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Restore from backup or CLEAN install?

New phone: restore from backup or clean install?

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    56
C

CavemanMike

macrumors regular
Original poster
If I backup my iphone 6s and restore it onto an iphone X, is that BAD?

Seems like it would save me a lot of time.

However, I don't want to mess up the new phone.

[EDIT: My 6s is HORRIBLE after upgrading to IOS 11. That's why I'm getting the iphone X. With that in mind, should I NOT restore from backup?]

Thoughts?

Also, please answer the poll I created for this thread.

Thx
Mike
 
Last edited:
Restore from backup is fine, provided you weren't previously running beta.

You will need to update the iPhone X first (more than likely) before you can restore from backup.

If your 6s is running ios 11, you can also place it near the iPhone X when both are on, and it will give you the option to transfer setup to the new phone.
 
CavemanMike said:
If I backup my iphone 6s and restore it onto an iphone X, is that BAD?

Seems like it would save me a lot of time.

However, I don't want to mess up the new phone.

Thoughts?

Also, please answer the poll I created for this thread.

Thx
Mike
Click to expand...

Unless you 6S has problems your backup will be good and fast. I have used my backups for years on new phones and NEVER had the first problem. If you got a lot of crap on your phone you should clean it up.
 
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I think I'm on my 4th or 5th backup>>restore cycle (from a 4S). Same with my 2015 MBP, it's the 4th image>>restore that originated with a 2010 machine, and has only been updated, no fresh re-installs.
 
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I’ve always restored from backups. Never had a problem, and I’ve had pretty much every iPhone since the 3G.
 
D.T. said:
I think I'm on my 4th or 5th backup>>restore cycle (from a 4S). Same with my 2015 MBP, it's the 4th image>>restore that originated with a 2010 machine, and has only been updated, no fresh re-installs.
Click to expand...

Yep, I like to do a fresh iTunes encrypted backup to restore my new devices. I still back up tot the cloud nightly just for safety. I can not imagine losing all of my data on my phone.
 
My 6s is HORRIBLE after upgrading to IOS 11. That's why I'm getting the iphone X. With that in mind, should I NOT restore from backup?
 
CavemanMike said:
My 6s is HORRIBLE after upgrading to IOS 11. That's why I'm getting the iphone X. With that in mind, should I NOT restore from backup?
Click to expand...
What's on the backup you need that won't sync through icloud?
I set my iPhone X up as new, and it had me run through setting up Siri to recognize my voice, which I had never seen before since I had been restoring from backups since iPhone 4s.
 
I always used to do a clean setup, presumably because it’s a hangover from my old days as a techy, but the last couple of phones I’ve just restored a backup and it’s been perfectly fine.
 
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There's a myth that starting with a clean install will make your device run better. I know of no evidence that supports this. What's certain is that you will have to spend a lot more time getting everything you want on your phone and set up the way you like it again.

I've restored from backup through 3Gs --> 5s --> 6 --> 8+ No problems.
 
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tromboneaholic said:
What's on the backup you need that won't sync through icloud?
I set my iPhone X up as new, and it had me run through setting up Siri to recognize my voice, which I had never seen before since I had been restoring from backups since iPhone 4s.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to avoid hunting for all the apps, installing them, configuring them, etc.
 
CavemanMike said:
I'm trying to avoid hunting for all the apps, installing them, configuring them, etc.
Click to expand...
Most games are set up to play on multiple devices and use Game Center for game saves. App Store has a list of purchased apps you can peruse to find the ones you want.
[doublepost=1511227988][/doublepost]
joeblow7777 said:
There's a myth that starting with a clean install will make your device run better. I know of no evidence that supports this. What's certain is that you will have to spend a lot more time getting everything you want on your phone and set up the way you like it again.

I've restored from backup through 3Gs --> 5s --> 6 --> 8+ No problems.
Click to expand...
Well, when someone has a problem, one of the first troubleshooting techniques Apple employs is to have them restore the device as new. It doesn’t hurt.
 
tromboneaholic said:
Most games are set up to play on multiple devices and use Game Center for game saves. App Store has a list of purchased apps you can peruse to find the ones you want.
[doublepost=1511227988][/doublepost]
Well, when someone has a problem, one of the first troubleshooting techniques Apple employs is to have them restore the device as new. It doesn’t hurt.
Click to expand...

Sure, if there's a problem. But if your device is working fine and you're simply moving on to a new one, there's no reason to expect that restoring from a backup will create new problems where there were none before.
 
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joeblow7777 said:
Sure, if there's a problem. But if your device is working fine and you're simply moving on to a new one, there's no reason to expect that restoring from a backup will create new problems where there were none before.
Click to expand...
I’ve always restored from backup, but it was nice to start fresh with iPhone X. With iCloud sync, even my health and activity from Watch came over. I was surprised to see a setup/training for Siri to learn my voice which I never went through.

I definitely noticed improved performance on my iPad Air 2 when I restored it as new with iOS 11.

I’m the type of person who quits apps in the background, and closes tabs in safari though....

In this case, OP does seem to be having issues on the phone being backed up.
 
Thanks everyone. On the iphone 6s plus which was at 10.3, I just updated to latest ios 11.x, backed it up and intend to restore it tomorrow on the arriving 8+. Of course, if I don't like it, I could then wipe it . !!!
 
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I always restore from iCloud backup for iOS devices, but I also make an encrypted iTunes backup just in case. iOS backups are not like total image snapshots of your device. Apps and cloud data are re-synced after restore. I’ve never had any issues (knock on wood) and my first back up was for the iPhone 3g. I’ve never felt the need to set up as new instead of restoring from backup, but if you want a fresh start it might be worth doing. Just be careful with health data if you use an Apple Watch or any apps that write to health. Read this for more info.
https://m.imore.com/how-save-and-back-your-health-data-apple-watch
 
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Clean install all the way. Nothing feels better than a fresh start. And thanks to iCloud, most of your data is going nowhere.
 
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I always do a clean install and setup as a new phone and then choose which apps to install. With every iPhone I setup the apps differently. Doing the same with the iPhone X.
 
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I’ve been restoring from iTunes backups for years and never had a single problem. This time I restored from my 6 backup to my new X.
 
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Always run betas so clean install. Plus, I like the thrill of setting overthing up again on the new phone and I never have battery issues etc.

Will be even better once iMessage moves to the cloud.

You also get the new defaults too.
 
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