Here are some steps you need to follow to set up the new iPhone 12. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Congratulations on your new iPhone 12. It is a heck of a smartphone that brings back the vintage design of the iPhone 4, resulting in a modern phone with a better screen, smash resistant display, longer battery life and improved cameras.
With the iPhone 12 just went on sale in India, we want you to be fully prepared as to how to get started with the new iPhone. Whether you are upgrading from an older iPhone or switching from Android to iOS, there is a way to set up and activate the iPhone 12.
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So you can set up the iPhone 12 in three ways, start fresh, auto-setup, or transfer data from an Android phone to the iPhone. Setting up the iPhone is an easy process, but you need to know a few things before you transfer your data from an old iPhone/Android smartphone to the iPhone 12.
When you turn on the iPhone for the first time, you will see “Hello” in different languages. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Set up as new iPhone
This is self-explanatory. Set up the iPhone 12 as new when you have never used an iPhone before, or are you are completely new to the Apple ecosystem.
Pick your country or region. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Automatic set up
Automatic set up is a brilliant feature. If you have used an iPhone in the past and is moving to the new iPhone 12, use Automatic set up to transfer the data on the older device to the new one.
Import data from Android smartphone
If the iPhone 12 is your first iPhone and you are coming from Android, make sure you download Move to the iOS app from the Google Play Store. This is the easiest way to transfer all your data on the Android smartphone to the shiny new iPhone 12.
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Place your old iPhone next to the new iPhone to initiate Automatic set up. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
How to set up the iPhone 12 as new
When you turn on the iPhone 12, you will be greeted with “Hello” in a number of languages. Select your language and country, and whether you would like to enable location services. Your iPhone then checks for any Wi-Fi networks in your area; if there aren’t any, it would rather use your cellular service.
Now, follow the onscreen instructions and finish setting the phone. You will be asked for your Apple ID and iCloud account, and whether you want to active Find My iPhone. You will also be asked if you want to set up Siri, the digital voice assistant.
Next, you will be promoted to set up Face ID. To set up Face ID on your iPhone 12, hold the iPhone and look into the Face ID camera and then turn your head so it can scan your face. The whole process takes a few minutes, and you are done setting up the iPhone 12.
Transferring data from old iPhone to the new one is an easy job. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Restore from a previous iPhone
To use Automatic set up, you need two iPhones — your old iPhone and the new one. Make sure your old iPhone is running iOS 12.4, and Wi-Fi turned on both the phones. All you need to bring your old iPhone and iPhone 12 together when prompted, and Automatic setup will access Apple ID and Wi-Fi settings and start copying the data to the new iPhone.
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The new transfer feature is fantastic. As soon as you bring the old and new iPhone together, you will be asked if you want to set up a new phone. Tap Continue and the new iPhone 12 will show a dot-cloud pattern on the screen, and then point the camera of the old iPhone at the new one.
A HomePod style image appears, and you will be asked to scan it with the camera on the old device. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Follow the instructions on the new iPhone, like entering a passcode, setting up Face ID, and agreeing to Apple’s terms and conditions. Transferring data from the old phone to the new iPhone takes a good amount of time, depending on the speed of Wi-Fi and the amount of data stored on the old device. In our case, it took 22 odd minutes to fully transfer the data from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12. Make sure you place the two phones next to each other, otherwise the transfer can be really slow.
The new transfer feature is fantastic. We were able to transfer all our apps, text messages, contacts, apps, music, and photos to the new iPhone.
Enter the passcode from an old iPhone to the new one. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Restore from backup
If you have ever owned an iPhone before, you can also select Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from iTunes backup. Both options will allow you to transfer your data from the old iPhone to the new one. Make sure your old iPhone has been backed up first. To make a backup, head to the iCloud settings on the iPhone, and check if the automatic backup is enabled. If now, do it manually. Simply go to Settings>Your name>iCloud Backup, and then tap Back Up Now.
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It takes some time to transfer all the data from the old iPhone to the new one. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
How to move data from Android phone to iPhone 12
If you are coming from Android to the iPhone, you need to download Move to iOS app from the Google Play Store. Once you initiate the process, on the Apps & Data screen on the iPhone 12, tap Move Data from Android. Check your Android phone, open the app and tap Continue and follow the on-screen instructions. While you can’t transfer everything, but you can copy contacts, photos, messages and email accounts.
Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at indianexpress.com who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin.
Email: anuj.bhatia@indianexpress.com ... Read More