Technologies

I Don’t Stress About Transferring Data to a New iPhone Anymore, Now That I Know the Right Steps

Switching to a new iPhone used to be a hassle, but these steps make it painless, even from an Android phone.

Summer is usually an in-between time when there are good reasons to wait for upcoming iPhone models, but we don’t always have the luxury of choosing — sometimes gravity or old hardware makes it necessary to buy a new iPhone. And that leaves you with the task of safely moving your information from the old phone to the new one. When you know the best ways to do it, the process becomes much less stressful, giving you more time and energy to configure the most important settings and explore new features like Apple Intelligence.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to shift data to a new iPhone from the phone you have now — even if it’s an Android model.

I’m here to break down the four ways to easily transfer your data from your old phone to your new iPhone, whether you’re starting with a new iPhone 16 or a different model replacing your old device.

If you’re upgrading your current phone to the latest operating system, here’s how to download iOS 18, and here’s our review of iOS 18. And if it’s an iPhone 15 Pro or later, get up to speed on what Apple Intelligence offers.

For more, explore a bunch of hidden iOS 18 features, and learn everything you can do with the iPhone 16’s new camera button.

Apple’s iPhone 16, 16 Plus Show Off Bolder Colors and Buttons

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1. Restore from iCloud

During the setup process, you’ll be asked if you want to directly transfer apps and information from your old iPhone to your new one using Quick Start. This feature was first rolled out with iOS 12.4, so if it’s been several years since you’ve upgraded phones, it’ll be the first time you’ve seen the option. The easiest and quickest method to set up your new iPhone is to restore from a recent iCloud backup. As you walk through the initial setup process, tap Restore from iCloud Backup, sign in with your Apple Account (previously called Apple ID before iOS 18) and then pick the most recent backup of your old iPhone.

If the backup is more than a day or two old, take an extra few minutes to create a new backup. To do so, open the Settings app on your old phone, search for iCloud Backup in the Search field at the top of the screen and then click the matching result. Click Back Up Now to update the cloud backup.

Once that finishes, go back to your new iPhone and select the backup you just created as what you want to use to restore from.

Your phone will then restore your settings and preferences, and you’ll be able to start using it in about 15 minutes. It will continue downloading your installed apps in the background.

Once everything is restored, you’ll need to sign back into any accounts you added to your phone, as well as go through your apps and make sure you’re still signed in.

2. Apple direct transfer

If you do not have a recent iCloud backup or your Internet connection is slow, you can transfer everything from iPhone to iPhone, either wirelessly or via cable. When the Quick Start process asks for the source, choose the direct transfer option.

Make sure you have both phones (preferably plugged in and charging to ensure they don’t run out of battery), a Wi-Fi connection and enough time for the process to finish — it could take over an hour. You can speed up that process by connecting both phones using a USB cable, but note that you might need an adapter if your current phone is an iPhone 14 or earlier with a Lightning port. Apple has more details on how to make a wired transfer work.

The more information you have on your phone, like photos in your library, the longer it will take. When the transfer starts, the phones will show you a time estimate. Every time we’ve used this tool, that estimate has been accurate within a couple of minutes. It’s worth taking the time if you don’t use Apple’s iCloud service to back up your phone.

3. Use a Mac or PC

The method I use with every new iPhone is to restore from an encrypted backup using a Mac or PC. Not only does this process transfer all of your apps, settings and preferences, but it also means you don’t have to sign into the countless apps you have on your phone.

Before you can use this method, you’ll need to create an encrypted backup of your current iPhone. I know that may sound intimidating or overly complicated, but it only means you have to check an extra box and enter a password.

On a Mac, you’ll use Finder to back up your old iPhone — and make sure you take the steps to make an archive backup. Just make sure to check the Encrypt backup box and enter a password you’ll remember when prompted. Let your Mac go to work, creating a backup file. It will let you know when it’s done.

On a PC, you’ll need to use iTunes (it’s not completely dead) or the Apple Devices app to create a backup, as explained here. Again, you’ll need to make sure the Encrypt backup box is checked and enter a password.

To restore your new phone, open Finder or iTunes, and connect your phone to your computer. Click Trust when prompted, and then follow the prompts, selecting the backup you just created as what you want to use to restore the phone. You will need to enter the backup’s password before the process begins, so make sure you don’t forget it.

Once it’s done, your new phone will be an exact copy of your old phone and you won’t have to spend any time signing into apps or random accounts.

4. Move to iOS for Android users

Apple doesn’t have many Android apps listed in Google’s Play Store, but Move to iOS is one of them. This free app will connect your Android phone to a new iPhone and allow you to transfer the most important information from one phone to the other.

Here’s the entire step-by-step process, as well as some caveats, like the fact that it won’t transfer any locally stored music or PDF files.

