Are there any way to skip ios 26 while transferring?

manoffuture wrote:

Iphone 13 is running on 18.6.2. So you say back up iphone 13. Then, transfer 13 to 13 pro by upgrading to 26. When the transfer finished, revert the 13 pro with the backup taken from 13 on 18.6.2. Am I right?

No, you are not correct. Once you update either device to iOS 26, you cannot go back, not even by restoring a lower version iOS to the other device.

Open Settings > General > About > Version

On the 13 you want to transfer the data from, what is the version?

On the 13 you want to move the data to, what is the version?

My guess is the 13 Pro you want to move to is on a lower version iOS than the 13 you want to transfer the data from. And if my guess is correct, you cannot move the data from a device running a higher level iOS to a device running a lower version iOS.

If the 13 pro is also on 18.6.2 it should be first erased completely with Settings, General, Transfer or reset iphone, erase all content & settings, then set up the 13 pro using an iCloud backup from the 13, or quick start.

If the 13 pro is on 18.6.1 or earlier then you need to update it to 18.7 or 26, your choice, before erasing and setting up again from the backup or quick start.

manoffuture wrote:

Ah your guess is right.

from: 18.6.2

to: 18.2.1

transfer screen forces me to install ios 26. However, if I upgrade both phones to the latest 18.x, you say I can transfer seamlessly without dealing with 26? Am I right at this time?

If you can get the phone you want to transfer to on iOS 18.7, then yes, you can transfer the data without having to update to iOS 26. And iOS 18.7 is a current option.

Is your regular iPhone 13 on iOS 26? You can restore backups from older versions of iOS, but you cannot restore a version that is on a later version than you are on. Apple has also stopped signing iOS 18.