Moving to new iPhone

[holger]

Hi there,

I have an iPhone 3GS and just bought a new 4S.
I would like to have all of my text messages, contacts and everything from the 3GS on my new 4S.
So far I found out that simply synching it with iTunes would do that job.

But I also want to keep using my old 3GS with a different carrier that is abroad. So I want to transfer everything from my 3GS to my 4S but from then on use them again independently.

How does that work?

Thanks,
Holger

 

[Small White Car]

1) Right-click your old phone in iTunes. Tell it to back up. Then eject it.

2) Move the SIM card from the old phone to the new one.

3) Next, plug in the new phone and tell it to restore from that backup.


That's it, the old phone will keep all its data and work as an iPod.

I'm assuming you have thing like contacts and calendars syncing through something like Gmail or Yahoo or iCloud, right? And your email set up as IMAP or Exchange? This will keep your phones synced after you do all this. If it's not set that way, fix this before starting step 1.

 

[Jordan921]

1) Right-click your old phone in iTunes. Tell it to back up. Then eject it.

2) Move the SIM card from the old phone to the new one.

3) Next, plug in the new phone and tell it to restore from that backup.


That's it, the old phone will keep all its data and work as an iPod.

I'm assuming you have thing like contacts and calendars syncing through something like Gmail or Yahoo or iCloud, right? And your email set up as IMAP or Exchange? This will keep your phones synced after you do all this. If it's not set that way, fix this before starting step 1.

The 4S uses a micro-sim so he can't just move the 3GS sim card. All he'll have to do is backup the 3GS then plug in the 4S and restore from backup.

 

[Small White Car]

The 4S uses a micro-sim so he can't just move the 3GS sim card. All he'll have to do is backup the 3GS then plug in the 4S and restore from backup.

Oops. Good call.

He doesn't say how he bought the new phone. He might have to call his carrier to make it work depending on where he got it from. But hopefully not!

 

[iceterminal]

Make a back up of your 3GS in iTunes. Once done, unplug it and move it out of the way.
Connect your new, activated, 4S to iTunes. Tell it to restore from back up that you just created.
Wait.

However, I am not sure text messages can be backed up or transferred. If you need them that bad, for whatever reason, make screen shots of them on your 3GS.

I still don't understand the desire many have to save text messages. Guess its just me that doesn't have any emotional ties to them.

 

[Small White Car]

However, I am not sure text messages can be backed up or transferred. If you need them that bad, for whatever reason, make screen shots of them on your 3GS.

They come through in the backup. That won't be a problem.

 

[iceterminal]

They come through in the backup. That won't be a problem.

Danke mein Freund, wasn't sure about that. Like I said, I delete my texts within a day of getting them. I have no need for that type of immaterial item. Unless its business related.

 

[holger]

Thanks for all your help!

So if I synchronize my 4S can I still use my 3GS and synchronize it from time to time? Or will iTunes think that both are the same phone now and mess things up?

I want to use the two phones with two different carriers in two different countries.
And yes, I have a micro SIM for the 4S, thanks for the remark!