iOS 13 May Allow Users to Transfer Data Between Two iPhones Over a Direct Wired Connection

Changes found in the latest iOS 13 beta, released to developers on Tuesday, suggest users may be able to transfer data between two devices over a direct wired connection when setting up a new device or restoring one from a backup.

wiredtransfer ios13b3

New graphic found in latest iOS 13 beta (Image via 9to5Mac)

As things stand, iOS users have two restore options in any device setup process. One requires them to download and install a backup stored on a computer via iTunes. The other involves using iCloud and wirelessly transferring data from an old device nearby to a new one logged into the same Apple ID.

However, new assets in the iOS 13 beta spotted by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo include an icon that appears to resemble an iPhone with Face ID connected to an ‌iPhone‌ with Touch ID using a cable, indicating a direct wired transfer option will be available when setting up devices.

In addition, a related code snippet uncovered in the beta includes the user request, "Keep your other ‌iPhone‌ connected to this ‌iPhone‌ and connected to power until the transfer is complete," which perhaps refers to the use of a wireless charging mat during the direct transfer process.

It's unclear how any direct wired connection would work between two iPhones, since Apple doesn't sell a Lightning to Lightning cable that would enable such a physical link. Perhaps Apple intends to make such a cable available when iOS 13 is launched to the public in the fall.

Another possibility is that devices in Apple's new ‌iPhone‌ line-up, expected in September, will replace the ‌iPhone‌ Lightning port with a USB-C port. Apple already offers Lightning-to-USB-C cables for connecting iPhones to newer Macs.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is testing some versions of the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup that include a USB-C connector instead of a Lightning port. It's not known if the company's final plans will include a transition to USB-C, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is going to stick with Lightning for the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

Smartass Avatar
79 months ago
You know what this means? New dongle!
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
79 months ago
This does seem to indicate that future iPhones will have USB-C. I’m completely in favor of that. Most of their Macs have it, so it just makes sense. But if you can transfer data simply by connecting one device with another (albeit with Face or Touch ID), I wonder if someone will figure out how to hack the security measures.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
79 months ago
So in iOS 5, we cut the wire. 8 years later we figure out wire is just better than wireless?
That’s why I still prefer iTunes restore over iCloud restore (if I have only one Apple ID).
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
YaBe Avatar
79 months ago
Looks more like a migration tool from old model (with home button and faded to decipt old) to a newer model ....
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnnyenv Avatar
79 months ago
Or it could be to allow control of an unresponsive phone that has no home button.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
79 months ago
The idea they would only keep Lightning is for licence revenue stream proves that they only care about profit and not the customer. If it took stupidity to remove the 3.5 mm port, maybe they can have courage and nix lightning already.
Lightning is better than usb-c. It’s smaller, it doesn’t loosen over time, and nobody needs super high throughput for a phone. The idea they would only keep lightning for license revenue is a paranoid delusion you have pulled out of thin air. They’d actually make more money if they switched to usb-c, since most people would replace their immense collection of lightning cables and usb-a bricks with apple-branded usb-c bricks and cables.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)