New iPhone upgrade process -- how do you do it?

Just ordered my new iPhone Xs last Friday. I’m super excited for its arrival on the 19th.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to brush up my task list in OmniFocus for switching to the new phone. I was just curious…what steps do you all take to make the transition? Any helpful tips to pass on? Let’s all share and get ready together for The Real Christmas this Friday. :nerd_face:

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I’m switching to the XS Max from an Android device next Friday. I have made a checklist that consists of:

  • apps that I have installed on my Android that are available on the iPhone that I use (ordered my most important first)
  • follow on tasks of things I likely will also need to do (e.g., organize iTunes playlists for syncing, wallet config)
  • a list of new apps that I may want to investigate that are iPhone specific (email clients, etc)
  • a list of accessories that I may want or will want (cables, etc)

I also approach switching the phone as a way of starting from a clean slate - I don’t just back up one device and restore to the next one, rather I use it as an opportunity to only put what I need onto the new device.

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The best tip I ever heard was from Marco Arment (I think). Do an encrypted local backup on your computer and restore the new phone from that. That way all your passwords are saved and you don’t have to re-enter them.

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If you use the automatic iCloud backup to restore apps to your new iPhone, doesn’t that transfer all of the passwords, too? I just did it last November with the new iPhone X, but I don’t remember whether I had to manually renter all passwords.

In the past, this is how I’ve done this, too…but I’m contemplating starting from scratch this time. I have over 500 apps installed on my iPhone 7 Plus and I don’t think I want to move everything over.

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The other task that has bitten me in the past is forgetting to unpair my Watch from my phone before wiping the old phone…does anyone know if this is still important?

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Interesting. I didn’t realize that iCloud did that now. I’ll have to try it this time.

I want to know this too. Have lost watch data before when iPhone had to be replaced because of a screen fault

I do the Watch unpair and confirm my iCloud backup ran the night before. Then I restore the new phone from iCloud backup, pair the watch, and I’m in business. Haven’t used a computer backup to restore in years.

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When you’re ready to completely de-commission your old phone (i.e. erase it all), be sure to sign out of iCloud first (in iOS 11.3+, go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> Sign Out.

This will ensure your old device isnt associated with your account anymore, even after you delete the old phone itself.

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As far as I know, since iOS 11, your can do a peer-to-peer transfer between old and new phones now that loses nothing. It’s kind of the equivalent of transferring between Macs which Marco also recently praised for its completeness.

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I think @sdjmchattie is right. When I upgraded to the X, it recognised my 7+ and began a direct transfer. I don’t reckon I had to enter any passwords.

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I just read this recently updated article on Apple.com about upgrading and learned a few things.

Apparently, there’s some kind of proximity-based transfer of passwords and settings?! Very interesting…I’ve never tried this before.

That’s what I was talking about. Turn on your new phone and it’ll ask you to place it next to your old phone to start the process.

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