How to Set Up an iPhone as New

What happens when you set up an iPhone as new

Setting up an iPhone as new means starting from scratch — the phone erases itself and walks you through creating or signing into an Apple account, connecting to Wi-Fi, and choosing your basic settings. This is different from restoring from a backup, which copies your old apps, photos, and messages onto the new phone. When you set up as new, you get a clean device with no leftover data, no old app settings that might cause problems, and no synced passwords or payment methods from a previous phone.

You should set up as new if you are moving to a different Apple account, if the previous owner did not erase the phone properly, or if you want to start fresh without old app data slowing things down. If you are replacing a broken iPhone and want to keep your photos, messages, and apps exactly as they were, you would restore from a backup instead — but that is a separate process.

The setup takes about 15 to 30 minutes depending on your Wi-Fi speed and how many choices you make along the way. You will need your Apple ID and password, or you can create a new account during setup. Have your Wi-Fi password ready, because the phone will ask for it early on.

Key Takeaways

Turn on the iPhone and follow the on-screen prompts; you will be asked for language, region, Wi-Fi connection, and Apple ID in that order.
You can sign into an existing Apple ID or create a new one during setup — the phone will not let you skip this step.
Face ID or Touch ID setup happens after you create a passcode, and you can skip both if you prefer to use a passcode alone.
Once setup is complete, you can read apps from the App Store and restore photos or documents from iCloud if you saved them there before.
The entire process happens on the phone itself — you do not need a computer or any other device to set up as new.

Turn on the iPhone and choose your language and region

Press and hold the power button on the side of the iPhone until you see the Apple logo. The phone will take 10 to 20 seconds to start up. Once it boots, you will see "Hello" on the screen in different languages — this is the setup screen.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to begin. The phone will ask you to choose your language (English, Spanish, French, and others are available). Tap the language you want. Next, you will choose your region or country — this affects how dates, times, and measurements display, and which App Store you see. Tap your country or region from the list.

If you are in the United States, you will see "United States" at the top. If you are elsewhere, scroll down to find your country. The region you choose now can be changed later in Settings, so do not worry if you make a mistake.

Connect to Wi-Fi and sign into your Apple ID

The phone will ask you to choose a Wi-Fi network. Tap the network name (called the SSID) that matches your home or office router. If you do not see your network, make sure your router is turned on and you are close enough to it. If the network is hidden, tap "Other Networks" at the bottom and type the name manually.

Once you select the network, you will be asked for the Wi-Fi password. Type it exactly as it appears — passwords are case-sensitive, meaning capital letters matter. If you do not know your Wi-Fi password, check the sticker on the back of your router or ask whoever set it up.

After Wi-Fi connects, the phone will ask if you want to sign into your Apple ID. If you have an existing Apple ID (the email address and password you use for iCloud, the App Store, or iTunes), tap "Sign in with your Apple ID" and enter that email and password. If you do not have an Apple ID, tap "Don't have an Apple ID or forgot it?" and follow the prompts to create one. You will need a valid email address and a password at least eight characters long.

Create a passcode and set up Face ID or Touch ID

The phone will ask you to create a six-digit passcode. This is the code you use to unlock the phone if Face ID or Touch ID does not work, or if the phone restarts. Tap the numbers in the order you want — for example, 1-2-3-4-5-6. The phone will ask you to enter it again to confirm. Do not use obvious numbers like your birth year or a sequence like 1-2-3-4-5-6.

After you set the passcode, the phone will offer to set up Face ID (if you have an iPhone X or newer) or Touch ID (if you have an iPhone with a home button). Face ID uses the front camera to recognize your face; Touch ID uses your fingerprint. Both are optional — you can skip them and use only your passcode if you prefer.

If you choose Face ID, hold the phone about 12 inches from your face and follow the on-screen instructions to move your head in a circle. The camera will map your face. If you choose Touch ID, place your finger on the home button and lift it repeatedly as the phone scans your fingerprint. You can add multiple fingerprints or faces if you want — for example, your left and right thumbs, or your face and your partner's face.

Choose your display and privacy settings

The phone will ask about display size and text size. If you have an iPhone with a larger screen, you can choose "Larger" or "Standard" — this affects how much content fits on the screen at once. Tap whichever feels comfortable to read. You can change this later in Settings if your choice does not feel right.

Next, you will see privacy and data options. The phone asks whether you want to share diagnostic data with Apple (crash reports, usage statistics). This is optional — you can tap "Don't Share" if you prefer Apple not to collect this information. The phone will also ask about Siri, Apple's voice assistant. You can turn Siri on or off now; you can change this later in Settings.

You will be asked about location services, which lets apps know where you are. This is useful for maps, weather, and location-based reminders, but you can turn it off if you prefer privacy. You can also control which apps have access to your location after setup is complete.

Restore your data or start with an empty phone

If you have an iCloud backup from a previous iPhone, the phone will offer to restore it. This copies your photos, messages, app data, and settings from your old phone to this one. Tap "Restore from iCloud Backup" and sign in with the Apple ID that made the backup. Choose which backup you want — the phone will show the date and size of each one. The restore can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much data you have and your Wi-Fi speed.

If you do not have a backup, or you want to start with a blank phone, tap "Don't Transfer Apps and Data" or "Set Up as New iPhone". The phone will finish setup with no apps except the ones Apple includes (Phone, Messages, Mail, Safari, and others). You can read additional apps from the App Store once setup is complete.

If you are restoring from a backup, the phone may ask you to sign into apps individually — for example, your email account, social media, or banking apps. Have your passwords ready for these accounts, because the phone will not have them saved yet.

Complete setup and read apps

Once you finish the setup screens, the phone will show your home screen with the apps Apple includes by default. You are now set up as new. The phone may take a few minutes to finish organizing things in the background, especially if you restored a backup.

To read apps, tap the App Store icon (the blue square with a white circle). Search for the app you want by name, tap it, and tap the cloud icon with a down arrow to read it. Most apps are free, but some cost money — you will be asked to confirm the purchase using Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password. Apps read and install automatically; you do not need to do anything else.

If you restored from a backup, your old apps should appear on your home screen automatically over the next few minutes. If an app does not show up, you can read it again from the App Store — the App Store remembers which apps you have purchased, so you will not be charged again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set up an iPhone without an Apple ID?

No. Apple requires an Apple ID to complete setup. You can create a new one during setup using any email address, or sign into an existing one. If you forget your Apple ID password, you can reset it on Apple's website before you start setup, or during setup by tapping "Forgot password?"

What if I do not have Wi-Fi during setup?

You can use cellular data if your phone plan includes it. Tap "Use Cellular Connection" instead of choosing a Wi-Fi network. Setup will work, but it will be slower and may use a lot of data. It is better to wait until you have Wi-Fi if you plan to restore a backup, because backups are large and can use several gigabytes of data.

Can I change my passcode or Face ID after setup?

Yes. Go to Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older iPhones), and enter your current passcode. You can change your passcode, add or remove Face ID, or add fingerprints. You can also turn off Face ID or Touch ID entirely and use only your passcode.

What if I set up as new but want my old photos back?

If your photos were backed up to iCloud on your old phone, you can read them on your new phone. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, tap iCloud, tap Photos, and turn on iCloud Photos. Your photos will read to your new phone over the next few hours depending on how many you have and your Wi-Fi speed.

Do I need a computer to set up an iPhone as new?

No. The entire setup happens on the iPhone itself. You do not need a Mac, PC, or any other device. You only need the iPhone, a Wi-Fi network, and your Apple ID password.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.