not enough space, then transferring iCloud data to new iPhone becomes impossible.
Sync with other accounts: In situations where your contacts are syncing with third-party accounts like Gmail or Yahoo instead of iCloud, the contacts will be moved to these accounts rather than your iPhone 14/15.

How to fix iPhone 14/15 phone number transfer issue

After we know the probable cause of phone number won't transfer to new iPhone issue, let’s find a useful method below to help you fix it.

If you need a better alternative way to transfer phone numbers from old iPhone to new iPhone wirelessly, AOMEI FoneBackup for iOS will help you a lot. For more details, you can also turn to the next part.

💡 Tip: This passage is also applied to fix the iPhone 16 unable to transfer phone number issue.

Method 1. Check your Apple ID

When the two devices have logged in with different Apple IDs, the contacts sync won’t be successful.

Check your ID: Launch Settings app > Tap on your name > Then you will see your Apple ID, make sure that this account is the one you logged in the old iPhone. If not, just log out and sign in with the correct account.

Method 2. Enable iCloud contacts sync

iCloud serves as a vital tool for synchronizing data across multiple iDevices, provided the sync option is enabled. If the Contacts option is disabled, it will impede the moving of any items to your new iPhone, resulting in missing contacts. To address this, ensure to verify the Contacts option status on both iPhones.

Go to Settings app on your iPhone > Tap on your name > Select iCloud > Turn on the Contacts option. If it is already on, toggle it off and then back on again.

Method 3. Check the Network Connection

When your Internet connection is unstable, you may also find your phone number could not be transferred to this iPhone. Then you may need to confirm your iPhone is connected, and you can try to reset your network connection: Open Settings app > Tap General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings to recover your network connection.

⚠️Note:
  • This operation will not delete any data on your iPhone, but only reset the Wi-Fi network and cellular data settings. And you'll need to re-enter the Wi-Fi password to reconnect to your network.

Method 4. Verify the available storage in iCloud

Check the iCloud space by navigating to Settings on your iPhone > Tap on your name > iCloud > Select iCloud Storage > Go to Manage Storage to view the available storage.

If your iCloud storage is full, you can use the professional tool to delete your iCloud data efficiently.

AOMEI FoneBackup
Manage iCloud Data for Free
  • Easily delete, upload or download iCloud (Drive) data from PC.
  • Fast speed allows you to efficiently manage iCloud data as you like.
  • Two-factor authentication protects your iPhone data from leakage.
  • Sync iCloud (Drive) data from one account to another in one click.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Click Manage iCloud.

Step 2. Choose the data you need to delete > Click the Delete button to begin the task.

Method 5. Set iCloud as the default account

If you still find that iPhone 14/15 (Plus) /Pro (Max) unable to transfer phone number, it may be caused by “contacts sync with the third-party account” issue, consider setting iCloud as the default account for contact moving.

Follow these steps: Open the Contacts app on your iPhone > Tap Groups located at the top-left corner > Uncheck all options except for All iCloud > Tap Done to confirm. Then your phone number will only come from your iCloud account.

Best alternative to fix when the phone number won't transfer to new iPhone

If you want to finish the process efficiently, AOMEI FoneBackup, a professional iPhone transfer software, will offer a quick and safe way for mobile users to move data between two iDevices.

🌟 Features: ·You can use AOMEI FoneBackup to easily airdrop contactsphotosvideosmusic, etc. from Android to iPhone and vice versa. ·This handy tool doesn't require a WiFi connection or consume any cellular data. ·It works well with various iOS devices, including iPhone 4 to iPhone 16, iPhone SE and iPad/Air/Pro/mini, as well as the latest iOS 18.

To get started, now you can scan the QR code to install AOMEI FoneBackup on both iPhones.

Step 1. Run AOMEI FoneBackup app on both iPhones. Choose the "Connect Device", and tap the other one from an iPhone to build a connection. 

Step 2. Then select the contacts you need. Tap "Send" on your source iPhone to share the contacts and tap "Receive" on your targeted iPhone to receive them.

💡 Tip: For users who need to transfer all iPhone data in one click, you can use AOMEI FoneBackup's Windows version to easily transfer data from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud (Phone Transfer > iPhone to iPhone).
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How to transfer number to new iPhone after setup [Other alternative ways]

If you don't want to rely on any third-party software to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone, you can use iTunes or the AirDrop feature to make it.

1. How to transfer iPhone number to new phone via iTunes

Using iTunes to move your phone number is a great solution for Windows users. And here’s how:

Step 1. Launch iTunes on your computer. Connect your previous device to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2. Click on the iPhone icon within iTunes. Then select Info, enable the Sync Contacts checkbox and click Sync to move your phone number to the computer.

Step 3. Once the sync is complete, disconnect the previous device and connect your new iPhone to the computer. Navigate to Info within iTunes and enable Sync Contacts. Finally, click Sync to import the contacts to your iPhone 14/15.

By following these steps, you can use iTunes to sync and transfer contacts from your previous iPhone to the new one.

2. How to finish new iPhone phone number transfer using AirDrop

Using AirDrop to move your phone number is also available when you are unable to transfer phone number on iPhone 15/14.

Step 1. Access the Control Center, turn on both iPhones and enable AirDrop. On the new iPhone, select Everyone as the AirDrop visibility setting.

Step 2. Open the Contacts app on your old iPhone and select the contact you wish to send. Tap on Share Contact > AirDrop > Choose your new device. Then you will receive the contact on your iPhone 14/15.

Step 3. Once you have successfully shared one contact, you can repeat the steps mentioned to share the other contacts.

Summary

In conclusion, when it comes to iPhone 14/15 unable to transfer phone numbers in your moving process, you can choose to check your iCloud account and storage, enable iCloud sync, check your Internet or change your iCloud/Contacts setting to make it.

And we also give you other 3 ways to complete the phone number moving process. If you also think AOMEI FoneBackup is a better transfer software than iCloud/iTunes, you can continue to explore its other functions such as moving data from iPhone to iPhone.