How to Activate a New iPhone: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Got a new iPhone and wondering how to activate it? Whether you're setting it up as a new device or transferring your data from an old iPhone, the activation process only takes a few steps when everything is working properly.

In this guide, we'll show you how to activate a new iPhone step by step, including how to connect to Wi-Fi, set up your SIM or eSIM, sign in with your Apple Account, and transfer your data. We'll also cover what to do if your iPhone is unable to activate or gets stuck during setup.

What You Need to Do Before Activating a New iPhone

Before activating your new iPhone, prepare a few things in advance to make the setup process smoother and avoid common activation problems.

• 01 Make sure your new iPhone is ready for setup. Turn on the iPhone and check whether the Hello screen appears. If the device asks for another person's Apple Account credentials during setup, it may still be protected by Activation Lock. In this case, the previous owner needs to remove the device from their account before you can activate it.
• 02 Back up your old iPhone. If you are upgrading from another iPhone, create an iCloud or computer backup before starting. You can also use Quick Start to transfer your apps, settings, and other data directly from your old iPhone to the new one. Keep both devices nearby and connected to power during the transfer.
• 03 Prepare a stable internet connection and sufficient power. Your new iPhone needs an internet connection during setup and activation. Connect it to a reliable Wi-Fi network or use cellular service when supported. Make sure the battery has enough charge, or connect the iPhone to a power source before you begin.
• 04 Have your Apple Account and passcode ready. You may need your Apple Account and password, as well as the passcode of your previous iPhone, during setup. If two-factor authentication is enabled, make sure you can receive a verification code on a trusted device or phone number.
• 05 Prepare your SIM card or eSIM. Depending on your iPhone model and carrier, you may need to insert a physical SIM card or activate an eSIM. If your new iPhone requires a different SIM or you have trouble transferring your cellular plan, contact your carrier for assistance.
• 06 Know how to restart the setup process if necessary. If you have already set up the iPhone but want to start over, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. After the iPhone is erased, you can go through the setup and activation process again.

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Detailed Steps for How to Activate a New iPhone

Once you have everything ready, you can begin activating and setting up your new iPhone. Follow the steps below to complete the process.

Step 1: Turn On Your New iPhone and Choose Your Appearance

Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. When you see the Hello screen, follow the onscreen instructions and select your language and country or region.

You may also be asked to choose the preferred size for text and icons, such as Default, Medium, or Large. Select the option you prefer and tap Continue.

Step 2: Use Quick Start or Set Up Without Another Device

If you have another iPhone or iPad, place it near your new iPhone to use Quick Start. Make sure your old device is connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is turned on, then follow the prompts on both devices.

If you don't have another Apple device nearby, tap Set Up Without Another Device and continue with the instructions.

Step 3: Connect to Wi-Fi and Activate Your iPhone

Choose a Wi-Fi network and enter its password to connect. If cellular activation is available, you may also see Continue Without Wi-Fi.

Depending on your iPhone model and carrier, you may be asked to insert a physical SIM card, transfer an existing eSIM, or activate a new eSIM. Follow the onscreen instructions to activate your cellular service.

Step 4: Choose Who the iPhone Is For

During setup, you may be asked whether you're setting up the iPhone for yourself or for a child. Select the appropriate option and follow the prompts.

If you're setting up the device for a child, you can also configure Family Sharing and parental controls.

Step 5: Set Up Face ID or Touch ID and Create a Passcode

Follow the instructions to set up Face ID or Touch ID, depending on your iPhone model. You can use biometric authentication to unlock your iPhone, sign in to apps, and authorize purchases.

Next, create a six-digit passcode to protect your data. You can tap Passcode Options if you prefer another available passcode type.

Step 6: Transfer Your Apps and Data

On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, choose how you want to move your information to the new iPhone.

You can transfer data from another iPhone, restore from an iCloud backup, restore from a Mac or PC, or move content from an Android device. If you want to start with a clean iPhone, choose Don't Transfer Anything.

Step 7: Sign In to Your Apple Account

Enter the email address or phone number associated with your Apple Account, followed by your password.

If you don't have an account or can't remember your password, tap Forgot password or don't have an Apple Account? You can then recover your account, create a new one, or choose to set it up later.

You may also need to enter a verification code sent to one of your trusted devices or phone numbers.

Step 8: Turn On Automatic Updates and Set Up Siri

Follow the onscreen prompts to enable automatic iOS updates and configure other available services.

You may also be asked to set up Siri. Follow the instructions and, when prompted, speak a few phrases so Siri can recognize your voice.

Step 9: Customize Screen Time, Appearance, and Other Features

Continue through the remaining setup options. Depending on your iPhone model and iOS version, these can include Screen Time, Apple Pay, Light or Dark appearance, analytics, Liquid Glass appearance, and other preferences.

On compatible iPhones, you may also be given the option to set up Apple Intelligence and its supported features.

You don't have to configure every optional feature immediately. Many of them can be changed later in the Settings app.

Step 10: Finish Setting Up Your New iPhone

Complete the remaining onscreen prompts. Once setup is finished, your new iPhone is activated and ready to use.

Your apps, photos, and other content may continue downloading in the background if you restored your data from iCloud or transferred it from another device.

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Bonus Tips: How to Fix iPhone Unable to Activate

I think you must know how to activate a new iPhone after reading the content above. However, during the activation, you may encounter some unexpected system issues that affect it. How to fix your iPhone unable to activate? It's suggested that you try some iOS system repair tools like TunesKit iOS System Recovery. It can fix more than 150 system errors, including iPhone fails to activate, iPhone stuck in DFU mode, iPhone black/white screen, and more.

TunesKit iOS System Recovery provides two modes for you to choose from: Standard Repair and Deep Repair. Therefore, both common and hard issues can be resolved by this useful software. You can use Standard Repair to fix your iPhone unable to activate without data loss.

Now, you can simply download TunesKit iOS System Recovery from the buttons above, and follow these 4 simple steps to fix your iPhone.

Step 1. Connect Your iPhone to PC

First, you need to connect your iPhone to the PC with a USB cable. Then, click on the iOS System Repair then the Start button to the next page.

Step 2. Select Standard Repair

You can choose the Standard Repair option to fix your iPhone failing to activate. This mode would not cause data loss. If your problem can't be solved by this mode, you can turn to Deep Repair for further repair.

Step 3. Download Firmware Package

Check the device information of your iPhone. If there is nothing wrong with the information, you can click on the Download button to download the firmware.

Step 4. Begin to Fix iPhone Unable to Activate

After you download the software, you can now click on the Start Standard Repair button to allow TunesKit iOS System Recovery to fix your iPhone that fails to activate. When the repairing process finishes, you can try to activate your new iPhone again.

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Hot Questions About iPhone Activation

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The Bottom Line

That's all for how to activate new iPhone. In this post, we have introduced you the specific steps for the activation of your iPhone. We also recommend a useful tool -- TunesKit iOS System Recovery -- for you to fix your iPhone if it fails to activate. With this tool, you can solve most of the system issues you meet on your iPhone. Just click on the button below and try it for free!