iPhone 15 Stuck on Preparing to Transfer, How to Fix?

1. Make Sure Both iPhones Run iOS 13.1 or Newer

When facing iPhone transfer taking forever, the first thing you should make sure that both devices - previous one and the new one are running iOS 13.1 or later. Quick Start provides the feature of using iPhone migration only if both iDevices are using iOS 13.1 or newer. Below is how you can ensure both of your iPhones run the required iOS version.

• On both iPhones, go to “Settings”.
• Open “General”>” Software Update”.

• If updates are available, then download & install right away.

  

2. Both iPhones Are Connected to The Same Wifi Network

Transferring content from a previous iOS device to the new one using Quick Start requires both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi connection. Besides that, make sure to use a strong internet connection as you need to ensure that connection never disconnects during the transfer process.

So, on both iPhones, go to "Settings" > "Wi-Fi" and ensure that both devices are connected to the same and reliable Wi-Fi network.

3. Keep Devices Near Each Other

Transferring data wirelessly using Quick Start requires you to keep your previous iOS device near your new iPhone throughout the transfer process. Otherwise, you could probably encounter iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer problem.

4. Reset Network Settings

Even if ensuring all the above things don't help you fix the problem, it's time to reset network settings. The problem could be due to some unknown network issues. In such scenarios, simply resetting network settings comes quite in handy.

• On both iPhones, go to "Settings".
• Open "General" > "Reset".

• Tap "Reset Network Settings".

  

Once resetting the network settings, connect both your devices to the same Wi-Fi connection. And try transferring content from your previous iOS device to the new iPhone using Quick Start and see if the problem goes now.

Method 1: Transfer Old iPhone to New iPhone using iTunes

Transfer content from iPhone to iPhone is a common and old practice. Therefore, if you would like to use iTunes to transfer data from a previous iOS device to the new iPhone 14, then you can do it with the following steps.

1. First of all, backup your old iOS device with iTunes. So, go to “iTunes”>” Connect your old device to the PC or Mac”.

2. Click on “Device icon”>” Summary”>” This Computer under Backups Section”>” Back Up Now”.

   

3. Connect your new iPhone to the same computer you have used for backing up your old iOS device.
4. Open iTunes and click the device icon.

5. Choose “Restore Backup” and then, select a recent backup file.

   

You may need to enter a password in case of encrypted backup. Wait for the process to complete and after then, complete the remaining setup steps on your new iPhone 14.

Method 2: Transfer Old iPhone to New iPhone using iCloud

For the users who would like to transfer data from the old iPhone to the new iPhone without a computer, iCloud is the recommended way. But, the method requires you to use a strong Wi-Fi connection. Nevertheless, below is the process of how to do so.

Step 1: First of all, create a backup of your old iOS device if you haven’t created one.

• On iPhones running iOS 10 or newer - Go to “Settings”>” Apple ID’s profile”>” iCloud”>” iCloud Backup”>” Back Up Now”.

• On iPhones running iOS 9 or older - Go to “Settings”>” iCloud”>” Backup”>” Enable iCloud Backup”>” Back Up Now”.

  

Step 2: If you have already set up your new iPhone, then go to “Settings”>” General”>” Reset”>Erase All Content and Settings”>” Erase iPhone”. Now, set up your new iPhone again.

Step 3: When you reach the App & Data screen, choose “Restore from iCloud” and select the recent backup file you created.

Method 3: Transfer Old iPhone to New iPhone via Third-Party Software

Besides Apple-dedicated data transfer tools, there are several third-party tools out there to help you transfer content from the old iPhone to the new iPhone with ease. And UltFone iOS Data Manager is one of them and highly recommended to use. This software comes with a powerful “device backup & restore” feature that enables you to backup your old device and then, helps you to restore the backup to a new device too. The best part is that the backup feature is completely free to use and you can even perform a selective backup.

Below is the simple guide on how to use UltFone iOS Data Manager to transfer content from old iPhone to new iPhone without much hassle.

• Step 1 Download, and install the UltFone iOS Data Manager software on your computer. Connect your old iPhone to the computer and choose “Backup & Restore”>’Device Backup & Restore”.

  

• Step 2Now, select the file types you would like to backup and click the “Backup” button to let the software starts the backup process.

  

• Step 3Once the process is completed, you can check the backup data. To transfer the backup to the computer, click on “Export to Computer” and select the location you would like to save the file.

  

• Step 4 Unplug your old iPhone and connect your new iPhone to the computer. From the software’s main window, select “Backup & Restore”>” To view or restore previous backup files”.

  

• Step 5 Now, the software will show all backup files present on your computer and select a recent backup file, click “View” and select the data you would like to restore. Finally, click the “Restore to Device” button.

  

In a while, your selected backup file will be restored to your new iPhone.