How to Set Up a New Smartphone?

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ORIGINAL POST

Thinking of getting a Nokia 2780. Little 4g phone. Thing is, setting up my phones has pretty much always been something my family has done for me. Whadaya do to set up a phone!?

3 replies

pwr_lvl_5 · 4 months ago

Okay, thanks for stopping by. I hope I can help you along the way.

For the nitty-gritty phone setup it's rather simple, with a few things I recommend keeping in mind.

First, where are you from? I'll be posting from a US-based perspective, but other than network structure and carrier options this can apply almost anywhere.

Here's my recommendation when picking a dumbphone: find what's called a factory unlocked device as opposed to a prepaid one from companies like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. Reason being you can have the best freedom and flexibility in choosing a service provider and plan rather than the relatively limited selection of models locked to their respective carriers.

Unsatisfied with the network coverage with dead spots or dropped calls? Feel free to find another network. Found a better deal or want a multi-month bundle? Port your number right in. There are so many advantages in buying an unlocked phone. The cons are you usually pay more for it and the confusing 'buyer-beware' marketplace sometimes makes it unclear between a factory unlocked phone and a network unlocked phone. The later was originally locked to a carrier with their branding on the device and at times on software, including branding (I personally hate carrier branding!) but was unlocked to accept SIM cards and service from different GSM carriers (think of this as the global standard, metric system of cell phone networks).

Please buy a factory unlocked device and pair it with what's called an MVNO, or Mobile Virtual Network Operator (AKA prepaid plans). This is the winning combo for most individual cellphone consumers.

Again, if you're in the US I recommend a T-Mobile-based MVNO if coverage is good in your area. They have the widest selection of competitive (think low-cost but great quality of service) providers and as a bonus, have great compatibility internationally (but please double-check international roaming if travelling!).

I would probably gun-to-my-head recommend the top two providers, US Mobile and Tello, but don't limit yourself--there's plenty of great options and personally I wandered off the beaten path with mine. US Mobile has the highest customer satisfaction in the nation with many plans to choose from and Tello has the most flexibility in customizing a monthly plan down to how many minutes and how much data you buy, unlimited texting included.

Start here, OP. Dogspeed, Jebus be with you.

Edit: made some edits and I'll let OP know more once I get a response.

1 upvotes on reddit

Traditional_Row_2091 · OP · 4 months ago

I'm thinking of getting Mint Mobile. The part that I'm most confused about is: how do I actually connect the phone to the network? Do they mail me a SIM card and I just plug it into my phone and that's it?

1 upvotes on reddit

pwr_lvl_5 · 4 months ago

Oh right, Mint Mobile is pretty good too.

Right, you can buy a physical SIM card at Target or BestBuy for like $2 right now and activate that. If you wanna keep your current phone number you would want to do what's called "porting". You would need to maintain your current service and contact your carrier or login to your account. Ask for/find the online menu option for porting.

Here's a helpful blog post.

Also, consider manually editing your network connection's APN, or Access Point Name, to get the most out of your service. Here's another blog post (this is for Android phones in mind, but should be very similar).

There you go, simply getting ahold of a SIM card, porting in your number and editing your APN settings. You should be good to go.

Optionally, get the maximum storage sized micro SD card your phone will support and take a moment to look over my post on getting audio on your phone.

Have fun.

1 upvotes on reddit

See 3 replies

r/iphonehelp • [2]

Summarize

Phone setup question

Posted by bean-supreme · in r/iphonehelp · 4 months ago

Hello! This will be my first time owning an iphone and I'm not sure what all is different than Android so apologies if this question seems silly.

I bought an unlocked 14 pro max so my employer could add me to their phone plan with a Verizon sim card. My question is, if I set up the phone and start configuring it before I get the SIM card in, will I have to complete set up again after the new SIM card is installed? tia <3

ETA: I think the iOS version out of the box is 16? sorry I can try to find out more

2 upvotes on reddit

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RobsOffDaGrid · 4 months ago

The make of a particular phone shouldn’t make any difference with regard to the network it’s running on, but you made the right choice

2 upvotes on reddit

bean-supreme · OP · 4 months ago

Thank you! I really tried to do my research, I hope this one lasts me as many years as my Samsungs have

1 upvotes on reddit

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1 upvotes on reddit

JediMeister · 4 months ago

The only thing not having a cellular plan attached to the phone at time of purchase will affect is that you will need to have a Wi-Fi network to join. That’s all.