Apple said it has redesigned Move to iOS to make it faster and easier to migrate from your Android phone to your new iPhone. The company goes on to say it has sped up Wi-Fi migration with transfer speeds up to 5GHz, and you can use Wi-Fi on your iPhone to connect to your Android phone. You can also connect your Android phone to your new iPhone with a USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cable to move everything over more quickly, Apple said.

No matter the process you used to set up your new phone, you’re in for excitement and fun as you explore what it can do.

Here is what you can do with the new iPhone 16 camera button and your monthly reminder to clear your iPhone cache.

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Technologies

Apple’s New Emoji Game Gives You a Smiley Wordle Alternative

The addition to Apple’s suite of games launches just in time for World Emoji Day.

Do we 💖 this? Just in time for World Emoji Day, Apple News Plus has launched Emoji Game in another indication that we will never have enough digital toys to entertain and divert us.

In the new game — available in English for News Plus subscribers in the US and Canada — players will try to fill in the blanks of three short phrases using a selection of emoji and genmoji using as few moves as possible. For example, if the phrase is «- — — — — of my — — -» («Apple of my eye»), then you would use the 🍏 and 👀 emoji to fill in those blanked-out words.

There will be clues for each of the three phrases, but if the player chooses to reveal any of the clues, that will count as a move. Game Center leaderboards will track results, and players can share their accomplishments with friends and family on messages, email and social media.

«Emoji Game is the perfect addition to the Apple News+ suite of word and number puzzles, turning the emoji we use every day into a brainteaser that’s approachable and fun,» said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News, in a press release.

Emoji Game will appear daily in the Puzzles section of the Apple News app, and Apple News Plus subscribers can also play the puzzle in the Apple Games app, which will launch later this year and will host Emoji Game as well as crossword, crossword mini, Quartiles and sudoku.

Only hours after the announcement, the r/apple subreddit was already popping with reactions:

«I wish we had that in my country. I love the nyt games Id like to try apple ones»
«I just tried it, it’s pretty fun»
«Looks like fun!»

For now the game is available in English for Apple News Plus subscribers in the US and Canada and for iPhones, iPads and Macs running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or MacOS 15.4 or later. Apple News Plus costs $13 per month after a free trial period.

Technologies

Waymo Expands in Austin. Everything to Know About the Robotaxi

Here’s everywhere the self-driving service operates now, and where it’s slated to arrive in the future.

Technologies

Switch 2 vs. Steam Deck: Battle of the Handhelds

I put the two leading handhelds up against one another to find out which is the best.

I’ve been spending a lot of time playing with the new Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s 2023 Steam Deck OLED to find out which handheld gaming console is best for me. Will Nintendo’s flagship franchise take it to victory? Or will the Steam Deck’s open platform give it the edge? I’ve been comparing the two based on performance, hardware and games library and, so far, while there’s one I prefer, each one has advantages that stand out.

Library

Arguably the most important aspect to comparing these two handhelds is the games you’re able to play on them. What good is great battery life if there’s nothing you want to play?

The Switch 2 will get you access to all of Nintendo’s own games and can play most of the first Switch’s games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Metroid Dread. There aren’t that many Switch 2 exclusives yet. Mario Kart World, Welcome Tour and Donkey Kong Bananza are the biggest ones for now, but so far they’ve all been really good — even if Welcome Tour is just a glorified instruction manual full of mini games (that I do like).

Many of the original Switch games have received performance improvements, some of them bigger than others. Pokemon Sword and Shield got a major update for free. But the upgrade editions for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom cost $10 each — unless you’re a Switch Online premium subscriber, in which case they’re free, too. More upgraded games are coming, including Mario Party Jamboree. If you’re looking to play Nintendo games, the Switch and Switch 2 are the only ways to do so.

On the other hand, the Steam Deck is an open ecosystem and grants you access to buying games from multiple types of online stores. Valve’s Steam Deck is primarily set up to run off Steam, but you can load in other ways to play games with a little tinkering. Even if you never load in other game stores, Steam has a ton to discover, including lots of Steam Deck-optimized games.

Both Switch and Steam Deck get a good amount of indie titles, but you’ll typically find that they launch on PC first. The Steam Deck can also run a lot of smaller, experimental stuff that’ll never make its way over to Switch. The Steam Deck can also play games from cloud-based platforms such as Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce. One of my favorite things to do with my Steam Deck is to remote play into my Xbox Series X or PS5 at home and play those console games when I’m on the go.

If you don’t mind missing out on Nintendo exclusives, the Steam Deck gets you a larger and more robust gaming library.

Ease of use

The Switch 2 is definitely the most straightforward of the main gaming consoles. It’s a dedicated gaming machine, so it’s very stable but some aspects can be annoying — such as trying to add a friend to play, which involves entering in a long friend code. That said, Steam Deck is also a good experience out of the box, but it has its own tricky moments that can be daunting if you want to push the system’s capabilities. Trying to hook into other game libraries will require watching tutorials, installing extra software — it’s not the easiest thing to do.

