Transfer Photos to New iPhone Without iCloud [2025 Guide]

🖼️Quick Answer:

Will My Photos Transfer to New iPhone Without iCloud

Yes — even if you don't use iCloud, your photos can still be transferred to a new iPhone. Why not use iCloud to transfer photos? Many users avoid iCloud due to its 5GB free storage limit, which fills up quickly with high-resolution images and videos. Once that space is full, syncing stops unless you upgrade to a paid iCloud+ plan.

If you want to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone more than 5GB of data without paying for iCloud+, you'll need better iCloud alternatives to transfer photos to new iPhone. Whether you want a one-click transfer solution or a completely wireless method, this guide covers the top four ways to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud.

Method 1. Transfer Photos to New iPhone Without iCloud Using EaseUS iPhone Transfer Tool

EaseUS MobiMover is one of the top iPhone data transfer software, which enables users to transfer files from iPhone to iPhone in one click. You can use it to send photos, contacts, notes, books, Safari bookmarks, movies, TV shows, videos, music, ringtones, playlists, and audiobooks within a few seconds.

Besides, this iOS data transfer software can also help you back up all iPhone files to the computer without data size limitations and transfer files from PC to iPhone without losing data or resetting.

🏅Pros:

• One-click photo transfer from one iPhone to another
• Transfer 1000+ photos in a few minutes with no data loss or compression
• Supports multiple file types: photos, videos, contacts, music, notes, text messages/iMessages, etc.

👎Cons:

• Requires software installation on a PC or Mac
• Only offers 10 files for free transfer per day.

Let's see how to transfer all photos from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud using EaseUS MobiMover:

Step 1. Connect both your old iPhone and new iPhone to your computer. Run EaseUS MobiMover, and choose "Phone to Phone" from the main interface. Then, set your old iPhone as the source device and the new iPhone target device and click the "Next" button to continue.

Step 2.  Then check the files you'd like to copy. Other than photos, you can also choose to transfer music, ringtones, videos, contacts, and more from your old iPhone to the new one.

Step 3. Click the "Transfer" button to start importing photos from iPhone to iPhone. The time it will take depending on the size of the files. Wait for the process to complete. After that, go to the "Photos" app on your new iPhone and check the newly copied photos.

Moreover, if you want to manage your iCloud photos or iPhone photos more conveniently, you can check the "Device Manager" or "iCloud Manager" for more features such as bulk deletion.

Method 2. Transfer Photos from iPhone to iPhone Without iCloud Using iTunes/Finder

Like iCloud, iTunes/Finder is another Apple's official way to back up and sync iPhone data. To transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone with iTunes or Finder, you need to back up pictures from the first iPhone and then sync photos to the target device. What's more, if you have made an iTunes backup, you can restore your iPhone from the iTunes backup if your iPhone doesn't work normally.

Before proceeding with this, install the latest version of iTunes on your Windows computer. If you are a Mac user, make sure your macOS is Catalina or later.

🏅Pros:

• Free to use
• Doesn't require third-party software

👎Cons:

• Can't transfer photos only
• Full backup & restore process takes time
• Often crashes or freezes
• Needs computer

Here's how to transfer pictures from iPhone to iPhone with iTunes:

Step 1. Back up photos from old iPhone with iTunes

• Connect your source iPhone to the computer and run iTunes.
• Click the iPhone device button within iTunes, if you have found the iPhone won't connect to iTunes, check how to fix it online.
• Then, click "This computer" > "Back Up Now" > "Apply" to begin to back up old iPhone to the computer, including iPhone photos in the Photos app.

Step 2. Transfer photos to new iPhone via iTunes

• Plug out the old/source iPhone and re-connect the new iPhone to the computer via USB cable.
• Click the iPhone device button within iTunes, then choose "Photos" > Tick "Sync Photos" > "Sync." Wait patiently, and the iPhone photos stored in the Photos app or in other folders will be transferred to the new iPhone.

Method 3. Transfer photos to New iPhone without iCloud/Computer via AirDrop

Is there a way to transfer photos from old iPhone to new iPhone without iCloud or computer? Yes. You can enable the AirDrop feature on both devices and start transferring photos. AirDrop is also a good option to send multiple photos on iPhone without iCloud to your friends or family for sharing.

To AirDrop photos between Apple devices, you need to ensure both devices are running iOS 7 or later and have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.

