iPhone 12 Pro from 5S to 12 Pro: set up from scratch instead of restore from backup?

[malch]

Hi there,
I'm going from such an old phone to something brand new (arriving Wednesday), so part of me wants to set up from scratch, to avoid carrying over invisible little bits and bites that I just don't want or need anymore. Is this prudent? I really don't use 99% of the apps on my 5S's second, third and fourth home screens, so I can easily just re-download the few iOS apps that I do use. The only data that I want and need is email, and Messages. Photos? Well, I copy all my photos over to my MacBook Pro (2013, a bit long in the tooth too, but it works perfectly) so I don't need any of those either. Mail on my 12Pro should import all my mailboxes on it's own, right? And Messages the same?
Thanks for any advice,
malch

 

[nepalisherpa]

Hi there,
I'm going from such an old phone to something brand new (arriving Wednesday), so part of me wants to set up from scratch, to avoid carrying over invisible little bits and bites that I just don't want or need anymore. Is this prudent? I really don't use 99% of the apps on my 5S's second, third and fourth home screens, so I can easily just re-download the few iOS apps that I do use. The only data that I want and need is email, and Messages. Photos? Well, I copy all my photos over to my MacBook Pro (2013, a bit long in the tooth too, but it works perfectly) so I don't need any of those either. Mail on my 12Pro should import all my mailboxes on it's own, right? And Messages the same?
Thanks for any advice,
malch

I would recommend that you delete all of the apps you don't use and only keep what you want transferred to the new phone. Then, when you get your 12 Pro, just use the built-in data transfer when setting up the new phone.

 

[VSMacOne]

Set up as new and use iCloud to sync your messages and photos

 

[aakshey]

Set up as new and use iCloud to sync your messages and photos

This.

 

[malch]

Thanks for the advice everyone, but I'm posting to say that an Apple tech guy advised me to choose what he said will be the last option—the "do not transfer any apps or data" option. I'll have to download my apps again, from the App Store, but that should be easy. I'm sure all the options are good, but coming from an iPhone 5, I think I'll just feel better doing what I used to call when I got a new computer, a "clean install". I hope this is the best plan for me.