How to set up an iPhone

How to set up your iPhone: All you need to know

Just bought a shiny new iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus? Awesome! Whether this is your first iPhone or you’re upgrading from an older model, here’s everything you need to know to get it up and running.

Getting Started

It’s a good idea to install your Nano SIM card first to make sure your mobile network settings are set up properly.
When you’re ready, press the Power button to turn it on. After around 30 seconds you’ll be greeted by the word ‘Hello’ in different languages. Swipe left, choose your preferred language and then select your country or region.

Get connected

Next up we need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Tap on the name of the network you want to connect to and enter the password. If there aren’t any networks available, you can choose to connect using mobile data, instead.

Related: iPhone 6S vs Galaxy S7

Location, Location, Location

Do you want the iPhone to collect your location data? It’s handy if you want to use the Maps or location-based features in apps but if you’re unsure, you can find out more information by tapping About Location Services.

Touch ID

If you have an iPhone 5S or later, you can use Touch ID to unlock your phone and even buy things like apps and music with your finger. Tap Set Up Now to start, then place your finger or thumb on the Home button to begin scanning – you
can register up to five fingerprints in the Settings app. As a backup, you’ll need to create a Passcode as well.

Related: How to take better pictures with your iPhone

Your Data

If you’ve just upgraded to a new iPhone, such as the iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, you can transfer all the apps, data and settings from your old iPhone straight onto the new one. Once everything is backed up using iTunes or iCloud, you can easily restore it on your new iPhone so you don’t have to waste time getting it the way you like it.

If this is your first iPhone or if you’re coming from an Android phone, tap Set Up as New iPhone or Move Data from Android, respectively.

Apple ID and iCloud

To download apps and games from the App Store, you’ll need to sign in with your Apple ID or create a new one. If you don’t have an ID or want to skip this step, tap Don’t have an Apple ID or iForgot? (See what Apple did there?)

You’ll then be asked if you want to use iCloud storage, iCloud Keychain and Apple Pay. If you’re not sure about a particular feature, skip it for now and come back to it later in the Settings app.

Hey, Siri!

Voice assistants are cool, there’s no doubt about it. If you choose to Use Siri, you can ask it (her?) to make phone calls, send messages, dictate notes and even tell jokes.

Related: iOS 9 tips and tricks

Diagnostics & Registration (nearly done, I promise!)

These two menus ask you if you want to send diagnostics & usage data to Apple followed by whether you want to register your device with Apple. 

Zoom Zoom

If you own an iPhone 6 or later, you can pick between Standard, or if you prefer larger text and icons, Zoomed mode.

Welcome to iPhone

That’s it, we’re done! Tap Get Started to begin using your iPhone in all its glory. Now go and download some apps and have fun with your new iPhone!