Apple’s published instructions for moving to an iPhone 18 Pro amount to three preparation steps and one free support session. There is no Apple support article covering data transfer to this model, because Apple has not published a user guide for it yet: the iPhone manuals index still stops at the iPhone 17 family and iPhone Air.
That is a real gap a week before launch, and it is worth knowing which parts of the process Apple actually documents before Friday, September 18, when the new iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods all reach customers on the same day.
| Step | What Apple publishes |
|---|---|
| Back up your old iPhone | Listed as trade-in preparation |
| Turn off Find My | Listed as trade-in preparation |
| Sign out of your Apple Account | Listed as trade-in preparation |
| Transfer your data | Free Personal Setup session with an Apple Specialist |
| Move your mobile line | “See carrier for details” |
| Step-by-step guide for iPhone 18 Pro | Not published |
The three steps Apple does publish
They come from Apple’s Trade In page rather than from a setup guide. Apple states that a confirmation email carries backup and preparation instructions, and lists the preparation as backing up the device, turning off Find My and signing out of your Apple Account.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
Those three steps matter whether or not you trade in. Signing out and turning off Find My is what releases the old device, and doing it before the new phone arrives avoids doing it while the new one is waiting.
Personal Setup is Apple’s published help for the transfer
Apple lists free Personal Setup as one-on-one online sessions with an Apple Specialist covering setup and data transfer. It is the only transfer assistance Apple names for this launch, and it is free with a purchase.
Apple has published no step list of its own for moving data to iPhone 18 Pro, and the general “Update your iPhone or iPad” support document that would normally sit alongside such guidance was last updated on December 5, 2025 and still references iOS 18 and iOS 26 in its screenshots.
The part Apple hands to your carrier
The mobile line is the step most likely to stall, and it is the step Apple documents least. Apple’s specs page lists “Dual eSIM (two active eSIMs)” and states that these models do not support a physical SIM.
| Connectivity fact | Apple’s published wording |
|---|---|
| SIM support | Dual eSIM, two active eSIMs, no physical SIM |
| Markets with no SIM tray | 12, including the US, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the UAE |
| Requirement | “Use of an eSIM requires a carrier that supports eSIM and a wireless service plan” |
| Where to get the steps | “See carrier for details” |
| iPhone Handoff at launch | T-Mobile in the US and Telekom Germany in Germany |
There is no Apple document describing how a line moves from an old iPhone to an iPhone 18 Pro. Apple’s footnote sends the question to the carrier, and the carriers have published very little about this launch.
The manual Apple has not published
Apple has issued product marketing pages and press releases for six new products this month and has not yet published the corresponding support library. There is no iPhone 18 Pro entry in Apple’s manuals index, no “About iOS 27 Updates” document, and no iOS 27 row on Apple’s security releases index, which still tops out at iOS 26.6.2 from September 8.
Expect that library to appear alongside the iOS 27 release on Monday or with availability on Friday. Until then, the marketing and specs pages are the published record for iPhone 18 Pro.
What Apple has not said
- Any step list for transferring data to iPhone 18 Pro.
- Any published process for moving an eSIM between iPhones. Apple defers to the carrier.
- Any iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max user guide. The manuals index does not list either.
- Any support document number issued for the September 2026 products.
- Whether the accessibility hub, which has not been refreshed for this launch, updates on September 14.
iOS 27 arrives on Monday, September 14, and iPhone 18 Pro on Friday, September 18. The three preparation steps Apple does publish can be done on the old phone at any point before then, and they apply equally if you are also handing over an older Apple Watch for credit.