2 upvotes on reddit

bean-supreme · OP · 4 months ago

thank you!! I really appreciate you reassuring me haha

1 upvotes on reddit

See 5 replies

r/apple • [3]

Summarize

How does everyone set up their new phones?

Posted by alelovescanon · in r/apple · 6 years ago

Wondering how different people go about setting up their new phones. Do you start with a fresh device or do you transfer everything from your current phone? Why/why not?

I preorder a 256gb model and I’m still not decided if I should transfer my data or start a new phone. I like having a fresh start but don’t want to loose close access to my photos.

What’s your method?

51 upvotes on reddit

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12 replies

Jyrpsi · 6 years ago

I have bought almost every year the new iPhone, and every time I have restored a backup either from iCloud or iTunes. This year I will set up my XS as a new phone. The reason for this is, that everything is in iCloud now, so there’s no reason to restore from a back up. Photos, contacts, messages, everything, can accessed from a new device directly. And there are few benefits for setting the new phone as a new one.

54 upvotes on reddit

bwjxjelsbd · 6 years ago

Is my photos, messages and back up from 3 parties apps that was backed up to iCloud sync to new iPhone if I set it up as new ?

3 upvotes on reddit

mredofcourse · 6 years ago

Is health data now in iCloud? I thought that didn't get copied over unless you restored from backup.

1 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 6 years ago

Always from fresh. Less chance for bugs etc. But I'm very minimalistic when it comes to giving out my persona data. So a full setup for me would take few hours.

61 upvotes on reddit

Lancaster61 · 6 years ago

I’ve restored from previous for at least 5 generations (since the 6). iPhone X still works flawlessly.

I think as long as you don’t jailbreak, or do anything weird, generation to generation restore is just fine.

2 upvotes on reddit

[deleted] · 6 years ago

Could be. I don't know. With a new phone follows a ritual; I love redoing my settings all over. I adjust them to my behavior that I may have changed over time, privacy settings tempted to reset, therefore I do them over again. And ofc getting rid of all the junk and not taking it to my new phone.

2 upvotes on reddit

klinquist · 6 years ago

Apps are sandboxed, so typically bugs will be app specific and not affect the phone. Have any other non-anecdotal evidence that setting up as new is better in any way?

34 upvotes on reddit

klinquist · 6 years ago

Always just restore. Since iPhone 3GS. Not a single issue.

34 upvotes on reddit

proxtoyz · 6 years ago

Same, don’t know why people think they’re removing some bad mojo by going fresh every time like reinstalling windows xp or something.

If you want your new iPhone to look and act like your old phone it’s the most seamless process

31 upvotes on reddit

Jyrpsi · 6 years ago

Apps you have to install and set up again. If they support native iCloud back ups they can be restored then. I don’t think there’s too many usefull apps which would require a lot of ”setting up” though, because many apps and services have their own database where you need to sign in, like Facebook, Twitter, food delivery services, e-mails, etc.

Edit: And some apps still require setting up again, even if you restore them. I have an app which allows me to sign in to bank’s website without any complicated one-time-use-only codes or anything. Even if I restore that app from a back up, it still needs to be set up completely again.

1 upvotes on reddit

loolapamooza · 6 years ago

always restore icloud backup for me

33 upvotes on reddit

ThannBanis · 6 years ago

I’ve always setup all of the family’s iDevices by restoring from an encrypted iTunes backup... unless it’s their first device.

25 upvotes on reddit

See 12 replies

r/parentalcontrols • [4]

Summarize

how to set parental controls of phone

Posted by Equivalent_Sir_7885 · in r/parentalcontrols · 2 months ago

Ok, so I’ve had a sort of dumb phone for a while now and I have convinced my parents to get me a phone that can do more than just text, but they said that they wanted to add parental controls and they told me to figure out how to do it. I’m looking for some method where I have a phone that can install any app, but only with parents permission. I also can’t use google/safari or any web browser so those will need to be deactivated somehow. The specific kind of phone doesn’t matter (I’d be up for recommendations) as we haven’t actually got it yet.

Any advice would be useful! Thanks!

