The best way I’ve found to set up a new (to you) iPhone is to use iTunes to manage the transition with an encrypted backup of the previous iPhone. This avoids most of the hassles of having a slow Internet connection or not having enough space in iCloud.

Backup First

When you plan to replace one iPhone with another, there are two important steps to prepare: backup and update. First, back up the source iPhone so you can hit the ground running on your new device.

I find it best to back up using iTunes on a Mac or PC (or the Finder in macOS Catalina and newer) and to choose the “encrypt” option. This retains all your private information like stored passwords and health data and is fastest to complete because it doesn’t depend on the Internet.

If you’re doing this for the first time, iTunes will ask you to create a password. Make sure to save it to your keychain so iTunes can look it up when you restore to your new iPhone.

Update Second

Make sure the destination iPhone is up to date. An iPhone to which you will migrate data must be running a version of iOS that is the same or newer than the source device.

A brand new iPhone is probably already up to date. Otherwise, you can update directly on the iPhone or via iTunes. Additionally, you may need to update iTunes or macOS so they will talk to your new iPhone.

Restore From Backup

If you’ve used iTunes to back up past devices, it’s good to review the backups stored on your computer, delete any old ones of devices you no longer have, and clearly identify the one from which you will restore.

You’ll find backups listed in iTunes > Preferences > Devices. Unfortunately, while iTunes indicates encryption in the backup list, it doesn’t do so in the Restore From Backup dialog’s popup menu.

When you have an up to date, encrypted backup of your previous phone and up to date software on your new phone, you can safely restore the backup to the latter device. You might need to set up the new phone in a temporary fashion before you can use iTunes to manage the migration.

Be Patient

Once you begin the restore, the only thing to do next is wait. Your apps are the one thing not stored in the iPhone backup; only your data stored inside the apps is included.

Therefore, if you have a lot of apps that didn’t come with the iPhone, it may take a while to restore them, especially if your Internet connection is slow. Note: Any apps no longer available in the App Store will not be restored, except for their icon and a message indicating this.

Besides a Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) connection, I recommend keeping your iPhone connected to power during this process. Downloading apps uses a lot of data and energy. The device may get warm, too, which is an expected side effect.

Erase Old iPhone

If you don’t plan to keep your previous device and will sell, gift, or recycle it, make sure to erase its contents first. After you ensure your new phone has everything you had before and works as expected, you can feel confident in wiping the old one.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. iPhone will confirm twice to make sure your intentions are pure. Then, the device will restore itself to a factory state.

When you’re all done, you should have an iPhone that works better and has everything you need to carry on without missing a beat. Afterward, I’ll be happy to consult with you about how to make best use of your fancy new device.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to navigate iTunes to manage an iPhone or you get confused at any point along the way, please give me a call so I can help you get unstuck and complete this process with ease.