HELP: How to transfer data from iPhone 4s (iOS 7) to iPhone 5s (iOS 8)?

[alemack]

I have just purchased a new iPhone 5s, which runs on iOS 8.4. I did a backup of my old iPhone 4 (iOS 7.1.2, then went to iTunes to set up my iPhone 5s, expecting to restore the backup onto this new phone - only it wouldn't let me, as the backup wasn't iOS 8, but of course, an iPhone 4 isn't iOS 8 compatible.

I know I'm late to the party, but there must be some way to do this, else what did all the iPhone 4 users do when the iPhone 5s was released in 2013?

 

[usedberry]

iCloud backup (on iPhone 4) and restore (on iPhone 5s) may solve your problem imo.
Others may have better solutions.

 

[HankAZ]

I have just purchased a new iPhone 5s, which runs on iOS 8.4. I did a backup of my old iPhone 4 (iOS 7.1.2, then went to iTunes to set up my iPhone 5s, expecting to restore the backup onto this new phone - only it wouldn't let me, as the backup wasn't iOS 8, but of course, an iPhone 4 isn't iOS 8 compatible.

I know I'm late to the party, but there must be some way to do this, else what did all the iPhone 4 users do when the iPhone 5s was released in 2013?

iCloud backup (on iPhone 4) and restore (on iPhone 5s) may solve your problem imo.
Others may have better solutions. ��

usedberry nailed it. The best solution is simply to back up the older device (iPhone 4) to iTunes or iCloud and restore the new device (iPhone 5S) with that backup.

You cannot use a backup from a newer version (iOS 8.4) to restore to an older version (iOS 7), but you CAN go to a newer iOS version, as usedberry suggested.

 

[alemack]

Thanks, that's showing up as an option now. My problem now is that when I used iTunes to restore the backup, none of my messages were available - nor were all my apps, etc. - any ideas why this would be the case?

 

[kch50428]

You have to sync to iTunes for apps and music, etc.