The Switch 2 also comes with two Joy-Con controllers that detach and work independently, meaning local multiplayer is extremely easy right out of the box. To match this on the Steam Deck, you’d need to purchase two additional third-party controllers. Plus, the Switch 2’s included dock makes TV-connected gaming a lot easier to set up than with the Steam Deck, and the Switch 2’s kickstand allows tabletop co-op pretty easily, too.

The Switch 2 also has built-in chat to easily connect with friends, although you’ll need a compatible USB camera to add video. Gamechat requires a Nintendo Online subscription, while the Steam Deck can use standard free online chat apps, such as installing Discord, just like how you would install a third-party storefront.

Display

The Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch LCD display that can output a 1080p image at 120Hz. The Steam Deck comes with either a 7-inch LCD or 7.4-inch OLED screen that outputs a lower 1,280×800-pixel resolution at 60 or 90Hz, respectively. But if you’re playing on a television, you’ll get a 4K image with both systems as long as you plug the Switch 2 into its dock and use the right HDMI cable with the Steam Deck. It’s worth noting a dock comes bundled with the Switch: For the Steam Deck to connect to a TV, you’ll need to purchase the cable or accessory separately.

Despite not having a nicer OLED screen, I prefer the Switch 2’s larger and faster display, especially when that screen size still allows for a smaller device overall.

Portability

The Switch 2 weighs a little less — it’s 534 grams compared to 640 grams for the Steam Deck OLED. The Switch 2 is also noticeably smaller and much thinner, making it more portable to transport. And as someone who backpacks and travels a lot, and often brings a handheld device in my bag, I need to make use of all the space I can get.

But the Steam Deck does feel better to hold in your hand. The larger size means its handgrips are comfier to grab on to, and the built-in back buttons are a nice, pro-style feature that you can only get on the Switch 2 if you buy a Pro Controller or Charging Grip. It’s also worth mentioning that the Steam Deck includes a carrying case with your purchase. The Switch 2 does not, which you’re definitely going to want to protect its big screen.

Battery

When you’re on the go, battery life makes a huge difference. The Switch 2 has a 5,220-mAh battery and Nintendo says that gets you roughly between two and six and a half hours of gaming. The Steam Deck OLED has a larger 6,470-mAh battery and Valve says it’ll last somewhere between three and 12 hours. Bottom line: The Steam Deck will generally keep you gaming longer. This depends on the game but it lines up pretty well with what I’ve experienced. More graphically-intense games such as Elden Ring Nightrein will drain the Steam Deck’s battery faster, while Balatro will last longer. Mario Kart World gets around three to four hours for the Switch 2.

Storage and price

The Steam Deck comes in three configurations: A $399 LCD model with 256GB of internal storage, a $549 OLED model with 512GB of internal storage, and a $649 OLED model with 1TB of internal storage. The Switch 2 has just one option — 256GB of internal storage with an LCD screen for $450. Both devices can take microSD cards to increase their storage capacity. However, the Switch 2 requires the newer microSD Express cards, which are still quite pricey. The Steam Deck has a cheaper entry price, and the additional storage and screen options are nice to be able to choose from. But the Steam Deck is also a couple years older and has already seen discounts since launch.

One big difference, though, is game prices. Switch games rarely go on sale, and Nintendo keeps its first-game prices high over time. Meanwhile, games on Steam can definitely save you some cash — Steam games often launch at cheaper prices than their Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo counterparts, and often see drastic discounts as the months go on. Steam sales happen all the time, and it’s easy to scoop up deals and suddenly find that you have more games in your library than you have time to play.

Another added cost for Switch 2 is online multiplayer, which requires a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. You’ll get perks for your subscription, including access to a large catalog of older Nintendo games from systems you may have had in your childhood, but I personally prefer my multiplayer to be free of charge. (I have more than enough subscriptions in my life.) Still, local multiplayer is much easier to pull off with the Switch 2 and doesn’t require buying multiple additional cables and controllers, like you’ll need on Steam Deck.

Overall

I love Nintendo’s legendary catalogue of games, but for me the Steam Deck offers a better bang for my buck. There’s a wider overall selection of titles on Steam and almost every developer puts their games on PC right away. It also offers a cheaper entry price and more model variations to choose from. While I do value the sleek more portable size of the Switch 2, the discounts on Steam games are hard for me to ignore compared to Nintendo’s much more rigid pricing.

Personally, I’m finding there is far more to do with a Steam Deck. But if you can’t live without Mario and Zelda, and you’re interested in ways to play games with family and friends together in the same room, you’re going to really appreciate the Switch 2.