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Losing everything Before the era of smartphones, it wasn’t a big deal to store stuff on your phone. Nowadays, it’s practically a Netflix horror movie plot. Wondering how to successfully switch iPhones or iPads, without losing anything in the process? If you’re thinking about upgrading (these are the best iPhones to buy right now), it’s time to take a look at the best iPhones to buy right now. is It is possible to do so without any problems. Your photos, contacts, videos, message history, music, calendars, email accounts, and many of your apps can be transferred from your old device to the new one. Below are the steps.
Updated September 2024: We checked the instructions for the latest iPhones and made adjustments where necessary.
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Back up your old iPhone or iPad
First, you need to back up your old device, which you can do via iCloud or your computerThese steps are detailed below.
Using iCloud
Photo: Apple
Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi. Then, go to your iPhone or iPad’s Settings and click on your name at the top, which will take you to your Apple ID page. Select iCloudchoose iCloud Backupactivate it, click on Backup Nowand let your device back up while still connected to Wi-Fi. It may be worth setting your new device to automatically back up daily, but keep in mind that Apple only allows you to store 5 GB freeEven if you run out of iCloud storage, starting with iOS 15, Apple lets you back up your data to iCloud when upgrading to a new iPhone.
Using a Mac
Connect your iPhone or iPad to your MacBook or iMac and open DiscovererOn the left, you should see your device appear below LocationsYou can review all of your saved data, from music and podcasts to photos and files. If you saved your photos through iCloud, they won’t appear here unless you turn off that feature. General tab, you can select Backup NowTo save your Health and Activity data, choose to encrypt your backup, otherwise it won’t be saved; not saving unencrypted Health and Activity data is a default privacy feature. All iCloud backups are automatically encrypted.
Using a Windows computer
You will need Download iTunes for Windows and connect your iPhone or iPad to your laptop or desktop computer via USB. Click the iPhone/iPad button at the top left of the iTunes window, then go to Summary > Backup Now. Encrypt your backup by clicking Encrypt local backup and set a password. Encryption also lets you back up your health and activity data. To find your backups, click Edit > Preferences > Devices. Apple too Follow the steps here.
Exchange SIM or activate eSIM
Photo: Apple
Once you’ve made a full backup, it’s time to sort out your SIM card. If you’re in the US, the iPhone range no longer has a physical SIM card slot, so you must use an eSIM. If you’ve previously used an eSIM on an iPhone, you can activate it during setup by following the on-screen instructions. If you’re switching from a previous iPhone that uses a physical SIM card, you’ll be asked about transferring your number as part of the quick start process described below. Apple has a full physical SIM card slot. eSIM Setup Instructions for different scenarios. Just know that once you switch from a physical SIM to an eSIM, your physical SIM card will no longer work.
To use a physical SIM card with an older iPhone, simply swap the SIM card from your old phone with the one in your iPhone. You can also do this step after setting up your new iPhone, in case you don’t want to miss any calls or messages during the process. Gently pressing a SIM tool or paperclip into the hole in the SIM tray will help you pop it open. The SIM card has a slanted side, which you can align with the SIM tray on your new iPhone.
Turn on your new device
We recommend fully charging both your old device and your new iPhone before you begin, and keeping a charger handy just in case. You’re now ready to power up your new device. The next step depends on which version of iOS or iPadOS your old device is running.
Note: If you use the Google Authenticator app (or any other two-factor authentication app), be careful not to delete this app on your old iPhone until you’ve transferred your accounts to the new one, or you may lose access. Here are some tips: Google Instructions to transfer authenticator codes to a new phone.