Need help setting up my new iPhone from scratch

General
1

I just bought a new iPhone and I’m confused about the best way to set it up, including transferring data, choosing the right settings, and making sure everything is backed up properly. I don’t want to miss anything important during the initial setup and would really appreciate step-by-step guidance from people who’ve done this before.

2

Here is a clean way to set up a new iPhone from scratch without missing the important stuff.

  1. Decide: fresh start or transfer
    • Fresh start: best if your old phone was messy or slow.
    • Transfer from old iPhone: faster, keeps apps, layout, messages, photos.
    • Transfer from Android: use “Move to iOS” app on Android.
    If you want less clutter, pick fresh start and manually reinstall only what you use.

  2. Use Quick Start (iPhone to iPhone)
    • Put old and new iPhone next to each other.
    • Turn on the new one, unlock the old one.
    • When the prompt shows on the old phone, choose “Set Up New iPhone”.
    • Scan the animation with the old phone.
    • Choose “Transfer from iPhone” over iCloud if both are with you. It avoids download time from the cloud.
    • Keep them plugged in and on Wi‑Fi til it finishes.

  3. For Android
    • On Android, install “Move to iOS” from Play Store.
    • On iPhone setup, choose “Move Data from Android”.
    • Connect both to power, same Wi‑Fi.
    • Transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos, and accounts. Some apps do not transfer, you reinstall from App Store.

  4. Choose Apple ID and iCloud settings
    • Use one Apple ID for everything if you can. Multiple IDs create sync issues.
    • In Settings > [your name] > iCloud, enable:

    • iCloud Backup
    • Photos
    • Contacts
    • Calendars
    • Keychain
    • Notes and Messages if you use them a lot
      iCloud Backup:
      • Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > turn on > Back Up Now.
      That protects app data, settings, Home Screen layout.

  5. Photos and storage
    • Settings > Photos > turn on iCloud Photos.
    • Turn on “Optimize iPhone Storage” if your storage is small.
    This keeps smaller versions on phone and full versions in iCloud.
    Data point: photos and videos often take 60 to 80 percent of user storage, so this matters a lot.

  6. Privacy and tracking
    • Settings > Privacy & Security:

    • Location Services: set most apps to “While Using”. Only maps, ride share, weather need it.
    • Tracking: turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track” for less cross‑app tracking.
    • Analytics & Improvements: turn most of these off if you want less background data sharing.
      Review Contacts, Photos, Microphone, Camera sections and remove access from apps you do not trust.

  7. Face ID, passcode, and security
    • Set a 6‑digit or longer passcode.
    • Set up Face ID in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
    • Turn on “Require Passcode” = Immediately.
    • Add a recovery contact in Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Account Recovery. This helps if you forget your password.
    • Turn on Find My in Settings > [your name] > Find My. Make sure “Find My iPhone” and “Send Last Location” are on.

  8. Messages and calls
    • Settings > Messages:

    • Turn on iMessage.
    • Turn on “Send & Receive” only on your main phone number and email.
    • Turn off SMS forwarding to devices you do not use.
      • Settings > Phone > Wi‑Fi Calling if your carrier supports it. Helps in low signal areas.

  9. Notifications and focus
    • Settings > Notifications: turn off for apps you do not need.
    The average user gets dozens of notifications each day, so trimming this saves attention.
    • Use a Focus like Do Not Disturb or Sleep so calls and notifications stop at night.
    Quick version: set Focus so only Favorites can call.

  10. App setup and passwords
    • Install only apps you use weekly. Add others later if you miss them.
    • Use a password manager or Apple’s built in:

    • Settings > Passwords, check for weak or reused passwords and fix some each week.
      • Turn on “AutoFill Passwords” to use iCloud Keychain.

  11. Backup strategy
    You want two layers.
    • iCloud Backup: daily, automatic on Wi‑Fi and power.
    • Local backup:

    • On Mac, open Finder, select iPhone, choose “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac”, then Back Up Now.
    • On Windows, use iTunes, same idea.
      Do this local backup monthly or before big trips or major iOS updates.

  12. Health, Watch, extras
    • Open Health app, set your medical ID and emergency contacts. This helps EMTs if your phone is found.
    • If you have Apple Watch, pair it after the phone is set. Choose if you want Activity data carried over.
    • In Settings > Battery, turn on Low Power Mode when under 20 percent to stretch battery instead of hunting a charger.

Quick checklist so you do not miss stuff
• iCloud Backup on and “Back Up Now” run once
• iCloud Photos on or off by choice, not by default
• Find My iPhone on
• Face ID and passcode set
• Location, camera, mic permissions checked
• Notifications trimmed
• Local backup done at least once to a computer

If you say what phone you come from and how much storage you picked, people can give more dialed in tips.