13 upvotes on reddit

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12 replies

Grand_Ad_5550 · 2 months ago

if you get an iPhone, you can easily turn off Safari and set up easy parental controls with ask to download and stuff like that

3 upvotes on reddit

Equivalent_Sir_7885 · OP · 2 months ago

this sounds like the best option at the moment but i have a couple questions. The only apple devices in the house right now are my ipad and my dad’s macbook. If I were to set it up with my ipad (logged in with my mom’s apple id) as the parent, could we set up a password on that device so I cant change stuff? Or, even simpler, could i just set it up on the macbook?

2 upvotes on reddit

Grand_Ad_5550 · 2 months ago

if you set it up on your iPhone, it’ll go through all the device devices connected to that iCloud email or what you can do is if you wanna have an account separate from your mom, but where your mom can still control everything you can set up the Screen Time controls on your phone using your iCloud account

And then what you would do is have her set up a on your device that you don’t know that that’s the way that you can do it so that she still has control but you can’t change anything l without her password

you can also have the option selected so that any devices signed in with your iCloud email all of your screen time settings and stuff will transfer between all your devices and the same Screen Time passcode will apply on all the device devices that are signed in with your account

feel free to reply with any more questions

2 upvotes on reddit

appltechie · 1 month ago

True iPhones make it easy to turn off Safari and set up download approvals. On Android, there’s also ways to do similar stuff with built-in controls so parents can keep an eye on app installs and block browsers too

2 upvotes on reddit

AeofRS · 2 months ago

There are some great suggestions here so far, though I know that a lot of them usually involve setting the controls up on a phone which can take some effort. There is a company called Bark that makes a phone with the controls already on it, and maybe that would be a good choice that allows you to get the apps you want while giving your parents the other settings to control

2 upvotes on reddit

ForwardCaterpillar23 · 2 months ago

This. My cousin has a phone from Bark and it’s pretty easy to set up and seems like it has everything you’re looking for when it comes to app approvals and stuff.

1 upvotes on reddit

Hizonner · 2 months ago

Well, that's a new one.

It would never occur to me to ask the person I was trying to restrict to figure out how to set up the restrictions. I'm not sure whether I'm more struck by the Kafka-esque absurdity, or by the total lack of even the rudiments of a security mindset.

Pretty sure the built-in parental controls from either Google or Apple will do that.

9 upvotes on reddit

OctopusIntellect · 2 months ago

If the kid is co-operating, then the parents don't really need a security mindset. (In this respect anyway.)

Just as plenty of kids will try and succeed to circumvent parental safety suggestions, plenty of kids also trust that their parents have their best interests in mind, and will co-operate.

Parents who discuss safety issues with their kids, and even empower their kids to have a role in the process, .... probably find that their kids will also be more likely to co-operate as a result. As compared with parents that just try to enforce draconian controls without being willing to give good reasons why.

3 upvotes on reddit

Hizonner · 2 months ago

> plenty of kids also trust that their parents have their best interests in mind, and will co-operate.

Well, they have to trust not only that their parents have their best interests in mind, but also that the parents will correctly implement their best interests. As a kid I'd have believed the first and might have doubted the second.

But that's a quibble. Sure.

> Parents who discuss safety issues with their kids,

... which may very well have happened, but we haven't been told one way or the other.

> and even empower their kids to have a role in the process,

Obviously I'm looking from the outside, and the original poster seems OK with it, and is obviously better positioned than I to know.

But, still, looking at the abstract general case of the kind of situation being described, "Let's talk to find restrictions you can live with" might be an empowering role. And maybe that's happened. It sounds like they've bent a bit from whatever their initial postion was by even allowing a smart phone in the first place.

On the other hand, "Here's what the restrictions will be; go out and find a way to implement them" sounds a lot less empowering, and a little too much like "go outside and cut a switch" for my taste. Not to say that it's at all equivalent, just that it tends toward that kind of vibe from where I'm sitting.

> .... probably find that their kids will also be more likely to co-operate as a result.

... probably find that they're less likely to need the controls in the first place. Being able to trust the kid to design the controls isn't exactly equivalent to being able to trust that the kid will do what you tell them without controls. Everybody has out of character moments. But it's within striking distance.

Maybe the plan is to thoroughly review the proposal, but it still comes off as pretty strange. I'm not sure it's a lot easier to review it than just to create it from scratch. Especially because some of these things might be easier to evade if you knew exactly what was going to happen before the controls went on.

