How to upgrade to your iPhone 14 without losing data, even if coming from iOS 16.1

The new iPhones are now officially available. Let’s look at how to transfer data to iPhone 14 to make sure you don’t lose any data. We’ll also look at what to do if you’ve already installed the iOS 16.1 developer or public beta on your old iPhone.

Below we’ve got multiple options to seamlessly get all of your data to your new iPhone. And in case you need a refresher, we’ll also cover the process to reset/fully erase your old iPhone.

If you’re upgrading in a carrier store or at another retailer – don’t let a salesperson rush you through the process or handle it for you. It’s best to verify for yourself that all your data is transferring/transferred and that your old iPhone is wiped before handing it in.

Also, Apple has warned there may be issues with activating iMessage and FaceTime with iOS 16 that’s preinstalled on the iPhone 14, so look out for a prompt to install iOS 16.0.1 after you power your device on.

Transfer data to iPhone 14 without losing anything

For most situations, the Quick Start direct transfer will be the easiest way to upgrade to your new iPhone and get all your data moved over seamlessly (requires WiFi or cellular and Bluetooth).

You can even check to see if your current iPhone is ready to quickly transfer to your new iPhone ahead of time (but it’s not required). On your current iPhone, head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > and tap Get Started at the top.

In either case, when you’re ready to transfer all your data to your new iPhone:

1. Turn on your new iPhone and bring it next to your old iPhone
2. Update to iOS 16.0.1 if prompted
3. Look for the Quick Start option to appear on your old iPhone’s screen (after setting up Face ID)
4. Confirm your Apple ID is correct and follow the prompts to transfer all your data
5. Keep both iPhones close to each other (and plugged in to be safe) until the process is complete

Keep in mind some apps may have their own process to back up and restore data like Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.

If you’re having trouble with the direct transfer, you can fall back on restoring from an iCloud or Mac/PC backup.

1. Make a fresh backup with iCloud or your Mac (tutorial here)
2. Power on your new iPhone
3. Update to iOS 16.0.1 if prompted
4. Follow the on-screen prompts – skip the Quick Start option – then choose Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from Mac/PC Backup
5. Sign in with iCloud and choose a backup, or plug in your new iPhone to your Mac/PC with a Lightning cable to restore from a Mac/PC backup

If you’ve got the iOS 16.1 beta installed on your current iPhone and have already completed an iCloud or Mac backup, you won’t be able to restore to iOS 16 or 16.0.1. So the easiest option will be:

1. Turn on your new iPhone and run through the setup – skip anything you can
2. Once activated and on the Home Screen, you’ll need to install the iOS 16.1 developer or public beta (tutorial here)
3. After installing iOS 16.1, you can either restore from a Mac backup or erase your new iPhone and set it up as new to restore from an iCloud backup

How to reset your old iPhone

1. Open the Settings app, then tap General
2. Swipe to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone
3. Choose Erase All Content and Settings
4. Follow the prompts to completely erase your iPhone

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