3

If @waldgeist gave you the “clean” way, here’s the “don’t-regret-it-in-6-months” version that fills some gaps and disagrees a bit.

1. Decide how “from scratch” you really want

I’d slightly push you more toward a clean install than they did, especially if:

  • Your old phone has tons of random apps and half‑broken settings
  • You’ve hopped phones / carriers a few times

What I like:

  • Use Quick Start / Move to iOS only for accounts, messages, photos, and basic stuff
  • Manually re‑download apps you actually use from the App Store list (Profile > Purchased).
    You’ll be shocked how much crap you never reinstall.

2. iCloud vs local backup: pick a primary

@waldgeist suggests both (which is ideal), but if you want something simple and reliable:

  • If you have decent Wi‑Fi and can pay a buck or two:

    • Turn on iCloud Backup and treat that as your main.
    • Make a computer backup only before big iOS updates or trips.

  • If your internet is slow or capped:

    • Use Finder / iTunes backup encrypted as your main.
    • iCloud off or only for Contacts / Calendars / Keychain.

Key thing a lot of people miss:
Encrypt your computer backup. That also stores Wi‑Fi passwords, health data, etc.

3. Critical settings people forget on day one

Not repeating the obvious Face ID / passcode stuff. These are the sneaky ones:

  1. Automatic updates

    • Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates
    • I’d turn Download iOS Updates ON but Install ON/OFF depends:
      • If you hate surprises at night, turn auto‑install off and do it manually.

  2. Cellular data traps

    • Settings > Cellular:
      • Turn off Cellular Data for apps that don’t need it (heavy photo backup apps, random games).
      • Disable Wi‑Fi Assist if your data plan is tiny.

  3. Background app refresh

    • Settings > General > Background App Refresh
    • I’d hard limit this to messaging, calendar, navigation, and banking.
    • Turn it off for shopping & social apps unless you like your battery crying.

  4. Siri

    • If you use Siri:
      • Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for “Hey Siri” or “Siri”.
    • If you don’t: shut everything off and reclaim your privacy + battery a bit.

4. Make home screen & Focus work for you

Everyone fusses about privacy; almost nobody fixes attention clutter.

Home Screen idea:

  • Page 1: only “daily” apps: Phone, Messages, Camera, Maps, Calendar, Notes, maybe 3–4 others.
  • Page 2: work / productivity.
  • Page 3: entertainment.
  • Throw everything else in the App Library.

Focus modes but not overcomplicated:

  • Set up just 2:
    • “Work” (only work apps + family/favorites allowed to notify)
    • “Sleep” (only calls from favorites, zero notifications from apps)
  • Sync Focus to all devices only if you actually use multiple Apple devices. Otherwise it’s just annoying.

5. Photos: pick a strategy and stick to it

Where I differ a little from @waldgeist: I don’t think everyone should blindly enable iCloud Photos.

Ask yourself:

  • Do you already use Google Photos / OneDrive / something else?
  • Do you mind paying monthly for storage?

Options:

  1. All‑in on iCloud Photos

    • Turn on iCloud Photos + Optimize Storage.
    • Accept you’ll likely end up on the 200 GB or 2 TB plan eventually.

  2. Hybrid

    • Use Google Photos for long‑term archiving.
    • Keep just recent stuff on the iPhone and occasionally offload to Google Photos or a computer.

  3. Local-only (advanced / control freak mode)

    • Back up to a computer or external drive regularly.
    • No iCloud Photos at all.
      More work, but no subscription and full control.

Just don’t do the “I’ll decide later” thing. Photos are the number-one heartbreak when a phone dies.

6. Passwords & security that actually matter

Couple of extra things most people skip:

  1. Recovery Key & device passcodes

    • In Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security:
      • Consider setting up a Recovery Key only if you’re comfortable storing it safely.
        If you lose both your password and that key, you’re done. So this is not for everyone.

  2. 2FA cleanup

    • Move 2FA codes (authenticator apps) to somewhere backed up:
      • iCloud Keychain is decent now
      • Or a reputable password manager
    • If you used SMS-based 2FA on Android and are moving to iPhone, confirm you can still receive those codes on your new SIM / eSIM before wiping the old phone.

7. Things to do after the first week

Once the shiny-new-toy phase wears off:

  1. Storage audit

    • Settings > General > iPhone Storage
    • Delete:
      • Old offline Netflix / Spotify downloads
      • Gigantic message threads with tons of videos
      • “Other” storage from apps bloated with cached files

  2. Notifications second pass

    • After a week, any app that annoyed you more than twice gets its notifications cut.
    • Long-press notification > Options > Deliver Quietly or Turn Off.

  3. Backup test

    • Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup
    • Check the time of last backup.
    • If it’s not within the last 24 hours while you’re on Wi‑Fi, something’s wrong. Fix that now, not when your phone dies.

