Ready for the iPhone 4S? I am… or at least I thought I was, until I started considering what I'd do with my old phone, how much time I would need to migrate to a new device, and whether any secure information, like my credit card number, could be stolen off the old phone.
Migrating from an old iPhone 3, 3GS, or 4 is a little bit of a project, and it can be a real headache if you're changing mobile carriers, too. But if you're informed about the process and know a few simple ways to protect your privacy, it's actually not that bad. The ten minutes it takes you to read this article now could save you an hour or two when it comes time to set up your new iPhone 4S. Here's what you need to know and do to prepare for an iPhone 4S:
1. Decide What to do With Your Old Phone.
You have a few options for what to do with your old phone: keep it, sell it, donate it, recycle it.
Keep it: You can keep an old iPhone and use it as a pocket PC. It will function just like an iPod Touch. You'll also have it as a back-up phone in case your new one is lost, stolen, or seriously damaged. You might also keep your old iPhone and "gift" it to a family member who could use a pocket PC. No matter who will receive the phone—even your significant other or child—it's a good idea to wipe the phone's data (see below). You wouldn't want your teenager to accidentally lose a device that had your credit card number on it.
Sell it: You could try your luck at selling an old iPhone on eBay or Craigslist (depending on the popularity of the site where you live). You're likely to get the best price by selling the device yourself, but if time and effort are more valuable, try selling it to NextWorth or Gazelle, which will offer a slightly lower price but remove some of the legwork.
Donate it: Plenty of charity programs will accept an old iPhone as a donation. Look for a cause you support, and preferably a charity that you know. Again, erase all the phone's data before you give it to an organization.
Recycle it: Absolutely be sure to erase all your data from your iPhone if you're going to recycle it. Apple has a recycling program for iPhones with some minor incentive programs—I say "minor" because they don't really measure up to the price you can get if you sell your old iPhone. But it’s still better (and more environmentally friendly) than simply throwing it away.
2. Prepare for Migration.
Once you figure out what to do with your old phone, you should start preparing your data for the migration, including your phone number. You should do these steps on the very same day that you plan to first use the new iPhone 4S, so hold off until you have a new phone in hand.
Port your number: If you're sticking with your current mobile phone service provider, skip this paragraph. If you're switching carriers, contact the new carrier first. Explain your plan and timing for switching services (typically you can switch within 24 hours), and ask questions that you have. The new carrier will usually contact your old provider to cancel the plan for you. Ask for a confirmation number if this is the case.
Charge up the new iPhone: Out of the box, the first thing you'll want to do with a new phone is juice it up fully and completely. Plug it in, and leave it charging until the battery is totally full.
Update iTunes and upgrade to iOS 5: Check for updates to iTunes—you should have iTunes 10.5—and be sure to actually install the software if you have to update it. Then upgrade to the new operating system, iOS 5, available October 12: Plug your iPhone into your computer via the USB cord; launch iTunes; click on your phone from the left pane; then in the center of the screen, click "Check for Updates." This step could take a full two hours if too many iOS users are trying to get iOS 5 at the same time. It took me a solid two hours. If you have an older iPhone that is not supported anymore—iPhone or iPhone 3 (not iPhone 3GS)—you won't be able to get iOS 5, but you'll still be able to migrate using iTunes (but not iCloud, explained below). Click Sync in the lower right corner, just to be sure everything is synchronized and up to date.—Next: Make the Move! >
3. Make the Move!
When all the software is up to date, you're ready to back-up your data and then upload it to the new phone.
For the next step, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users have two options. Original iPhone and iPhone 3 owners should use Option 1.
(Option 1) Back up and migrate with iTunes: Next back up your data: contacts, calendars, settings, and so on. Right-click on your iPhone's icon in the left pane and select "Back Up." This will save all your data to a folder on your computer; which folder varies based on your computer's operating system, and sometimes the folder is hidden. See Apple's About Back Up page for more information. When the back-up is finished, you can remove the old phone from your computer and connect the new one. When iTunes recognizes the new device, you'll have two options: set up as new iPhone and restore from back-up. The first choice will leave your new iPhone 4S "empty," while the second choice will put all your apps, photos, music, contacts, and so onto the new phone.
The migration could take a while, depending on how much data you have on your phone. Just let it run its course. If it goes successfully, the new iPhone will restart, and the device will show up in iTunes. From this point, you can select which items you want to put on the new iPhone. Unlock the phone and check whether the information has migrated, for example, by looking in the Contacts list or seeing if old text messages appear in the messaging app.
Alternatively…
(Option 2) Back up and migrate wirelessly with iCloud: In lieu of backing up your data to your computer, you can now sign up for Apple's iCloud, a free cloud-based system that keeps a copy of all your data in a virtual space that you can access with the same username and password that you use for iTunes. Now that you have iOS 5 on your old phone, an iCloud icon will appear in your Settings. Choose it, sign in, and scroll down to the bottom and touch Storage and Backup. Then on the resulting page, under Backup, switch the iCloud Backup setting to the on position. For the wireless backup to take place, make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi and the phone is plugged into a power source. When your iPhone 4S is all charged up, do the same thing: Go to Settings, choose iCloud, and log in. After that, you'll have three options:
- Set up as new iPhone (this selection will start your iPhone 4S without porting your old stuff, meaning the new phone will be a clean slate)
- Restore from iCloud Back up (this option migrates your data wireless, moving all your old phone's music, apps, contacts, etc., to the new phone; this is the choice you want)
- Restore from iTunes back up (this is the same as what's outlined in the "Option 1" paragraph; you'll connect the new iPhone 4S to your computer with the USB cord, and the back-up will use the information stored locally on your machine).
The migration could take a while, depending on the strength of your Wi-Fi signal and how much data you have. Just let it run its course. The iPhone 4S will likely restart when the migration is complete. (We've tested iOS 5 with several devices, but we cannot yet confirm that the iPhone 4S will restart.)
4. Take Security Precautions.
If you're going to sell, donate, or recycle your old device, you'll want to wipe the data completely—but only after you've backed up the data, migrated it to the new device, and verified that the migration worked.
Erase data: To erase all your information (apps, contacts, saved passwords) from the old phone, go to Settings, General, Reset, and select Erase All Content and Settings.
Change passwords: I'm an advocate of changing your most important passwords (financial institutions, email, any service that stores your credit card number) at least once a year, as well as any time you get rid of an Internet-connected device, like a laptop or smartphone. It's just an added layer of security that no one will be able to get at your financial or personal information. You should change these passwords from a computer—not the old phone. Remember that the new iPhone you just set up will require the new passwords, so if you tend to stay logged in or authenticated with apps, you'll have to enter the new passwords on the new iPhone. If you use a password manager, have it reset all your old passwords to new ones.
And that's it. I'd set aside at least an hour and a half (plus added time if you're switching mobile carriers) to go through all these steps and troubleshoot any problems, but hopefully it won't take that long to migrate from an older iPhone to the new iPhone 4S.