Quick Fix for iPhone 14/15 Stuck on Preparing to Transfer

New iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer screen? Read this guide to see why your iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer and how to fix the problem.

Lena

By Lena / Updated on March 4, 2024

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Problem: iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer

 

iPhone set up stuck on preparing to transfer

I was setting up my iPhone 14 but it got to a screen with a spinning progress wheel that said "Preparing to transfer...". It has been more than 20 minutes and nothing has changed. Why is my iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer? Is there anything I can do to rectify this?

- Question from Reddit

With Quick Start, we can easily transfer data from old iPhone to new iPhone wirelessly. However, iPhone to iPhone transfer stuck issue happens from time to time, which prevents data from being transferred smoothly. Fortunately, the good news is that there are ways to help fix the iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing transfer issue. In addition, there is another quick way that can also help you transfer data to new iPhone 14/15. Just keep reading to learn more.

Part 1. Why is my iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer

Why iPhone transfer stuck at preparing to transfer? Well, this problem may be caused by one or more factors.

● Software issues. Unknown software bugs may cause the iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing transfer problem.
● The Wi-Fi connection is poor. Data transfer requires a stable network connection, after all, it’s wireless transfer.
● There are too many files that need to be transferred. The larger the amount of data that needs to be transferred, the longer the preparation work will be.

Part 2. How to fix iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer

Here are some ways that may help you fix new iPhone stuck on preparing to transfer issue. You can try these methods one after another until the problem is solved.

In fact, iPhone Migration is not the only way for old iPhone to new iPhone transfer. If you don't want to spend time troubleshooting problems, you can refer to the next part to get another quick way to transfer data so that you can start using new iPhone 14/15 as soon as possible.  

Tip 1. Check the iOS version of old iPhone

First of all, please check if your old iPhone supports iPhone Transfer feature. The Quick Start feature was introduced in iOS 11 to help users set up new iPhone from old iPhone. Later, in iOS 12.4, iPhone Migration was added to Quick Start, allowing users to transfer data to new iPhone wirelessly.

In addition, the outdated system has a lot of bugs. You may choose to update your old iPhone to the latest iOS version: go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install to make it.

Software Update

Tip 2. Keep iPhones near each other

iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer problem may occur when two devices are too far apart. Only when two devices are close to each other can a connection be established smoothly so that data can be transferred.

Tip 3. Check Wi-Fi connection

Transferring data using Quick Start requires both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi. So please make sure two iPhones are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, otherwise, iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer issue will occur.

In addition, please also make sure the Wi-Fi is working well. A good and stable Internet connection is the key to smooth data transfer. You can try restarting the router. Or you can choose to reset network settings to troubleshoot network connectivity issues.

How to reset network settings: go to Settings > General > Reset (Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset in iOS 15 and later) > tap Reset Network Settings and confirm this operation. Please note that it will delete saved Wi-Fi passcode, Bluetooth connections and VPN.

Reset Network Settings

Tip 4. Delete unwanted data on old iPhone

When there is a large amount of data that need to be transferred, you may find iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer screen. After a long time of use, the old iPhone stores all kinds of data. You can delete those apps that you no longer use, old text messages, and unwanted photos to speed up the transfer.

Tip 5. Wait for more time

Wireless transfer can be affected by many factors and temporary stalls are very common. If you are not in a hurry to use the phone, then you can plug them into the power and leave them there. Maybe when you check again, the data has been transferred successfully.

Part 3. Another quick way to transfer data to new iPhone 14/15

Quick Start is not the only way that can help you transfer data from old iPhone to new iPhone. If you want to use your new iPhone 14 as soon as possible, you can rely on FoneTool to quickly transfer all your data via USB cable.

FoneTool is one professional iOS data management tool for Windows PC users. Its iPhone to iPhone Transfer feature can help you easily transfer data to new iPhone 14/15.

● Transfer everything in 1 click. Supports transferring almost all contents including photos, contacts, call history, text messages, memos, calendars, Safari (history, bookmarks), applications (data files, preference), system settings, etc.
● Stable transfer process & fast transfer speed. With a stable USB connection, data transfer to iPhone 14/15 can be completed within half an hour. You will never worry about iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer issue or any other issues during the transfer.

FoneTool supports all iPhone versions. You can click the download button to get the tool and follow the steps below to transfer data to new iPhone 14/15 quickly.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

One click to transfer everything to new iPhone 14/15

1. Open FoneTool > Connect your old iPhone and new iPhone 14/15 to computer via USB cable.

If there is only one USB data cable, you can use the "Full Backup" function in FoneTool to back up old iPhone to  PC, and then restore the backup to the new iPhone 14/15 to realize the switch.

2. Click Phone Transfer > Go to iPhone to iPhone.

iPhone to iPhone Transfer

3. Confirm the source iPhone and target iPhone > Enable backup encryption to encrypt data in the source iPhone > Click Start Transfer to begin the transfer.

Start Transfer

Besides iPhone to iPhone transfer, FoneTool also provides many other useful features.

  • It lets you transfer data from iPhone to iPhone after setup - transfer selected files to new iPhone at anytime without data erasing.
  • It enables you to easily transfer files between iPhone and computer, share data with family using different Apple ID.
  • It can help you wipe iPhone before selling it or giving it to someone else. FoneTool will erase data multiple times to ensure that data cannot be recovered by data recovery software.
  • You can let the tool help you backup important iPhone data to computer, USB flash drive, external hard drive.

iPhone 14/15 Stuck on Preparing to Transfer|Quick Fixes for iPhone to iPhone Transfer

Final words

When iPhone 14/15 stuck on preparing to transfer screen, you can check if all transfer conditions are met, it is important to make sure you have a good network connection.

If the network is poor, you can rely on FoneTool to help you complete the data transfer via USB cable. It’s also a recommended way if you need to transfer a large number of files. In addition, the methods in this post also applied to the newest iPhone model.