If you share:

  • What phone you’re coming from
  • Your iPhone storage size
  • Whether you’re okay paying for iCloud or not

people here can help you pick a specific combo instead of “turn on everything and pray.”

4

Skip the theory, here’s what I’d add on top of what @vrijheidsvogel and @waldgeist already covered.

1. Before you touch the new iPhone

Audit the old phone first

  • Delete unused apps and giant video threads.
  • Turn off weird stuff like VPNs or profiles you do not remember installing.
  • Make one last backup (iCloud or computer), then take a photo of your most important 2FA recovery codes / backup codes and store it somewhere safe that is not only on the phone.

This avoids transferring junk and mystery settings.

2. Pick a transfer strategy that matches your personality

They both lean (sensibly) on Quick Start / Move to iOS. I disagree slightly for people who like things tidy:

  • If you are organized and know exactly what you use
    → Full Quick Start transfer is fine.

  • If your old phone feels chaotic
    → Use Quick Start to move essentials (messages, accounts, photos) but turn off “transfer apps” and instead reinstall apps from your purchase history. Slower on day one, much nicer 6 months later.

3. eSIM, carriers and not getting locked out

Something people forget:

  • If you switch to eSIM, keep the old phone active for a day until:
    • iMessage works on the new phone
    • You receive 2FA codes from banks and email providers at least once
  • Only then wipe the old device.

Otherwise you risk standing at a bank login screen with codes going to a wiped phone.

4. iCloud: avoid the “mystery bill” problem

I’m a bit more conservative than both of them here.

  • Start with the free 5 GB like this:
    • iCloud: Contacts, Calendars, Keychain, Notes, Messages
    • Backup: ON but exclude huge apps (WhatsApp backups inside iCloud Drive, giant games)
  • When you actually hit the 5 GB limit:
    • Decide: upgrade to a paid iCloud tier or move photos to a different cloud.

Do not just toggle iCloud Photos on and forget it unless you are fine paying monthly later.

5. Privacy settings that really change your daily use

They both talked privacy, but here are the levers that matter most in practice:

  • Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services
    • Turn system services like “Location-Based Suggestions” and “iPhone Analytics” off unless you want hyper personal suggestions.
  • Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking
    • Turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track”.
      This kills a lot of cross app tracking requests altogether.
  • In each social app, open its own in-app privacy settings and:
    • Turn off “Personalized ads” and “Allow usage data”.

Apple’s toggles are only half the story. The apps themselves often have another set.

6. Home screen & mental load

Different angle from them:

  • Only 1 home screen, everything else in App Library:
    • Dock: Phone, Messages, Safari, Camera
    • Home: Calendar, Notes, Photos, Maps, your main chat app, main music app
  • Disable “Show notification badges” for social & shopping apps.
    Red dots are basically anxiety generators.

You will check Instagram anyway. You do not need a red badge to remind you.

7. Automation you set once and then forget

After setup:

  1. Open Shortcuts app:

    • Create Automation > Battery Level
    • When battery is 20 percent → turn on Low Power Mode automatically.
      No more micromanaging battery settings.

  2. Create Automation > Time of Day

    • At bedtime → enable Sleep Focus
      That way you do not manually toggle Do Not Disturb and forget half the time.

8. Backup strategy sanity check

They both push two layer backup, which is great, but if that sounds like work:

  • At minimum:
    • iCloud Backup ON
    • Check once a month: last backup date within 24 hours while the phone was on Wi Fi and charging
  • Before big iOS upgrades or travel:
    • Do a single encrypted backup to a computer.
      Encryption is what keeps Health and Wi Fi passwords included.

If you ever restore, do it on a stable Wi Fi connection and plug in power. Restoring on dodgy hotel Wi Fi is misery.

9. Pros & cons of relying on this “from scratch” iPhone setup approach

Pros

  • Cleaner device, fewer random bugs carried over
  • Better privacy and fewer distracting notifications from day one
  • Predictable backups so you do not lose photos or chats
  • Easier storage management later because you curated what you installed

Cons

  • First day is slower since you curate apps and settings
  • You must remember a few extra steps (eSIM, 2FA, computer backup)
  • If you are impatient, Quick Start with everything might feel “easier,” even if it brings clutter

10. Where @vrijheidsvogel and @waldgeist fit into this

  • @vrijheidsvogel gave you a very structured, methodical checklist. Great if you want to tick every box.
  • @waldgeist focused more on real world tradeoffs like clutter, iCloud vs local, and attention management.

What I have added is mostly:

  • Pre cleanup on the old device
  • eSIM / 2FA safety
  • Automation & notification psychology
  • A slower but cleaner transfer philosophy

If you reply with:

  • Old phone model and OS (Android or iPhone)
  • Storage size on the new iPhone
  • Whether you want to avoid monthly cloud costs

you can get a very specific “do this, skip that” list instead of a general guide.