... and you never don't need a security mindset. Trust no-one, including yourself if you can get out of it. Especially not yourself. You know why. :-)

3 upvotes on reddit

runski1426 · 2 months ago

Google Family Link

3 upvotes on reddit

superneatosauraus · 2 months ago

I feel like Family Link is least invasive compared to some of the stuff I read about here. That's what we use.

4 upvotes on reddit

appltechie · 1 month ago

So your parents can just download a parental control app from the app store on the phone once you have it. Then they set it up with their own password or PIN and it’ll block app installs or ask for their permission before anything new gets downloaded.

1 upvotes on reddit

See 12 replies

r/ios • [5]

Summarize

For those who set up new phone from scratch: Is there a significant benefit to doing so, versus a transfer?

Posted by spacenglish · in r/ios · 7 months ago

As per title, I am considering if there is any technical reason to suggest setting up a phone from scratch. For a bit of background, I have been backing up and transferring data between phones since about 2010

Also, do you use a checklist of what to do when you set up a new device this way? For example - set up 2FA apps again, sign in to Gmail and trust new device, sign in to iCloud to get Safari, notes, etc.

Or do you feel a transfer is the best way forward?

2 upvotes on reddit

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9 replies

Thorz74 · 7 months ago

I came from a PC world so every time I upgrade to a new device I reinstall all from scratch. It is a PITA but I doing it this way I have more than once ironed bugs that appear to never go away. The only things I do not transfer manually are the ones attached to iCloud like contacts, calendars and so.

This is for my own device, the rest of devices on the family I just transfer from old iPhone to the new one. I don’t even backup, it gets anyway done to iCloud automatically before you transfer things to the new phone or iPad.

1 upvotes on reddit

4paul · 7 months ago

Only real benefit doing it from scratch is cleanup. Having to manually install everything is a good reminder of what Apps do you truly want/need. I have a folder of tons of games that I haven't played in years but "just in case" lol

But I always transfer. Technically what I like to do is do a "Encrypted Backup" and "Full Backup", that way everything can get backed up and transferred, like health data, (I believe Credit Card data), and it's all secure/encrypted too. So if I have a new phone, I plug my old one into my computer, do the backup, plug the new one, restore the backup, and I'm done.

And unlike a computer, I've never seen a performance hit "transferring/restoring" vs doing things from scratch (I feel a brand new computer always runs better before I start installing all the bloatware I need).

2 upvotes on reddit

spacenglish · OP · 7 months ago

Cleanup is a big thing. With everyone and their dog requiring an app install to do anything, it is good to purge stuff that I do not use. To do this, I previously tried offload unused apps, but that feature is lacking - as I want to be able to keep some important but less used apps.

I have read that people report weird issues go away when doing a clean install. I am assuming that’s not the case in your experience.

1 upvotes on reddit

MisterBumpingston · 7 months ago

I’ve found with upgrading to iOS 17 many of my apps didn’t install and they were the ones I rarely touch, so it’s been good to see which ones I could delete/remove from the home screen.

1 upvotes on reddit

4paul · 7 months ago

yea, I really should clean up one of these days myself, way too many apps I have, who knows what they are doing and what information they have collected.

But yea I've never seen any performance problems when I transfer, but I upgrade every year to the newest phone, so perhaps if you have an older phone with random weird issues, a new one from scratch could potentially help, I don't see how, maybe cache/random data from your network settings, safari history, etc. Interesting thought, I can see it happening though.

1 upvotes on reddit

The_Shadowghost · 7 months ago

Thats the way!

Reminder that even in a Full Encrypted Backup not all App data is included. This includes most authenticator Apps like Microsoft Authenticator but also hits Signal Messenger

1 upvotes on reddit

BunnyBunny777 · 7 months ago

I’ve always backed up to Mac and then restored to the new phone. Never had an issue. For my parents I just do the transfer from old phone using WiFi (out iPhones next to one another for about 10 min). No issues with theirs either. I’m more particular about my backup and transfer that’s why use a Mac and a cable, but the WiFi transfer works just as accurate and with same fidelity. This is for many generations of iPhones so tested and true.

1 upvotes on reddit

SomegalInCa · 7 months ago

Anecdotally I’ve migrated forward on every new phones since available and before that backup old phone to Mac restore to new phone

I don’t have a ton of 3rd party apps, zero games and my only social media app was Reddit the last time I did a migration

No issues on my 15pro fwiw

1 upvotes on reddit

Key-Monk6159 · 7 months ago

I back up the old phone and then restore it on the new one via a computer so at the end they basically look the same. Some tweaks are required but the other main benefit is that most of the sign in and password info migrates.

