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iPhone 12 Pro Set up 12 as new or restore?

B

buckethead

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 20, 2008
82
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With all of the pre-orders I am wondering what folks plan to do when they get their new 12 or 12 Pro. I’m moving to a new phone first time in three years from a X and wondering the best way to set up new phone. I have iCloud turned on for everything except keychain, which I never use.

So how are you setting up new phone and why?
 
So what does set up as new mean? You just have to download all your apps again? Does this mean you have to enter all your contacts again? Or does that come over via iCloud?
 
That is an interesting question. Restore would allow me to setup quicker. But setting up as new would allow some house cleaning.
 
JagRunner said:
So what does set up as new mean? You just have to download all your apps again? Does this mean you have to enter all your contacts again? Or does that come over via iCloud?
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Everything you have in iCloud should sync up. All apps and settings need to be downloaded and installed one by one. The one thing I’m not sure of is what happens to my Apple Watch settings and connection.
 
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I've been restoring from backup for years, but this year I'm planning to set up as new. My XS Max has had really bad bluetooth issues since the beginning (Apple Watch shows the disconnected icon dozens of times a day, AirPods refuse to connect, disconnect after being paused in-ear for 30 seconds etc).

As long as I'm able to carry over my Watch workouts/health data and whatever else was maybe in iCloud, I'm going to go fresh this year to rule out any bad Bluetooth / connectivity issues.
 
tekchic said:
I've been restoring from backup for years, but this year I'm planning to set up as new. My XS Max has had really bad bluetooth issues since the beginning (Apple Watch shows the disconnected icon dozens of times a day, AirPods refuse to connect, disconnect after being paused in-ear for 30 seconds etc).

As long as I'm able to carry over my Watch workouts/health data and whatever else was maybe in iCloud, I'm going to go fresh this year to rule out any bad Bluetooth / connectivity issues.
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I’d really like to learn more about how to start new because it’s been so many years and so many phones. Does that mean all email accounts need to be reset? At what point do you sync with Apple Watch? I use the keychain. Will that work to provide passwords? Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
I just set up new and log into iCloud so my
Bookmarks and passwords and photos and messages come over. But not the other random data stuff
 
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I usually set up as new, but i think this time i'm just gonna restore, because it has always been more work to set everything up again than i expected. If i run into any problems i can still start fresh.
 
bigcat said:
Wasn't the health data something you could get back only from a restore? I also prefer set up as new but this is a problem unless it has been solved and this can be backed up to the cloud as well. Anyone knows?

EDIT: looks like a non-issue => https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/back-up-your-health-data-iph11f1eb698/ios
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That was my main concern, losing all the health/watch data. I also saw that same article so I will be doing a new set up. I don’t have a ton of apps and it’ll give me a chance to only install what I use and need. Setting home screens up might be a pain, but with iOS 14 I am using few folders so that’ll be easier.
 
As an old-skool techie, old habits die hard and I still setup new laptops & computers from fresh, but I gave that up for phones and iPads 3/4 years ago when Apple seemed to finally sort this out. I've not had any issues at all and will continue to just restore from backups until there's issues with the process again.
 
I have always used restore and been doing it from 4s up to my current iPhone and I will continue the same. I have never had any issue with it. Been doing the same with iPads. If there is such feature offered, why it would not work? I don't think it will copy all the possible issues from one to another but it will move all the needed stuff. For example it seems to install apps fresh doing that but save settings in them (mostly, not all in all apps).
 
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I always find restore from backup takes forever. I do a clean install. It also forces me to review what apps I really use and change how I have my phone to suit me. It’ll be quite different this year as my lifestyle has changed a great deal since January; more health apps, less public transport apps, almost no social media. Good excuse for a house clean; and I clear out a load of cruft.
 
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I always to a clean install every time I get a new phone. only Stuff I have in iCloud like calendar and contacts and text messages come back but rest I like it fresh.
 
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