Transfer Directly from iPhone Not Working? 8 Fixes Here

While setting up a new iPhone , you might come across the transfer directly from iPhone not working issue. If this happens to you, this guide tells you what to do to fix this issue and get your transfer going.

Author Avatar Joy Taylor Last Updated: Sep. 21, 2023

Have you bought a new iPhone, like the latest iPhone 15 series? And it’s necessary to transfer all your data from one iPhone to your new iPhone 15. One of the many good things about owning an iPhone is that you can transfer your data to other Apple devices pretty easily. This includes any newly bought iPhones as well, as you can tap a few options and get all your data moved with the transfer directly from iPhone feature.

However, sometimes you might see issues with the migration process. If you find transfer directly from iPhone not working for some reason, and thus you can’t transfer data to new iPhone, you can apply some of the fixes given in this guide to potentially fix the problem.

Why Transfer Directly from iPhone Not Working

Why won’t my iPhone transfer to my new iPhone? There are many reasons for iPhone transfer not working. And here we have concluded the most common reasons:

  • Poor network connection: Data transfer requires your devices to be connected to a stable network. A poor network can cause iPhone transfer failed.
  • Old system version: If your device is running a system version below iOS 12.4, this problem will also occur.
  • Low battery level: If your iPhone is low on battery, you will also face the iPhone to iPhone transfer not working.
  • System Issues: Any issues in the system may influence the data transfer work and eventually lead to failure.

These are the common reasons for transfer directly from iPhone not working. Then, let’s read on to learn some proven fixes to this issue.

8 Fixes to Transfer Directly from iPhone Not Working

In case you can’t transfer data to new iPhone due to transfer directly from iPhone not working, you can try the fixes we list below to solve this problem.

Fix 1. Enable Bluetooth on Your iPhone

If iPhone transfer not working, check if Bluetooth is enabled or not first. Transfer directly from iPhone requires you enable Bluetooth on your both devices to keep connection between your phones.

Enabling Bluetooth on an iPhone is as easy as tapping an option. You can turn on Bluetooth from the Control Center by following the steps below.

  • Pull up from the bottom of your iPhone’s screen and tap the Bluetooth icon. This will turn Bluetooth on.

Or you can turn on Bluetooth in Settings as the following guide.

  • Head into the Settings app > Tap Bluetooth, and turn the toggle next to Bluetooth to the ON position.
Turn on Bluetooth from Control Center

Turn on Bluetooth from Control Center

Fix 2. Move Device Closer

If you are using the wireless mode to perform the iPhone transfer process, you should know that you need to keep both your old and new iPhone 15 in close proximity.

So if new iPhone transfer not working, you can move device closer to continue iPhone transfer. You can keep your two phones side by side to make sure your devices are always connected to each other during this process. Since there will not be any obstacles in between, the connection will work and you will be able to transfer your data without an issue.

Fix 3. Transfer Directly from iPhone with AnyTrans

Transfer directly from iPhone not working? Don’t worry, AnyTrans, a professional iOS data transfer tool, can help you transfer data from iPhone to iPhone and from Android to iPhone in simple clicks. With this tool, you can move all the data, like photos, movies, songs, ringtones, contacts, calendars, WhatsApp data, etc. to your new iPhone, even after setup. Unlike the Transfer Directly from iPhone feature, AnyTrans also allows you to freely select what to transfer as you like. And the data transfer process will not erase your existing data or disclose your data to anyone else. You can learn more about AnyTrans below.

AnyTrans – Transfer Directly from iPhone

  • Transfer all data from iPhone/Android to iPhone in Clicks.
  • Supports selective or whole transfer. Just as you like.
  • No harm to existing data and will be kept in original quality.
  • Supports all iPhone models, like iPhone 15, as well as Mac/Windows.

Free Download100% Clean & Safe

Free Download100% Clean & Safe

Free Download * 100% Clean & Safe

Therefore, if you encounter the transfer directly from iPhone not working, just free download AnyTrans to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone directly with simple clicks.

Step 1. Free download AnyTrans and launch it on your computer > Choose Phone Switcher > Choose Phone to iPhone > Click Migrate Now.

Choose Phone to iPhone on Phone Switcher

Choose Phone to iPhone on Phone Switcher

Step 2. Connect your two devices to the computer with the USB cable > Confirm the source and target device.

Confirm New iPhone as the Target Device

Confirm New iPhone as the Target Device

Step 3. Choose the data that you want to transfer and click the Next button to transfer to your new iPhone.

Migrate All Data iPhone to iPhone

Migrate All Data iPhone to iPhone

Fix 4. Update iOS on Your iPhones

The old iOS verison will also cause the iPhone transfer not showing up and transfer from nearby iPhone not working problems. While most modern iPhones ship with the latest version of iOS, your older iPhone might be using a version of iOS that does not support the transfer directly from iPhone feature.

In order to use this feature, both your iPhones must be running at least iOS 12.4. If transferring from iPhone not supported, you will need to update the phone. Here are the steps to update iOS to fix transfer directly from iPhone not working.

Step 1. To check the current iOS version on your iPhone, head to Settings > General > About and you will see your current iOS version listed next to Software Version.

Step 2. If your iOS version is older than 12.4, head into Settings > General > Software Update and download and install the latest version of iOS on your iPhone.

