How to easily set up your new iPhone

Whether you're upgrading to a new iPhone® or activating a replacement device, transferring data from your old iPhone to your new one is simple, if you know where to start. 

Every day, Asurion Experts help our millions of customers to get the most out of their devices, appliances, and connections—and assisting with new device setup is no exception. In this article, they'll walk you through everything you need to know to get your new iPhone up and running, from how to use Quick Start to how to restore data from your iCloud® or restore a backup from your iTunes® account. 

How to set up a new iPhone with Quick Start 

Using Quick Start, you can set up a new iPhone easily using info from your old device. Both devices must be an iPhone 5s or later running iOS® 11 or later; have Bluetooth® enabled; and be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Here's how: 

1. Turn on both devices. 
2. Place the old iPhone next to the new iPhone. When the Quick Start screen appears on the old iPhone, tap Continue.  
3. When the new iPhone displays a pattern, use the old iPhone's camera to scan it and securely pair the phones. (If the old iPhone's camera doesn't work, tap Authenticate Manually and follow the prompts.) 
4. Set up Face ID or set up Touch ID on the new iPhone. 
5. Sign in with your Apple ID password and tap Transfer from iPhone if both iPhones are running iOS 12.4 or later or Download from iCloud to restore apps, data, and settings from the old iPhone's most recent backup, or to create a new backup of the old iPhone and restore from that. 

How to restore a backup on your new iPhone

You can transfer data and important information like your contacts from your old iPhone to your new iPhone wirelessly using iCloud or you can hook up your device to your computer and use either the Finder or iTunes. Follow along with the step-by-step instructions below from Asurion’s YouTube channel or read this guide on how to restore your iPhone backup.

Related: How to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone

Now you have your new iPhone set up and your data restored from your old device, we also recommend taking steps like protecting your phone from hackers and optimizing your iPhone to get the best battery life. If you have an iPhone X or newer, your new device has a security feature called Face ID® built in—check out our guide to learn how to set up and use Face ID.