🏅Pros:

• Wireless and quick
• No cable, software or computer needed

👎Cons:

• Not suitable for large photo libraries
• Requires both phones to be nearby and connected

To turn on AirDrop on your old iPhone and new iPhone:

• launch Control Center by swiping up/down (iPhone X/XS/XR) on your iPhone or iPad
• Long press on the Wi-Fi button
• Tap AirDrop
• Tap the "Contacts Only" or "Everyone" button to turn on AirDrop

When you're prepared, just follow the steps to AirDrop photos from iPhone to iPhone without computer. Additionally, the following steps can also be applied to airdrop photos between other Apple devices.Here's how to use AirDrop to transfer photos from old iPhone to new iPhone without iCloud or computer:

Step 1. Go to the Photos App on your source iPhone > Select the photos you'd like to transfer to your target iPhone.

Step 2. Tap on the "Share" button > Click "AirDrop" and choose your target iPhone.

Step 3. On your target iPhone, click "Accept" when a prompt asks you whether to accept the photos from your source iPhone.

Method 4. Use Quick Start to Transfer Photos to New iPhone (During Setup)

If you have a brand new iPhone and want to get old photos from old iPhone without iCloud, you can also use Quick Start. Quick Start is an Apple-built migration feature that helps you set up a new iPhone using your existing device. It appears automatically when your new iPhone is placed near your old one. If both devices are running iOS 12.4 or later, you can use iPhone Migration to transfer all data — including photos — directly from the old iPhone to the new one over Wi-Fi or a wired connection.

Notice: Quick Start only works when your new iPhone is not yet set up. If you've already set up your device, you'll need to erase it and start over from the Hello screen to use this method.

🏅Pros:

• Transfers everything: photos, apps, settings, and more
• No need for a computer or iCloud
• Built-in and 100% free

👎Cons:

• Only available during the initial setup of the new iPhone
• Both devices must be nearby and connected to power
• Time-consuming for large data transfers

Follow the steps below to transfer all photos from iPhone to iPhone via Quick Start when you're setting up your new iPhone:

Step 1. Turn on your new iPhone and place it near your old iPhone.

Step 2. Wait for the Quick Start screen to appear on your old device and confirm the Apple ID.

Step 3. Tap "Continue" and use your old iPhone to scan the animation on the new iPhone.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up Face ID or Touch ID on the new iPhone.

Step 5. Choose "Transfer from iPhone" when prompted, and keep the devices near each other until the transfer completes.

The Bottom Line

If you want to transfer photos to your new iPhone without using iCloud, there are reliable alternatives available. For fast, full-size photo transfer, EaseUS MobiMover is your best bet. If you prefer a free method, iTunes or AirDrop works—but may have limitations.

• EaseUS MobiMover is easy to use and fast to transfer pictures. With it, you can manage your iOS data or download videos from any video-sharing website. The only drawback of it is that it requires you to install third-party software.
• iTunes is convenient without using any third-party software, but it crashes and freezes very often, which might cause data loss.
• AirDrop enables you to transfer photos between iOS devices wirelessly, but it requires a stable WiFi connection and only supports a few photos transfers.
• Quick Start can only be used to transfer files including photos when you're setting up a brand new device and it can't transfer only photos.

FAQ on How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to iPhone

1. How to transfer photos that are not on iCloud?

If your photos are stored locally on your iPhone and not synced with iCloud, you can transfer them using other methods like:

1. EaseUS MobiMover: Transfer local photos directly between two iPhones via a computer.
2. iTunes: Back up your old iPhone and restore the backup to the new one, including all local photos.
3. AirDrop: Select and send photos manually from one iPhone to another if you only need a few files.
4. Quick Start: During iPhone setup, migrate all content — including local-only photos — from the old device to the new one.

These options work even if iCloud Photos is disabled.

2. Can I use Quick Start to only move photos?

No. Quick Start transfers your entire iPhone content — including apps, settings, messages, and photos — during the setup process. It does not allow you to selectively transfer only photos. If you only want to move photos without copying everything else, consider using a tool like EaseUS MobiMover or AirDrop instead.

3. How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone by touching?

iPhones do not support file transfer via actual physical touch like NFC tap-to-share (common on Android). If you're referring to transferring data by physically placing two iPhones next to each other during setup, that's Quick Start. It uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to wirelessly migrate data — including photos — when the devices are close together.