Introduction to Setting up an iPhone 3G
UPDATE JAN. 2015: This article is out of date and has been replaced by a more comprehensive and regularly updated piece. For instructions on how to set up your iPhone, read this article.
*****
Once you’ve got your iPhone 3G home from the store, the first thing to do is set it up. If you’re upgrading from the first-generation iPhone, the process is almost exactly the same. If you’re new to the iPhone, though, you’ll find the process pretty easy, too.
NOTE: This guide is geared towards the upgrader, rather than the new iPhone 3G owner, but the process is very similar for a new set up. To get a sense of what the set up process for a new owner is, check out the original iPhone set-up guide.
Connect iPhone 3G to Your Computer
Begin by buying your iPhone, of course. If you’re upgrading, sync your current iPhone to your computer before you go the store to buy your new one. This way, you’ll have a backup of your data and settings waiting for you when you return home with your new phone.
Also, be sure that you’ve got iTunes installed on your computer. The iPhone 3G requires iTunes 7.7 or higher.
When you’ve got your iPhone 3G, connect it to your computer via included USB cable.
When the screen below appears, click Continue.
Agree to Software License
At the Software License Agreement screen, click the checkbox at the bottom center of the screen to agree to the terms and then click Continue.
Create or Log in to iTunes Account
In order to use the iPhone 3G, you must have an iTunes Account. If you haven’t created one, do so and then continue with the set up process. If you’ve got one, log into your account here.
Enter Personal Information
At this screen, enter your personal information and click submit.
Decide About Mobile Me
The set up process will then ask you if you’re interested in trying Apple’s Mobile Me service, which offers wireless syncing of calendars and other data. Make your choice and proceed.
If select Mobile Me, you’ll go through a sign up process and then proceed to the next step.
Restore iPhone from Backup
Next you have the opportunity to set up your iPhone 3G as a new phone or restore it from the backup you made before buying the new phone (I mentioned that in step 1. You did back up, right?). Restoring from backup will bring over your settings and preferences, but you’ll still have to sync your data to the phone.
Choose your option and click continue.
If you chose to restore from a backup, iTunes will proceed with this. This restores your settings, but not all your data such as music. The restore process takes about a minute and ends with the iPhone 3G restarting.
If you didn’t choose restore, you’ll head to the sync page.
After the restart, you’ll go through the standard iPhone/iPod syncing process in iTunes. It took me about 35 minutes to sync:
I then confirmed my other sync settings - contacts, calendar, etc. – and completed the sync.
And that was it. About an hour after I brought my new iPhone 3G home, I had it up and running with all the data, settings, and configurations of the model I’d just upgraded from.
Couldn’t have been much easier!
UPDATE JAN. 2015: This article is out of date and has been replaced by a more comprehensive and regularly updated piece. For instructions on how to set up your iPhone, read this article.
*****
Once you’ve got your iPhone 3G home from the store, the first thing to do is set it up. If you’re upgrading from the first-generation iPhone, the process is almost exactly the same. If you’re new to the iPhone, though, you’ll find the process pretty easy, too.
NOTE: This guide is geared towards the upgrader, rather than the new iPhone 3G owner, but the process is very similar for a new set up. To get a sense of what the set up process for a new owner is, check out the original iPhone set-up guide.
Connect iPhone 3G to Your Computer
Begin by buying your iPhone, of course. If you’re upgrading, sync your current iPhone to your computer before you go the store to buy your new one. This way, you’ll have a backup of your data and settings waiting for you when you return home with your new phone.
Also, be sure that you’ve got iTunes installed on your computer. The iPhone 3G requires iTunes 7.7 or higher.
When you’ve got your iPhone 3G, connect it to your computer via included USB cable.
When the screen below appears, click Continue.
Agree to Software License
At the Software License Agreement screen, click the checkbox at the bottom center of the screen to agree to the terms and then click Continue.
Create or Log in to iTunes Account
In order to use the iPhone 3G, you must have an iTunes Account. If you haven’t created one, do so and then continue with the set up process. If you’ve got one, log into your account here.
Enter Personal Information
At this screen, enter your personal information and click submit.
Decide About Mobile Me
The set up process will then ask you if you’re interested in trying Apple’s Mobile Me service, which offers wireless syncing of calendars and other data. Make your choice and proceed.
If select Mobile Me, you’ll go through a sign up process and then proceed to the next step.
Restore iPhone from Backup
Next you have the opportunity to set up your iPhone 3G as a new phone or restore it from the backup you made before buying the new phone (I mentioned that in step 1. You did back up, right?). Restoring from backup will bring over your settings and preferences, but you’ll still have to sync your data to the phone.
Choose your option and click continue.
If you chose to restore from a backup, iTunes will proceed with this. This restores your settings, but not all your data such as music. The restore process takes about a minute and ends with the iPhone 3G restarting.
If you didn’t choose restore, you’ll head to the sync page.
After the restart, you’ll go through the standard iPhone/iPod syncing process in iTunes. It took me about 35 minutes to sync:
- 1800 songs
- 6.1 MB of photos
- 4 ringtones
- 3 podcasts
I then confirmed my other sync settings - contacts, calendar, etc. – and completed the sync.
And that was it. About an hour after I brought my new iPhone 3G home, I had it up and running with all the data, settings, and configurations of the model I’d just upgraded from.
Couldn’t have been much easier!