4 tips to prepare for the switch to a new iPhone

Introducing Apple’s new iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro will surely lead many iPhone owners to upgrade to the new models. When upgrading to a new iPhone using iCloud—an easy and effective method—there are a few steps you can take in advance to ensure the process completes correctly and that you don’t end up with apps and data you don’t want on your new handset.

How to prepare for the switch to a new iPhone

Delete unnecessary apps

Now is the perfect time to do a basic cleaning. Review the installed apps and programs on your current iPhone and ask yourself if you really need each of those programs. If you’re like me, you’ll find a few pre-installed programs that you thought you’d use often but didn’t.

SEE: iPhone 14 preview: Everything you need to know about Apple’s 2022 flagships (TechRepublic)

Each installed program takes up storage space and consumes CPU cycles in the form of background app refresh activity, consumes energy by tracking your location, and even eats into your data plan if cellular connectivity is enabled to help the app track you. Do not download these unnecessary programs that can use up the necessary memory, data and battery life. Remove them before migrating to a new device.

Confirm the settings

Since settings and user preferences are usually carried over during migration from an old to a new iPhone, now is also a great time to review your settings and preferences. In particular, review app background refresh, location services, and cellular network settings before starting the migration to a new iPhone.

To view and adjust Background App Refresh settings — which determine which programs can check for and download updated content in the background when connected to Wi-Fi or cellular networks — tap Settings, then General, and select Background App Refresh.

If you choose, you can disable the option for all installed programs by moving the App Background Refresh main radio button to Disabled. But there’s a good chance that there are specific programs, such as news and weather apps, that you want to continue receiving. Scroll through the list (Figure A), and enable and disable applications as desired.

Figure A

To view and adjust your location services settings — which use Bluetooth, cellular, GPS, and Wi-Fi hotspot infrastructure to determine, track, and report your approximate location — tap Settings, then Privacy & Security, and select Location Services. If you choose, you can choose to disable location services entirely by disabling their radio button.

Because location services can help track your device if it’s lost, and provide apps with the location information they need to help programs work more efficiently, it’s probably best to review each app’s settings.

Options include configuring the app to never use location services, use location settings while using the app, and ask next time or when I share (Picture B). The second choice, which is used with discretion because it allows the app to always use location services, is Always.

Picture B

To view and adjust cellular network settings — which determine whether an installed program can use the cellular data network (which consumes data on your service plan) to check for updates and download information when you’re connected to cellular networks only — tap Settings, then tap Cellular .

Under the heading Cellular Data, as shown in Picture Cenable and disable individual app settings as needed.

Picture C

View account storage

When you back up your iPhone using iCloud, Apple doesn’t automatically delete the corresponding data previously backed up on iCloud when you delete the corresponding app. That’s a good thing, because you might want to reload the app and restore your backup data later. In other cases, you may never plan to use the app again.

Preparing for a new iPhone migration is a good opportunity to review both the iPhone information that is backed up to the cloud and available for reinstallation and help eliminate potential data that could be unnecessarily migrated to the new device. If nothing else, deleting app data you no longer need from a previous iPhone iCloud backup frees up more space to back up, migrate, and restore the information you need.

To view iPhone app data previously backed up to iCloud, open Settings, tap your Apple ID, tap iCloud, and select Manage Account Storage. After the device loads the application backup information, as shown in the Image Dyou can scroll through the list and confirm which apps are storing how much data.

Image D

When you see app data you no longer need, tap that app’s entry. When the app data page loads, you can tap Clear Data, as shown on Pictures of Ethen confirm the action to remove that information from your iCloud backup and free matching storage space.

Pictures of E

You might be surprised by this review. I certainly was when I was preparing to switch to a new iPhone this week. App data from years ago, including apps I haven’t used since before the pandemic and no longer need, remain in my iCloud backup.

Create an iCloud backup

Finally, before cutting the cord on your replacement iPhone and starting the migration to your new device, make a final iCloud backup of your old phone first. To complete a new backup, open Settings, tap your Apple ID, select iCloud, then iCloud Backup. The iCloud Backup screen will appear, as shown on Image F.

Image F

Tap Backup Now. iOS will warn you if it detects app data and information not included in previous iCloud backups and prompt you to select iCloud settings, as shown in Picture of Gto review and correct any errors.

Picture of G

After confirming that the data you want to include in the iCloud backup is set, tap the Backup Now button.

Alternatively, you can simply tap Continue from the previous menu. The iPhone will then perform a backup, which iOS will monitor using the traditional progress bar, as shown Image H.

Image H

With your apps, settings, and new backup confirmed, you can begin migrating to your new iPhone. Completing the earlier steps will help restore only the information you want and need to your new device.