Check the Software Updates

Check the Software Updates

Fix 5. Check the Cable for Issues

If you have chosen to use the cable method to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone, you need to make sure that the cable you use is strong enough and that there is no physical damage to it. This cable must be the one that Apple recommends for this kind of data transfer process.

Using a cheap aftermarket cable can cause iPhone not transferring to new iPhone. If you are using such a cable, discard it and get the official Apple cable and then start the process.

Fix 6. Try the Best Alternative to Set Up New iPhone

If you found the above methods didn’t solve the new iPhone transfer not working problem and need an easier & quicker way to set up iPhone, then PhoneTrans will help you out of the troublesome steps. As a professional phone-to-phone transfer tool, it provides you with three transfer modes to set up a new iPhone 15:

  • Quick Transfer allows you to fast transfer between iOS devices and you can choose a single or several data types.
  • Phone Clone enables you to 1-click migrate data from old iPhone to new iPhone.
  • And if you want to keep the existing data on the target device and skip the duplicate items after transferring, Phone Merge feature makes it possible.
  • Cross-device and app data supported. PhoneTrans supports iOS, iPadOS devices, and AndroidOS devices, transferring most App and WhatsApp chats.

Now, you can get the latest version of PhoneTrans for free on your computer and follow the simple steps below to bypass the transfer directly from iPhone not working issue and set up iPhone flexibly:

Free Download

Free Download

* 100% Clean & Safe

Step 1. Launch PhoneTrans and click Phone to Phone. You can preview the three features and choose the one you want. Here we take Quick Transfer as an example. Move the mouse on it and click on Start Transfer.

Phone to Phone - Quick Transfer

Phone to Phone – Quick Transfer

Step 2. Connect your old phone and new phone to the computer with USB cables. When your device is detected by our software successfully, the below interface will show. Make sure your source device and target device. Then click Transfer to continue.

Confirm Your iPhones

Confirm Your iPhones

Step 3. Now you can select one or several data types you want to transfer and tap on Transfer Now button. PhoneTrans will start the transfer process automatically. Once the transfer process completes, you will see “Successfully transferred” interface.

Choose Data to Transfer from iPhone to iPhone with PhoneTrans

Choose Data to Transfer from iPhone to iPhone with PhoneTrans

Fix 7. Fix Transfer Directly from iPhone Not Working with AnyFix

If you are still unable to complete data transfer, there may be some system issues in your iOS. Then you may try an iOS system recovery tool – AnyFix to solve the iPhone to iPhone transfer not working. AnyFix enables you to fix 130+ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS problems and get your iPhone back to normal. Now, you can get the latest version of AnyFix and follow the steps below to fix the problem when you can’t transfer data to new iPhone:

Free Download

Free Download

* 100% Clean & Safe

Free Download * 100% Clean & Safe

Step 1. Free download and open AnyFix and head to System Repair panel.

Choose System Repair in the Homepage

Choose System Repair on the Homepage

Step 2. Choose 50+ iPhone Problems and Start Now. Here you can preview what problems that AnyFix can help you.

Select iPhone Problems

Select iPhone Problems

Step 3. Next, you need to select one repair mode for your iPhone. AnyFix provides you three repair modes, including Standard Repair, Advanced Repair and Ultimate Repair to improve the success rate. Here we take Standard Mode as an example.

Choose Standard Repair Mode

Choose Standard Repair Mode

Step 4. Download the matching firmware and enter your iPhone into Recovery Mode.

Enter Your Device into Recovery Mode

Enter Your Device into Recovery Mode

Step 5. Click Fix Now button and it will start the repairing process immediately. Wait for a minute and see a Repair Completed page.

Repair Completed

Repair Completed

Fix 8. Reach out to Apple Support

If nothing else works, there might be an issue beyond what you can fix. In this case, it is best that you get in touch with the Apple support team and seek their help. They might have a solution to your problem and they might even be able to apply it directly to your device.

Visit the nearest Apple support center and see what they can do to fix transfer directly from iPhone not working.

Q&A for Transfer Directly from iPhone

The transfer directly from iPhone is an important feature as this handles all of the critical data that you have stored on your phone. Hope you have fixed transfer directly from iPhone not working with the above methods. And if you have some questions about this feature, and the following answers some of the important questions for you.

1. What Can be Transferred with Transfer Directly from iPhone?

Everything can be transferred with Transfer Directly from iPhone. This feature allows you to transfer basically everything that you have on your old iPhone to the new iPhone 15.

2. How to Speed Up Transfer Directly from iPhone Process?

You can speed up the transfer directly from iPhone process by keeping both your devices close to each other if you use the wireless mode. A cable migration will be a bit faster than the wireless one in case of low connection.

3. If the iPhone is already Set Up, How Can I Use This Feature?

No, you cannot use the official migration feature on an iPhone that has already been set up. To use the feature, you must erase your iPhone by heading to Settings > General > Reset and tap Erase All Content and Settings.

You May Like: How to Transfer Photos from New iPhone 15 to PC >

The Bottom Line

These are the fixes to transfer directly from iPhone not working. And to help you transfer your data to iPhone much more easily, we highly recommend you try AnyTrans for free to transfer data in simple clicks. All data types are supported. No data erasing. Just free download AnyTrans to have a try!

Free Download

Free Download

* 100% Clean & Safe

Free Download * 100% Clean & Safe

Author Avatar
Joy Taylor Twitter Share Facebook Share

Senior writer of the iMobie team as well as an Apple fan, love to help more users solve various types of iOS & Android-related issues.

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