What size iPhone should I buy?

Choose based on your current usage plus 30-50% headroom: if you currently use 40-70 GB, 128 GB is sufficient with iCloud Photos; 70-120 GB current usage suggests 256 GB; 120-200 GB suggests 512 GB; over 200 GB or ProRes video users should get 1 TB. Clean your current device first to see your actual usage.

Should I clean my iPhone before transferring to a new one?

Yes, absolutely. Cleaning before transfer prevents carrying years of accumulated junk — duplicates, blurry photos, unused apps, and cached data — to your new device. A clean transfer also means faster backup and restore times and a better experience from day one. Use a photo cleaner app and delete unused apps before backing up.

How do I transfer everything to a new iPhone?

The fastest method is Quick Start: place your old and new iPhones next to each other and follow on-screen instructions. Alternatively, restore from an iCloud backup or a Mac Finder backup. Quick Start transfers everything directly between devices over WiFi, including settings, apps, and data.

When should I erase my old iPhone?

Wait at least one week after setting up your new iPhone before erasing the old one. Use the old device to verify all photos, messages, app data, and settings transferred correctly. Check authentication apps (like banking and 2FA) specifically, as these sometimes require manual migration. Only erase once you are confident everything is on the new device.

What to Do Before Buying a New iPhone (Storage Checklist)

Your Pre-Purchase Checklist

Before buying a new iPhone: 1) Check your current storage usage in Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much you actually use. 2) Clean your photo library and delete unused apps to get an accurate picture of your real needs. 3) Choose a storage tier that gives you 30-50% headroom above your current usage. 4) Back up your old iPhone to iCloud or Mac. 5) Clean up before transfer so you do not carry junk to your new device.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Storage

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage on your current iPhone. Note the total used storage and the breakdown by category. This is your starting point for choosing the right capacity. But do not just match it — you need headroom for growth.

For a thorough audit process, follow our monthly storage audit guide.

Step 2: Clean Before You Transfer

Transferring a cluttered phone to a new phone just moves the clutter. Before your upgrade:

Clean your camera roll: Use Swype Photo Cleaner to delete duplicates, blurry shots, and old screenshots. Most people recover 5-15 GB.
Delete unused apps: Go through your app list and remove anything you have not opened in 3+ months.
Clear message attachments: Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages to review large files.
Empty Recently Deleted: Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted > Delete All.
Clear System Data: Follow our System Data guide to reduce cache bloat.

Step 3: Choose the Right Storage Tier

After cleaning, look at your actual usage. Choose a storage tier that gives you at least 30-50% headroom:

Currently using 40-70 GB: 128 GB is sufficient if you use iCloud Photos
Currently using 70-120 GB: 256 GB recommended
Currently using 120-200 GB: 512 GB recommended
Currently using 200+ GB or shoot ProRes: 1 TB

For detailed recommendations, see our complete storage guide and storage buying guide.

Step 4: Back Up Your Old iPhone

Before the switch, create a fresh backup:

iCloud backup: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now
Mac backup: Connect via USB-C, open Finder, select your iPhone, click Back Up Now
Verify the backup completed successfully before proceeding

Step 5: Transfer to New iPhone

Apple offers three transfer methods:

Quick Start (recommended): Place old and new iPhones next to each other and follow the on-screen instructions. Fastest and most complete transfer.
iCloud restore: Set up new iPhone and restore from your iCloud backup.
Mac restore: Connect new iPhone to Mac and restore from your Finder backup.

Step 6: After Setup

Once your new iPhone is set up, verify everything transferred correctly, then consider these optimizations:

Enable Optimize iPhone Storage for photos if you have not already
Enable Offload Unused Apps for automatic storage management
Set Camera format to HEIF/HEVC for smaller file sizes

Tip: Do not trade in or erase your old iPhone until you have verified everything on the new one works correctly. Keep the old device for at least a week as a safety net. For trade-in preparation, see our trade-in guide.

Start Clean on Your New iPhone

Clean your camera roll before transferring to your new device. Swype Photo Cleaner removes the clutter so you start fresh.

Free · iPhone · iOS 16+ · 100% on-device, zero uploads

Free · iPhone · iOS 16+

What to Do Before Buying a New iPhone (Storage Checklist)

Your Pre-Purchase Checklist

Step 1: Audit Your Current Storage

Step 2: Clean Before You Transfer

Step 3: Choose the Right Storage Tier

Step 4: Back Up Your Old iPhone

Step 5: Transfer to New iPhone

Step 6: After Setup

Start Clean on Your New iPhone

Frequently Asked Questions