iPhone stuck on Reconnecting during setup? 7 fixes

Setting up a new iPhone is supposed to be the easy part. You hold the old phone next to the new one, a swirl of dots appears, and your data begins to move. Then the new screen says Reconnecting, a small wheel spins, and nothing happens. This guide explains what the message means, how long to wait, and how to get unstuck without losing anything. Menu names follow recent iOS versions and can differ a little on yours.

What does Reconnecting mean on a new iPhone?

Quick Start uses Bluetooth to find the old iPhone and Wi-Fi to move your data. If either link drops, the new iPhone shows Reconnecting while it tries to join again. A few seconds is normal. If it is stuck, one of the connections has failed for good, or one of the phones is waiting for something, such as a software update or a screen tap. Apple Community and carrier forum threads show the same stall, and a restart of both phones is the common remedy.

Why does the iPhone get stuck on Reconnecting?

• The phones moved apart or the screen locked. Bluetooth is short range, and a locked screen can pause the process.
• Weak or different Wi-Fi. The two phones are on different networks, or the network drops.
• Old software on the other phone. The old iPhone may need an update before it can hand data over.
• A mid-setup update. The new iPhone installs an update during setup and the screen looks frozen.
• Bluetooth or a VPN problem on the old phone. A turned-off radio or a VPN blocks the link.
• A glitch. A simple bug that a restart clears.

First, decide if it is stuck

Wait about five to ten minutes with both phones plugged in and touching distance apart. Tap each screen once in a while to keep them awake. If the screen moves on, you are fine. If the new iPhone says Update Now with a spinning wheel, it may be installing a software update, which can take much longer. In that case, leave it on power and Wi-Fi for up to an hour before you act. If nothing at all changes after that, move on to the fixes.

Fix 2: Update the old iPhone

The old iPhone should run a recent iOS version. On it, open Settings › General › Software Update and install what is available. A new iPhone ships with a newer iOS than your old one, and a big gap between the two can break the handoff. If the old phone will not update, see our guide to an update stuck on Update Requested.

Fix 3: Restart both iPhones and start again

Stop the transfer by restarting. Your old iPhone is safe, because Quick Start copies data and does not remove it. Force restart both phones:

• iPhone 8 and later: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
• iPhone 7: hold Volume Down and the side button together until the logo appears.

When both phones are back, begin setup again and hold the old iPhone next to the new one. If the new phone resumes the same screen, tap Set Up Manually or Set Up Without Another Device and try Fix 4 or Fix 6.

Fix 4: Reset network settings on the old iPhone

A confused network stack on the old phone often causes the drop. Go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Network Settings. This clears saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth pairings and VPN profiles, but it does not touch your photos, apps or messages. Rejoin your Wi-Fi, turn off any VPN, and try Quick Start again. If the old phone has Wi-Fi trouble of its own, see an iPhone that will not connect to Wi-Fi.

Fix 5: Use a cable instead of wireless

Recent iPhones can transfer over a cable, which does not depend on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi staying steady. Apple supports a wired option during Quick Start on supported models, using a USB cable or a Lightning to USB adapter. When setup asks how to transfer, look for an option about using a cable, or a prompt to connect the two phones. A cable is also much faster for a big library. The cable you need depends on the two models, so check that it carries data and fits both phones.

Fix 6: Set up manually and use an iCloud backup

If the backup fails because your storage is full, you can switch to a computer. Our guide to restoring an iPhone from a backup walks through both iCloud and computer restores in detail.

Fix 7: Restore the new iPhone with a computer

If the new iPhone itself is frozen on a setup screen, use a Mac or a Windows PC. Connect the new iPhone with a cable. On a Mac, open Finder. On Windows, use the Apple Devices app. If the computer asks, choose Update first, then Restore only if the update does not fix it. A restore erases the new iPhone, which is fine because nothing important is on it yet. After the restore, begin setup from the start. Apple’s own archived advice for a stuck transfer is the same: restore the new iPhone on a computer, install any update offered during setup, and then transfer your data again.

Is it the old iPhone or the new one?

To find out which phone is at fault, test them one at a time. If the old iPhone is slow, hot or low on storage, it can fail while preparing data, and the new phone shows Reconnecting. If the new iPhone is stuck on an update, nothing the old phone does will help. A quick test is to set up the new phone with Set Up Manually and no data. If that works, the new phone is fine and the old one is the cause. If it stalls again, the new phone needs a computer restore.

After the move: what to check

• Open Photos, Messages, Contacts and Notes and make sure they look right.
• Check your eSIM or SIM, then test a call and a text.
• Re-add cards in Wallet if prompted, and set up Face ID.
• Pair your Apple Watch and AirPods again if needed.
• Keep the old iPhone until you are sure everything is on the new one.

For the full process from start to finish, see our guides to setting up a new iPhone and how to transfer data to a new iPhone. If the transfer instead sits on a different screen for hours, read about an iPhone stuck on Preparing to Transfer.

Quick checklist

• Both iPhones are plugged in, side by side, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on.
• Both are on the same Wi-Fi, and any VPN is off.
• The old iPhone is on the latest iOS.
• You restarted both phones and tried Quick Start again.
• You tried a cable, or Set Up Manually with an iCloud or computer backup.