I've finally decided to upgrade from my trusty iPhone 6s to the new iPhone 17. However, I've been struggling to set it up for the past two days. The data transfer process has been incredibly frustrating. First, it estimated 18 hours to copy the data, and during this time, I couldn't use either phone. After about six hours, the transfer failed with no explanation given. I reached out to Apple support, and they suggested using a USB-C to Lightning cable to connect the two phones. But now, it's saying it'll take 24 hours to complete the transfer! Is there no better way to do this without making my old phone unusable?
5 Answers
Have you thought about just backing up your iPhone 6s to iCloud and then restoring the new phone from that backup? It's usually a smoother process. If iCloud space is an issue for you, consider upgrading your plan for the time being.
Honestly, doing a full backup to your computer and then restoring from there is even better. It's way faster and cleaner! Just a thought.
I had the same issue moving from an XR to a 12 Pro. The transfer kept failing too! Eventually, I just did a backup to my Mac and restored from there. It worked much better.
Just grab an iCloud backup! Transferring from an older phone like the 6s can lead to some hiccups, so you're bound to run into a few issues.
Is there a specific reason you're avoiding iCloud? It might just simplify things for you.
I'm on the basic subscription with a few devices, so I'm a bit short on space. But I'm upgrading tonight, and I wonder why Apple doesn’t have a simpler way to do this!
Do you have access to a MacBook or Windows laptop? If so, you could back up your 6s using iTunes or Finder and then set up the new phone using that backup. It’s usually the easiest and quickest way.

Thanks, I'm planning to upgrade my iCloud tonight and try that!