Question about upgrading to new iPhone

[DaveTheRave]

Forgive me, I've only done this at an Apple Store, not at home. I ordered a new iPhone 6s to replace my wife's 5.

I know I should force it to do one last iCloud backup before turning on the new phone. Here's what I'm not sure of...do I need to log her out and/or reset all settings on her 5? If so, before or after activating the 6? What's the process with the old phone? I don't want an old phone using up one of my iTunes licenses, either.

Thanks

 

[C DM]

You don't really need to do any of that, but if you want to, you definitely can (doesn't really matter if you do it before or after, although I probably wouldn't do it before until the new phone is up and running and there are no issues with it).

 

[mildocjr]

I'll just go step-by-step for replacing a phone.

1. Backup the old device via iCloud or iTunes
2. Swap out the Sim Card on the devices (both turned off)
3. Turn on the new device and walkthrough the initial setup. Follow the steps
4. Sign in with your iCloud account and restore from backup.
5. Check to ensure the phone is working properly after all of your apps have restored to the device.
6. If everything checks out, turn on the old device and ignore the sim card messages.
7. Go to Settings > iCloud > Turn off Find my iPhone (enter password)
8. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings > yes > I'm sure > etc...
9. Once the phone resets and is at the Hello Screen turn off the device.

Done!
[doublepost=1458935050][/doublepost]As far as your licenses go, it won't matter, iTunes doesn't count mobile devices (except in iTunes Match and iCloud Music) but if you run into any issues with that just go into iTunes > Store > My Account [type password] and scroll down until you get to your iCloud Music and iTunes Match settings, here you can forget all devices. I don't think there is a limit on this, but there is a limit to removing Computers authorized with iTunes, you can only do this once a year. (or call Apple for unlimited resets). As far as App licensing goes, that's all tied to your Apple ID so once you reset your account on the old device it can no longer purchase anything from your account and apps you've purchased no longer work with that device.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

You don't have to log her out of the old iPhone, erase settings, or erase prior to setting up the new phone - not a good idea, in fact. You want to be sure the new phone working and is setup correctly, with all desired data, prior to erasing the old one.

Once you're ready to retire the old phone you can follow the instructions in this article: https://support.apple.com/HT201351

Your iOS devices only use one of your "iTunes licenses" when they are actually signed into the iTunes & App Store (this is unlike a computer being Authorized in iTunes - which you do have to de-authorize when you retire the computer - iOS devices do not get Authorized). Erasing the phone automatically signs you out of iTunes & App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. The only service you MUST sign out of separately is iCloud/Find My iPhone (which is stipulated in that article).

 

[mildocjr]

I'm sure we all have high emphasis when we say Don't erase the old phone until the new one is set up

 

[DaveTheRave]

Okay thank you all. Last time I did this was in the store and I got a credit for my old phone. That's why I thought all old phones had to be erased. Guess hats only when you turn in your phone for recycling.

 

[DaveTheRave]

Update: the new phone came iOS 9.0. Which cannot handle an iCloud backup made on a more recent version (9.2.1). So I had to setup the phone as new, update the software, then wipe it and set it up again but this time with the iCloud backup. Strange that the new phone didn't have a more recent version of iOS on it.

 

[electronicsguy]

Update: the new phone came iOS 9.0. Which cannot handle an iCloud backup made on a more recent version (9.2.1). So I had to setup the phone as new, update the software, then wipe it and set it up again but this time with the iCloud backup. Strange that the new phone didn't have a more recent version of iOS on it.

There's nothing strange about it.. The phone must have been manufactured, flashed like 2 months ago with whatever was available. Once its packaged, they can't update it can they.

 

[drewaz]

I'll just go step-by-step for replacing a phone.

1. Backup the old device via iCloud or iTunes
2. Swap out the Sim Card on the devices (both turned off)
3. Turn on the new device and walkthrough the initial setup. Follow the steps
4. Sign in with your iCloud account and restore from backup.
5. Check to ensure the phone is working properly after all of your apps have restored to the device.
6. If everything checks out, turn on the old device and ignore the sim card messages.
7. Go to Settings > iCloud > Turn off Find my iPhone (enter password)
8. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings > yes > I'm sure > etc...
9. Once the phone resets and is at the Hello Screen turn off the device.

Done!
[doublepost=1458935050][/doublepost]As far as your licenses go, it won't matter, iTunes doesn't count mobile devices (except in iTunes Match and iCloud Music) but if you run into any issues with that just go into iTunes > Store > My Account [type password] and scroll down until you get to your iCloud Music and iTunes Match settings, here you can forget all devices. I don't think there is a limit on this, but there is a limit to removing Computers authorized with iTunes, you can only do this once a year. (or call Apple for unlimited resets). As far as App licensing goes, that's all tied to your Apple ID so once you reset your account on the old device it can no longer purchase anything from your account and apps you've purchased no longer work with that device.

If you restore from iTunes, at what point do you connect the phone to the computer .... at the beginning of the process or later?

 

[mildocjr]

If you restore from iTunes, at what point do you connect the phone to the computer .... at the beginning of the process or later?

Well if you are backing up to iTunes just make sure you back up your old device before you take out the sim card as newer devices from what I've heard have a sim lock. When restoring your phone, you can restore before or after you set up the device, it doesn't really matter. To be safe and ensure that your phone is activated on the cellular network, do it after you have set the device up (or whenever you start seeing your carrier name in the top left with signal bars).