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iPhone's getting replaced at Apple Store - what should I do in preparation?

applemax

applemax

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 22, 2005
1,032
3
Hi

I'm taking my iPhone 3G into the Apple Store soon as it has a long list of hardware specific problems. I've had it for around a month and I'm hoping it'll get replaced.

What should I do before I take it in? I've been advised to sync it as this backs it up - what does it back up exactly? All my emails/contacts/calendars are synced over MobileMe.

Will I lose my texts, home screen layouts and home screen bookmarks?

Also, what's the best way to wipe the iPhone's data?

Thanks :)
 
Sync with iTunes to make a backup for the next phone you get. It basically backs up all your apps, app data, contacts, SMS, Mail etc etc. Pretty much everything.

Next, click 'Restore' in iTunes. Make sure you set this up as a new phone, and do not restore any backups.

The iPhone will be stock, and non of your personal details/information should be on there. Just as if you got it new.

When you get your new iPhone, connect to iTunes and restore your backup (it should prompt you). Then you'll get all that you had on your current phone on the new phone :)
 
Tokiopop said:
Sync with iTunes to make a backup for the next phone you get. It basically backs up all your apps, app data, contacts, SMS, Mail etc etc. Pretty much everything.

Next, click 'Restore' in iTunes. Make sure you set this up as a new phone, and do not restore any backups.

The iPhone will be stock, and non of your personal details/information should be on there. Just as if you got it new.

When you get your new iPhone, connect to iTunes and restore your backup (it should prompt you). Then you'll get all that you had on your current phone on the new phone :)
Click to expand...

OK, so is it better to restore it than to use the 'Wipe iPhone' option in settings?
Thanks
 
applemax said:
Hi

I'm taking my iPhone 3G into the Apple Store soon as it has a long list of hardware specific problems. I've had it for around a month and I'm hoping it'll get replaced.

What should I do before I take it in? I've been advised to sync it as this backs it up - what does it back up exactly? All my emails/contacts/calendars are synced over MobileMe.

Will I lose my texts, home screen layouts and home screen bookmarks?

Also, what's the best way to wipe the iPhone's data?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

a backup will back up your texts, homescreen layout (for the apple apps), and bookmarks. So your all set there

as for the MobileMe thing, make sure EVERYTHING on your phone is stored on the MobileMe website. You don't want to get a new phone only to find that the important new contact you just added never got uploaded for some reason, and is now gone

and there is a way to clear your memory completely on the phone. The people at the Genius bar will do this when they replace it, but if you don't trust them and want to do it yourself:
open the settings app
choose general>reset>erase all content and settings

the process should take around an hour to complete, but when it does, EVERYTHING will be wiped from the phone. Only a super hacker or experienced governmental employee who's job it is to search phones will be able to recover any of it
(short of replacing all the memory on the phone, which I believe Apple does when they refurb the phone, though I'm not sure, its impossible to COMPLETELY erase everything on the phone. With enough work and knowledge, it can be brought back. But the difficulty of doing this is unbelievable, and you'd have to be accused of a terrible crime for anyone to take the time to try and bring it back)

so I think you'll be safe

good luck. I hope you get your phone replaced!




EDIT: apparently, this took me so long to type that the question already was answered by the time I posted it! my bad
 
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