iPhone 6(S)/Plus Restore from iPhone SE to iPhone 6s Plus, Advisable?

[Alvin777]

Hello, I have been using my backup phone the SE, it now has the latest data and I've backed it up, however my iPhone 6S Plus was just repaired and I've received it- it does have the old data, is it advisable to:

1. reset and erase all the data of the iPhone 6S Plus then transfer my SIM card to the iPhone 6S Plus and then restore the latest information (from the iPhone SE backup) using the Music app

2. transfer my SIM card and then restore the iPhone SE data to the 6S Plus hoping it will only replace what's needed and not the whole data (coz' things like some apps are in the iPhone 6S Plus that's not in the iPhone SE)

other ways to go about things are welcome.

Both have iOS 15.8

 

[now i see it]

A restore is all or nothing.
If you want all your SE stuff on the 6S Plus, you can do a phone to phone transfer after resetting the 6S Plus. It will end up like a clone of your SE.

Setting up an iPhone using any method doesn’t require a SIM. WIFI is needed though.

 

[eyoungren]

A restore is all or nothing.
If you want all your SE stuff on the 6S Plus, you can do a phone to phone transfer after resetting the 6S Plus. It will end up like a clone of your SE.

Setting up an iPhone using any method doesn’t require a SIM. WIFI is needed though.

Does OP really need to transfer though?

They could simply back up to iCloud on the SE, turn the SE off, then restore the 6s Plus to the iCloud backup they just made.

 

[now i see it]

One thing I’m not sure of is if a newer iPhone is backed up and an older iPhone on the same OS tries to restore from that backup — whether it’s possible or not.
In my case, I couldn’t set up a 6S from a 8 backup even though the OS situation was fine.

 

[eyoungren]

One thing I’m not sure of is if a newer iPhone is backed up and an older iPhone on the same OS tries to restore from that backup — whether it’s possible or not.
In my case, I couldn’t set up a 6S from a 8 backup even though the OS situation was fine.

The limitations are iOS version and capacity. OP has stated that both phones are on 15.8 so that removes any iOS limitation. With that in mind, the only limitation then would be trying to restore to a device with less capacity. For instance, trying to restore from a 128GB device to a 64GB device.

 

[rui no onna]

Note, if you do a restore and your 6S+ has apps that have been removed from the App Store, you won't be able to reinstall those anymore. You just get a useless app icon with a cloud logo on it.

With that said, I have my stuff synced via iCloud anyway. Only exception would be app data for apps that don't support cloud syncing. In your shoes, I likely wouldn't lose any data switching between the two phones.

 

[Alvin777]

A restore is all or nothing.
If you want all your SE stuff on the 6S Plus, you can do a phone to phone transfer after resetting the 6S Plus. It will end up like a clone of your SE.

Setting up an iPhone using any method doesn’t require a SIM. WIFI is needed though.

I wish it was like a macOS reinstall that's not a fresh install wherein it just overwrites things, just replacing the putting in what's not there yet instead of an all or nothing but I guess I'll take a screenshot of the apps on my 6S+ and reinstall those again

 

[Alvin777]

Note, if you do a restore and your 6S+ has apps that have been removed from the App Store, you won't be able to reinstall those anymore. You just get a useless app icon with a cloud logo on it.

With that said, I have my stuff synced via iCloud anyway. Only exception would be app data for apps that don't support cloud syncing. In your shoes, I likely wouldn't lose any data switching between the two phones.

Hi, that's unfortunate. I wished I'd preserved my Flappy Bird install. What's the solution for this? When I was restoring just now, it had an option of restoring from another iPhone, what cable will you use for that? Is it true Wifi to Wifi (of both iPhones) or Bluetooth to Bluetooth (of both iPhones) or their NFCs?

I guess the best way to restore things so that it's always the same settings, apps, videos and photos and files is to subscribe to iCloud's paid plans, Apple's iCloud+ for however big the iPhone (or iPad's, Mac's) storage is- Apple and sir Tim Cook is truly built as successful entrepreneurs X-D.

I wish iCloud+ had a 1TB & 1.5TB at half the price of their 2TB plan X-D coz' 2TB is a bit big, though it'd be nice to have backups in the 'cloud', someday it'll be in the 'space' with Starlink but won't sound a cool.

Thank you.

 

[rui no onna]

Hi, that's unfortunate. I wished I'd preserved my Flappy Bird install. What's the solution for this? When I was restoring just now, it had an option of restoring from another iPhone, what cable will you use for that? Is it true Wifi to Wifi (of both iPhones) or Bluetooth to Bluetooth (of both iPhones) or their NFCs?

I guess the best way to restore things so that it's always the same settings, apps, videos and photos and files is to subscribe to iCloud's paid plans, Apple's iCloud+ for however big the iPhone (or iPad's, Mac's) storage is- Apple and sir Tim Cook is truly built as successful entrepreneurs X-D.

I wish iCloud+ had a 1TB & 1.5TB at half the price of their 2TB plan X-D coz' 2TB is a bit big, though it'd be nice to have backups in the 'cloud', someday it'll be in the 'space' with Starlink but won't sound a cool.

Thank you.

If you had a backup of the apps on iMazing, I think there's a way to restore. If not, you're SOL.

Apps are always downloaded from the App Store now so regardless of what (official) method you use to backup/restore (phone to phone transfer, iTunes, iCloud), it won't restore your old apps. It will transfer over app data though.

Phone to phone transfer and encrypted iTunes are the closest you get to 1:1 but there are still some apps where you need to re-authenticate. Iirc, Kindle and Steam Guard are like this.

Like I mentioned, I just pay for the iCloud subscription and have my stuff synced (Photos, Messages, iCloud Drive, Contacts, Safari, etc). The only reason I don't set up as new is because I have my home screen set up just the way I like it and I'm too lazy to manually install all my apps and re-organize them into folders.

 

[now i see it]

I just experienced this.
A key app that interfaces with my (3) digital volt meters has been pulled from the App Store.
When I set up my new device — there’s no way I can get that app on the new iPhone.

 

[Alvin777]

I just experienced this.
A key app that interfaces with my (3) digital volt meters has been pulled from the App Store.
When I set up my new device — there’s no way I can get that app on the new iPhone.

Yup, 'Flappy Bird' too's gone. I wish we truly own the apps we purchase wether it's free or paid like a video game console disk or cartridge- maybe petition with the European Parliament and European Commission can force companies to let apps we purchase (free or paid) like they did with USB-C.