If you’re planning to buy the new iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 and wondering how to transfer data from your old iPad to the new iPad, then follow the steps mentioned below. You first have to take a back up of your old iPad and then restore the backup to your newly purchased iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 using iTunes or iCloud.
This process will transfer your saved messages, email accounts, photos, notes, and other personal settings to your new iPad.
Before we start, we would recommend you to update your old iPad to iOS 8.1 to ensure that you don’t hit any compatibility issues when you migrate from your old iPad data on iOS 8.x.x or lower to the new iPad running on iOS 8.1. If you need help, you can follow our guide on how to update your old iPad to iOS 8.1.
Please note that if you also want to transfer passwords to your new iPhone then it is possible only using iTunes backup. Check this guide to encrypt iPad backup so that your keychain information, which includes email account passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, and passwords you enter into websites and some other applications, is also backed up and transferred to your new iPad.
You can then transfer the data from your old iPhone to the new iPhone using iTunes or iCloud by following these instructions:
Using iTunes:
- Ensure that you’ve installed the latest version of iTunes. You can update it via Software Update or download it from Apple’s website.
- Take a back up of your old iPad using iTunes. If you need help, follow our guide.
- After the backup is complete, turn off your old iiPad. Note: It’s important that you don’t use your old iPad as it will cause conflicts with the backups in iCloud.
- Turn on your new iPad. When your device turns on, complete the setup assistant.
- When prompted to Set Up iPad, tap on Restore from iTunes Backup.
- Now connect your new iPad to iTunes (on the same computer you used to back up your old iPad).
- iTunes will ask you to restore from backup or set up as new. Select the backup of your old device and choose Continue (Ensure that iTunes is showing you the latest backup of your old iPad). Please note that restoring from the backup can be a time consuming process and depends on the amount of data contained in the backup and on the speed of your Internet connection.
- When the restore and setup process is complete, your new iPad will restart. Then it will be ready for use. You should keep your new iPad connected to iTunes to sync data not contained in the backup (such as music, videos, apps, and so on).
- You can verify and change which data are synced by clicking the syncing tabs in iTunes.
- If you haven’t encrypted your iPad backup, then you will also need to enter your password for your Apple ID, email and other accounts, and voicemail again. The passwords are not restored to a new device due to security reasons.
Using iCloud:
- iCloud backs up your device once a day. But it is good practise to backup your old device to iCloud one last time before before migrating so nothing is missed out. Launch the Settings app and navigate to iCloud > Storage & Backup and tap on Back Up now button. This may take time depending on the amount of data to be backed up.
- After the backup is complete, check the Last Backup time (should show current time) to ensure that your backup was successful.
- Now turn off your old iPad. Note: It’s important that you don’t use your old iPad as it will cause conflicts with the backups in iCloud.
- Turn on your new iPad. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup assistant by selecting your language and country, and choose whether to enable Location Services. When prompted, choose your Wi-Fi network.
- When prompted to Set Up iPad, tap on Restore from iCloud Backup.
- Enter your Apple ID and password, and tap Next at the top right corner.
- If you’ve two-step verification setup, then it will inform you to verify your identify by entering the verification code sent to one of your trusted devices. Tap on Send.
- Enter the four-digit verification code sent to your other trusted device.
- It will prompt you to agree to the terms and conditions. Tap on Agree in the bottom right corner.
- You will now see a list of backups. Select the latest backup of your old device and tap Restore. Wait until the device has finished restoring from the backup. Please note that it can be a time consuming process and depends on the amount of data contained in the backup and on the speed of your Internet connection.
- When the restore process is complete, your iPad will restart. Then it will be ready for use. You should also connect the device to iTunes to sync data not contained in the backup (such as music, videos, apps , and so on).
- iPad will also start re-downloading all your apps in the background.
- You will also need to enter your password for your Apple ID, email and other accounts, and voicemail again. The passwords are not restored to a new device for security reasons. However, if you want them to be restored then using the iTunes method above.
That’s it, you should now be able to use your shiny new iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 2 with the data from your old data. After the data has been restored, you can turn on your older iPad on and erase all the content all the content and settings (Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings).
Let us know how it goes and feel free to drop me a line in the comments if you’ve any questions.
