I'm setting up my dad's new iPhone 17 Pro Max using direct device-to-device transfer from his iPhone 12. The old phone's passcode worked initially, and setup progressed to the Data & Privacy screen. After accepting that, the new phone asked for the old iPhone's passcode again. It now sits loading for about five minutes before displaying "Something went wrong" and asking for the passcode again. Both phones are up to date, and I've confirmed that it's requesting the passcode for the correct iPhone. Is there a known service issue, or is there another way to continue the transfer?
2 Answers
If this is happening while Apple’s services are having trouble, the device-to-device migration may be waiting on iCloud or account verification and eventually timing out. It may be worth waiting and trying again later, or setting up the new phone without completing the transfer and restoring the data afterward once the services are working normally.
Check that the iPhone 12 is running the latest available iOS and that the passcode prompt is referring to the correct older device tied to your dad’s Apple Account. If he has used another iPhone before, the setup process can occasionally ask for that device instead. You can review the devices associated with the Apple Account to verify which one it expects.
I’ve checked both of those things several times. The iPhone 12 is up to date, and the setup is definitely asking for its passcode.
That makes sense. Since it’s also happening during setup at the Apple Store, it may be a temporary problem with Apple’s servers rather than an issue with the phones.