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michael31986

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 11, 2008
4,590
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It’s been years and I hear different answers all the time.

does new really make the phone run faster?
 
If you set up as new, do u have to install each app one by one? if u use the back up, it automatically installs all your apps for you?
 
The speed up thing has some water but there will never be a consensus. Why? I am confident to say each processor in an iPhone is different from the other, one way or another, just so that most of them are performant and working well enough that people usually don’t notice a difference. Silicon lottery is a thing in PC world, and same will happen in Apple world.

Also, Apple alters system quite a bit each year or even between small dot updates, meaning some settings existed in iOS 13 for example, will not be present in iOS 15. I am not talking about settings you can adjust in settings app. I am talking about settings controlled using files similar to plist on a Mac or something else.

Because of all these, you will likely never get a solid answer whether restoring is better or starting fresh. The only argument I can see is time saving from restoring from backup vs OCD and wanting to always start fresh. Nothing much more.
 
If you set up as new, do u have to install each app one by one? if u use the back up, it automatically installs all your apps for you?
If you restore from a backup, it’ll be like you never even switched phones. Everything will be exactly as you left it on the previous device. Apps, photos, messages, calls, literally everything. The only thing you have to do is set up Face ID, and maybe re-enter a few app passwords. There’s truly no reason not to do this. Anything else is just a waste of time.
 
If you set up as new, do u have to install each app one by one? if u use the back up, it automatically installs all your apps for you?
Yea I think you have to instal each app. If you toggle off the app I think it doesn’t carry over the app.
 
i used to set up as new before but starting with the X, i started to restore from back up and i upgrade every year. no difference at all, just saves way more time this way
 
Last year I tried to do the phone to phone transfer however my 11 pro max at the time had the new ios version and the 12 pro max had the older version so of course it wouldn't allow the transfer. I had to sit outside the store and update the software on the new phone which took ages :( This year I am not sure what I will do. Chances are the new phones aren't running ios 15 and my 12 is.
 
Last year I tried to do the phone to phone transfer however my 11 pro max at the time had the new ios version and the 12 pro max had the older version so of course it wouldn't allow the transfer. I had to sit outside the store and update the software on the new phone which took ages :( This year I am not sure what I will do. Chances are the new phones aren't running ios 15 and my 12 is.
I thought the new phones always have the new iOS pre-installed?
 
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I tell myself I’m going to set up as new each year.
I always end up doing the restore because it’s just so much easier.
 
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I like to set up as new just to filter out any apps which I no longer use. Also end up redoing any widgets and stuff. Think of it as spring cleaning I guess. The important things are still transferred over via iCloud like messages and photos.
 
I'm going to start fresh because many apps on my current 6s Plus are out of date, no longer used, or simply incompatible with newer iOS versions, and there is junk that has built up over the years. But most people here aren't taking as big of a leap as I am. Going from another iPhone on the latest iOS to a new one shouldn't require you to start fresh unless you really want to.
 
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I like to set up as new just to filter out any apps which I no longer use. Also end up redoing any widgets and stuff. Think of it as spring cleaning I guess. The important things are still transferred over via iCloud like messages and photos.

This! I will be definitely doing that this Friday. It's just an hour or so of headache anyway.
 
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I'll be restoring an old XS Max backup into my 13 PM as that was my last backup.
 
I'll be starting fresh, I know if I restore from backup I'll find the smallest nagging issue and I'll then convince myself that if I had started fresh it wouldn't be there :D this way there's no excuses
 
my 6s it's on 14.8 .. do I need to update to 15 in order to use the transfer option on the phone?
 
I use to set up as new because I wanted to go through the "experience." But now that I'm older and have zero patience, Ive been restoring from iCloud back up since the X or 11. Now I'm planning of doing a complete backup and restore from my iMac since its more of a "complete" backup and it will restore all of my app logins/data
 
So did I. The new phones are made months prior to release so no chance of them having the latest ios version.
I think Csuse last year they came out in November and their was some iOS update right before the release.
 
If you set up as new, do u have to install each app one by one? if u use the back up, it automatically installs all your apps for you?
If you set it up as new, yes you have to install each app one by one. I always restore from back up but I do the direct transfer. Don't have any issues. At one point my music favorite got messed up on my Mac and don't want to go through all that sorting again so I ended up just restoring from back up each time.
 
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I’ve used the side by side transfer since it has been available. Too fast and easy. Never had any problems with it.
 
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