Tell the truth: are you addicted to your smartphone? I’m not one to judge, because I should be attending meetings of Phoneaholics Anonymous! Before I got my first iPhone, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about. I had a computer, so if I wanted to look at something on the Internet, I could just go to the computer. There were more than enough games to keep me occupied on my desktop, and if I wanted to take a picture, I had a nice digital camera. Forget about asking my phone questions, because if I wanted an answer about seemingly anything, all I had to do was ask my wife because she always had (has) all the answers! As life sped up, and my business began to grow, I realized the need for an iPhone, and joined the revolution. Four years later I can’t live without it. As the models continue to evolve, more and more desirable features are introduced. While it’s exciting to have the latest and greatest iPhone, it’s equally unsettling to think about having to load all of your apps, contacts, save and/or restore your photos, and let’s not even think about having to re-configure your e-mail settings. Is there an easier way than doing it manually? Why, yes there is!
Just to be clear, the strategy we’re about to outline is used to backup and restore an “old” iPhone to a “new” iPhone. It doesn’t work if you’re switching from an iPhone to an Android phone. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business. First, grab your iPhone, computer, and iPhone cord. Hook the cord up to the phone, and plug the USB end into any available USB port on your computer. If you’ve never had your phone connected to your computer before, a message will appear on your phone asking whether you want to “Trust this Device”. Tap “Allow” so your computer will be given permission to recognize your phone. Next, make sure iTunes is installed on your computer. If it isn’t, download it by clicking here. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. With your phone connected to the computer, open iTunes. Toward the top of the screen, you’ll see the name of your iPhone displayed. For example, mine says “Justin Gozzi’s iPhone”. Click on the name, and all the information you could ever want to know about your iPhone is displayed. Right now, we’re interested in backing up all of the data on the phone, so look for the “Backups” heading. Click “Back Up Now” under “Manually Back Up and Restore”. Sit back and relax as iTunes will save everything from your contacts to your web history, downloaded apps, and text messages to your computer. To ensure that your backup was successful, click “Edit” then “Devices”. The name of your iPhone will appear under “Device backups”, with the date and time of the backup listed to the right.
When you receive your new iPhone, turn it on, and follow the steps on the screen. Go ahead and select your language, enter your Apple ID and password, etc. When the initial setup is completed, plug the phone into your computer as you did before, “Trust this Device” when asked, and then, open iTunes. This time, we’ll restore the device from a backup. Select your device by clicking its name from the top of the screen, then, under “Manually Back up and Restore”, click “Restore Backup”. Let iTunes take over for a few minutes, and get ready to use your new “old” phone. Often, apps that were purchased can’t be restored and will need to be re-installed. The good news is that iTunes will tell you which ones. Simply return to the App Store and re-download them. Keep in mind that while e-mail settings will be configured properly, you’ll need to re-enter your passwords in most cases.
While today’s Post details how to transfer your settings from an old phone to a new phone, it’s a good idea to periodically back up your phone to your computer anytime. You never know when your phone will need to be wiped clean, or, in my case, end up in a pan of gear oil. Having your phone backed up can turn a really bad day into an inconvenience. Follow the same steps, and you’ll be back in business with any new or existing iPhone. See you at the next Phoneaholics Anonymous meeting!