Why Does Transferring Data To New iPhone Take So Long? (5 Reasons Why)

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Fletcher Crawford

Fletcher Crawford is a 20-year veteran of the electrical engineering field. He has worked on everything from Linux systems to Apple products, and is passionate about technology.

Getting a new phone can be exciting for anybody. You will want to tear the box open, put your favorite case on it, and then get straight into using all its fancy new features.

Unfortunately, you still have to transfer the data from your old phone- that is, unless you want to start anew! This process can seem like it takes forever. Read on to find out why that is!

Why Does Transferring Data To New iPhone Take So Long?


1. Poor Internet Connection

The number one issue with data transfer speeds tends to lie with your internet connection.

Make sure your internet is up to the task, or else your data transfer will be slow!

2. Too Much Data

Phone data transfers are no small feat- depending on how long you have had this set of data and how many phones it has been transferred through, it can be a massive block of information!

With more data to transfer, the data transfer will inherently take more time.

There is not much you can do here, but you can attempt to minimize waiting times for your next transfer by deleting unused apps or photos and memes you no longer enjoy.

3. Transfer App Bottlenecks Speed

Transfer App Bottlenecks Speed

This title may seem like a phrase of technical jargon, but it does make sense.

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The app you use to initiate the transfer may force the transfer to slow down so that the transfer does not overload your system.

If too much data enters a phone at once, it can slow the phone down considerably. This slowdown is notable in the case of things such as update downloads.

It is for this reason that update downloads often require the phone to run no other processes simultaneously.

It is a massive amount of data moving into your device and can cause a serious system slowdown that is not desirable.

Ultimately, your transfer app may be restricting your speed for both your convenience and the safety and usability of your device!

4. System Error

It is a rare occurrence, but on occasion, one of the participating phones in the transfer will experience some system error that prevents the transfer from finishing.

Phones are finicky devices. They are masterfully engineered by the top scientists in technological fields, though they can still have their issues.

These issues are the same as with other computers, such as desktops and laptops. Occasionally, wires will get crossed, and the coding will malfunction.

This error will functionally shut the phone down, though it may still show as operating.

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Additionally, the system error may be specifically related to the transfer, with a firewall or some other malfunctioning piece of coding blocking the transfer from moving to completion.

In these cases, the fix may be as simple as restarting the error-inflicted phone. Upon a full restart, your phone will work in top shape, and your speeds may be faster!

If a restart does not fix the issue it may be more serious. Consider taking your phone to your dealer to diagnose and fix any potentially serious issues.

5. You’re Impatient

One of the biggest reasons that transferring data to your new phone could take so long is that you are not giving it enough time!

We live in an age of instant gratification, and while it is pleasant to think about your data instantly transferring into your new phone, that is not the case.

These things take time, and data transfers get faster with every passing year- and the human attention span is getting lower along with it.

You must give your data transfer the time it needs. Many times, there will be genuine issues in the transfer that require intervention, such as a system error or phones being too far apart.

However, in most cases, you simply have to give it time. People don’t like waiting, and that’s okay! Unfortunately, technology does not tend to follow the whimsical deadlines of humans.

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If you can keep your patience, or occupy yourself with something else in the meantime, your transfer will be over before you know it!

To learn more, you can also read our posts on why iPhone location jumps around, why AirPods charge so fast, and why your phone is dying on the charger.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, there are many reasons transferring data to your new phone could take so long. Much of it is up to your technical specs, with newer and higher-quality technology being faster.

Thankfully, even in the case of system errors, even the biggest issues can typically be fixed with a simple system reset. It may take a moment or two to get working, but your data will be yours!

Author

  • Fletcher Crawford

    Fletcher Crawford is a 15-year veteran of the electrical engineering field. He has worked on everything from Linux systems to Apple products, and is passionate about technology.

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