I have a 3GS with iOS 4.3.5. What's the best, cleanest way to transfer all of my apps and settings (email settings etc) when the iPhone 4S arrives? Should I upgrade the 3GS to iOS 5 first, or leave it at 4.3.5? Do I just make a backup of the iPhone 3GS and restore is to the 4S? I have no idea..
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Best way to transfer apps/settings from 3GS to 4S?
- Thread starter scorpionleather
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In my past experience, backing up everything on one version of an operating system and restoring onto a new major version can cause quirks, especially when the settings features aren't exactly the same. Is Apple iPhone immune to this longstanding industry challenge? In other words would it be better if somehow I avoid restore and transfer everything over manually?
Bump...I'm wondering this too (I have a 3g on 4.2.1...ugh!).
...and...how do you *manually* transfer everything over? Are there step by step directions somewhere?
Jo
I was wondering if the 4s is coming with ios5 out of the box I don't need to upgrade the software right? In that case can I go to ATT store and transfer my contacts from my old iPhone 3G to 4s. I don't care about loosing game data etc.
Can I do it this ways?
Can I do it this ways?
Trouble
@i-sidd the iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5 out of the box.
I tried to restore an iPhone 4 iOS 5 backup to the iPhone 4S. It succeeded and failed. It succeeded in that all my settings, apps, music etc. was transferred correctly and everything seemed to work fine. The I tried to use Siri... It just brought up the standard Voice Control screen... I think at this stage a restore is a no go. Install as new phone...
@i-sidd the iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5 out of the box.
I tried to restore an iPhone 4 iOS 5 backup to the iPhone 4S. It succeeded and failed. It succeeded in that all my settings, apps, music etc. was transferred correctly and everything seemed to work fine. The I tried to use Siri... It just brought up the standard Voice Control screen... I think at this stage a restore is a no go. Install as new phone...
@i-sidd the iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5 out of the box.
I tried to restore an iPhone 4 iOS 5 backup to the iPhone 4S. It succeeded and failed. It succeeded in that all my settings, apps, music etc. was transferred correctly and everything seemed to work fine. The I tried to use Siri... It just brought up the standard Voice Control screen... I think at this stage a restore is a no go. Install as new phone...
Did you turn it on?
@i-sidd the iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5 out of the box.
I tried to restore an iPhone 4 iOS 5 backup to the iPhone 4S. It succeeded and failed. It succeeded in that all my settings, apps, music etc. was transferred correctly and everything seemed to work fine. The I tried to use Siri... It just brought up the standard Voice Control screen... I think at this stage a restore is a no go. Install as new phone...
Wow I wonder if others are running into this as well. I was afraid of this kind of bug in the iPhone 4 -> 5 restore process. I am wondering now if I should skip backup/restore and then just re-sync apps and re-do all the settings manually.
Restoring from iOS4 onto a 4S leaves Siri turned "Off". It's just a flip of a setting in the Options menu to turn it back "On".
YMMV, but the process was painless for me -- I restored from a 3G running 4.1 to a 4S running 5.0 and it got everything right up to and including my open tabs in Safari.
I set up the 4s as new. How can I go back and restore from my 3G backup, which is in iCloud. I tried Apple tech support, but they aren't even accepting calls.
Make sure WiFi is working on 4s
Choose erase iPhone 4s (hope you haven't stored anything important yet!!!)
Go through config again
Config WiFi
Choose restore from cloud option this time.
Hope this helps
Thanks. What do you mean erase iPhone 4s? There's a reset in General in Setting on the iPhone. There's also Restore to Default in iTunes. I don't know about erase.
I figured that was it so I went ahead and it restored without any problems that I can initially see. It even asked me if I wanted to use Siri and turned it on. I did have a problem getting it to work the first time, but it may have just been an initialization delay. I had to renter my 26 hex digit wireless password for the third time today. Not something you can memorize.
Also, I forgot that only my iPad was backed up to iCloud. I restored from my iTunes backup.
I didn't...it was 2am... considering that the size of the restore image for iOS 5 differs some 23.5mb between the iPhone 4 and 4S, I'm figuring there's more to it.
in any case, I'm on hold in
support queue... wish me luck!