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thomamon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 24, 2008
1,221
163
Flemington, NJ
I haven't done a totally new iPhone setup in years, just been restoring from iCloud.

Just wondering if its time to set one up like its new or just do the iCloud restore? Any advantages to setting it up new?
 
As someone who buys a new iPhone yearly, I have always restored using an iCloud backup and it has worked perfectly.

Don't know if it's better doing it new -- but with the number of apps and information you probably already have installed on your phone after all these years, I doubt it would be a good decision to start fresh.

Just back up your phone to the cloud before trading it in or discarding. Your new phone will import all the backed up information.
 
I would setup as a new device and copy the old pics to the new phone. That's it.

Installing from a fresh setup get's you rid of all those apps you don't use ;-) and give's a lot of free space on the new phone ;-)
 
ive Always restored from backup. Very convenient, especially if the backup comes from a Mac computer (having all passwords restored at once). This year I may set up as new to declutter unused apps. Still thinking it through.
 
I buy new every year and I always setup as new. Everything important (texts, pictures, etc) sync back to the phone after you sign in with your Apple ID. Then, I just download my apps. No big deal.
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There is no advantage to setting it up as new, the only people who believe that are the living fossils who are still stuck in the windows 95 era
This is an ignorant statement. Many times an iPhone might have a small issue and restoring and setting up as new corrects it.
 
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I buy new every year and I always setup as new. Everything important (texts, pictures, etc) sync back to the phone after you sign in with your Apple ID. Then, I just download my apps. No big deal.
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This is an ignorant statement. Many times an iPhone might have a small issue and restoring and setting up as new corrects it.


I have to agree with both statements.

If you have an issue with your original iPhone, then yes, you should set the new one up as new.

However...

Other than that single reason, you should back up and then re-import all your apps and information from the cloud.

I know I personally have dozens of apps, all organized in folders.

Do I want to spend all the time re-downloading and organizing all that information?

Of course not! It's so much easier to back up your phone and then do an import from the cloud.
 
I would setup as a new device and copy the old pics to the new phone. That's it.

Installing from a fresh setup get's you rid of all those apps you don't use ;-) and give's a lot of free space on the new phone ;-)

You can’t import the old pictures to the camera roll on the new phone.
You can only copy them to albums.
 
As someone who buys a new iPhone yearly, I have always restored using an iCloud backup and it has worked perfectly.

Don't know if it's better doing it new -- but with the number of apps and information you probably already have installed on your phone after all these years, I doubt it would be a good decision to start fresh.

Just back up your phone to the cloud before trading it in or discarding. Your new phone will import all the backed up information.
I’ve never understood why this is a good option?

do you not have to re enter the passwords for all of your apps, plus all your email accounts?

to avoid this- I also use the itunes encrypted backup
 
I’ve never understood why this is a good option?

do you not have to re enter the passwords for all of your apps, plus all your email accounts?

to avoid this- I also use the itunes encrypted backup


Yes, that's true.

However, I do it only when I need to use that particular app. In other words, I do it as I go along, whenever I get to that particular app.

Again, the big thing about restoring from a backup is that if you are a highly organized individual who has everything in folders and your iPhone is set up oh-so-perfectly, then the restore process will put everything back exactly as you want it.

Why would I want to sit and spend the time re-organizing my apps a second time around?
 
I buy new every year and I always setup as new. Everything important (texts, pictures, etc) sync back to the phone after you sign in with your Apple ID. Then, I just download my apps. No big deal.
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This is an ignorant statement. Many times an iPhone might have a small issue and restoring and setting up as new corrects it.
I always set up as new and foe the reason as you. You still have to sign into app anyways, and I do a little “spring cleaning” too with apps.

I always set them up as new phones. Gets rid of Bluetooth and network issues that may be carried over from your old phone otherwise
Another reason why to set up as new.
 
That's a great idea.

How do you do that exactly?

And aren't you essentially starting fresh with network settings when you initially set up the phone?

Restore from backup and then head to settings > general > reset > reset network settings. AFAIK this just removes carrier settings, saved wireless networks and bluetooth devices.

Doing what I do I get to keep my app and app layouts ie folders etc which I wouldn’t with settings up as new
 
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Restore from backup and then head to settings > general > reset > reset network settings. AFAIK this just removes carrier settings, saved wireless networks and bluetooth devices.

Doing what I do I get to keep my app and app layouts ie folders etc which I wouldn’t with settings up as new


Thank You!
 
I haven't done a totally new iPhone setup in years, just been restoring from iCloud.

Just wondering if its time to set one up like its new or just do the iCloud restore? Any advantages to setting it up new?
Everytime I get a new iPhone, I set up via iCloud, but the only item I sync from the cloud is contacts - that's it. All existing photos gets saved to my MBA. Any apps, I download from the App Store. I don't have that many apps anyway.
 
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