Transferring data from one iPhone to another on the same account

I have two iPhones on the same account. My phone and an extra phone. I can’t get into my phone because something happened to the battery. How can I transfer everything from my original phone to the extra phone that I’m using without losing information on either phone?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Combining Phones

Posted on Sep 30, 2025 5:09 PM

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Posted on Sep 30, 2025 5:26 PM

How can I transfer everything from my original phone to the extra phone that I’m using without losing information on either phone?


That's not possible, if you are hoping to preserve what is already on the extra phone and add what was on the original phone. This would be "merging" the data of both phones on the extra phone.....which is not possible.


Assuming you have a current backup of your original phone on iCloud or a computer, you can erase the extra phone and then set up the extra phone using the backup of your original phone.


The extra phone must be running the same or higher iOS version as your original phone.


Then, your extra phone will look just like your original phone.


You cannot "merge" the data of both phones. Whatever is on the extra phone will be erased and replaced by the backup of your original phone.






4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 30, 2025 5:26 PM in response to dftaylor34

How can I transfer everything from my original phone to the extra phone that I’m using without losing information on either phone?


That's not possible, if you are hoping to preserve what is already on the extra phone and add what was on the original phone. This would be "merging" the data of both phones on the extra phone.....which is not possible.


Assuming you have a current backup of your original phone on iCloud or a computer, you can erase the extra phone and then set up the extra phone using the backup of your original phone.


The extra phone must be running the same or higher iOS version as your original phone.


Then, your extra phone will look just like your original phone.


You cannot "merge" the data of both phones. Whatever is on the extra phone will be erased and replaced by the backup of your original phone.






Sep 30, 2025 5:26 PM in response to dftaylor34

dftaylor34 wrote:

I have two iPhones on the same account. My phone and an extra phone. I can’t get into my phone because something happened to the battery. How can I transfer everything from my original phone to the extra phone that I’m using without losing information on either phone?

You can’t transfer everything, but anything that you synced to iCloud (synced, not back up) should be on the other phone if you also sync it.

Oct 1, 2025 8:23 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Lawrence Finch wrote: You can’t transfer everything, but anything that you synced to iCloud (synced, not back up) should be on the other phone if you also sync it.

If you use iCloud to "sync to" the 2nd phone, then the 2nd phone will also be "synced to" the 1st phone. You would not lose data, but it would change the 1st phone.


"sync to" makes little sense. Synchronize goes both ways. I think that phrase may be confusing.

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Transferring data from one iPhone to another on the same account

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