1 upvotes on reddit

See 9 replies

r/Visible • [6]

Summarize

Setting up new phone

Posted by Gold_Selection194 · in r/Visible · 3 months ago

I just got a new (actually used) phone - how do I go about switching my service to the new one?

8 upvotes on reddit

4 replies

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https://www.visible.com/unbox

4 replies

NecktieSalad · 3 months ago

eSIM or physical SIM - eSIM use the app; physical SIM move it to new phone. However, if you also mean how to transfer apps and data to new phone, Google for your specific operating system.

3 upvotes on reddit

Jaded_Tomorrow_2086 · 3 months ago

You can do it right in the app...just follow the instructions.

3 upvotes on reddit

jatan1986 · 3 months ago

1 upvotes on reddit

VisibleCareSupport · 3 months ago

Hi - Marie from Visible here. I am thrilled to share with you the steps on how to switch your service to a new phone. If you are transferring an active Visible service from an old phone to a new one, you can visit this link for the complete instructions. If you are trying to port a phone number from another Carrier, these are the important points to remember:

Confirm your mobile number is eligible for transfer to Visible using the Portability Checker.
Confirm your device is compatible for use with Visible using the Compatibility Checker.
Keep your number active with your current carrier, your line will be closed once your number is fully transferred.
When you are ready to initiate the port, please have the following information on hand from your old provider: The phone number you wish to transfer, account number, account pin, and service ZIP code. In addition, you have the option to activate the phone with either a physical SIM card or an eSIM. Here are some helpful links you can access for more insights: How to transfer or port your number into Visible? Ordering and Shipping with Visible Need to activate, replace or transfer your SIM? If you require more assistance, feel free to send us a DM. We look forward to helping you out in any way we can!

0 upvotes on reddit

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r/IPhone16e • [7]

Summarize

Setting up your new iPhone before use

Posted by domacin_99 · in r/IPhone16e · 5 months ago

2 upvotes on reddit

1 replies

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1 replies

shawn1301 · 5 months ago

I always set up as new no back up restore. Once I sign into my iCloud my notes and contacts return.

2 upvotes on reddit

See 1 replies

r/GalaxyS21 • [8]

Summarize

Q: On a new phone, do you Transfer data or setup as a fresh new phone

Posted by clem_media · in r/GalaxyS21 · 4 years ago

I'm getting my new phone tomo (S21U) . Every two years I get the same predicament... I stare at my new phone and my old phone (in this case Note 10+)... And I wonder whether I should use the transfer service or set it up clean and fresh.

Obviously my photos are all backed up and can backup chats and contacts but it just always feel dirty to me to just transfer everything over to the new device. Anyone else feel this way? Genuine question. Am I being overly careful or unnecessarily tidy by setting up as a new fresh phone?

Just curious to see what the consensus is :)

06 replies

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lobie81 · 4 years ago

I restore SMS messages and contacts from backup and I install everything else fresh.

1 upvotes on reddit

clem_media · OP · 4 years ago

This is the way. This is what I went with this morning. Super happy. Happy with the phone so far

1 upvotes on reddit

Outrager · 4 years ago

I did the full transfer from old phone to new phone. Sadly it didn't copy over any of the app data which is what I mostly wanted. Luckily the one game I play has cloud backup and kept my progress.

1 upvotes on reddit

eric650ninja · 4 years ago

I prefer a clean install.

4 upvotes on reddit

outnabout818 · 4 years ago

I usually do a fresh install and install apps I only need then add other apps that I don't use as much.

2 upvotes on reddit

calbrs · 4 years ago

It's personal preference. I usually do a fresh setup. When I got my 21u, I did transfer from my old phone. But within a week I decided to do a factory reset and just start fresh.

2 upvotes on reddit

See 6 replies

r/parentalcontrols • [9]

Summarize

What is the best way to go by setting up a device my parents have no access to?

Posted by Fast-Reward-2718 · in r/parentalcontrols · 8 months ago

So, my parents have parental controls set up with family link connected to my apple ID, they don't necessarily 'control' it per se, but I dislike the idea that they could if they wanted to. I don't really do anything necessarily 'sketchy', however, I do have social media accounts when I am not allowed to. I am legally old enough to use most social media platforms (so over 16), however my parents are very against it in general.

I was wondering that if I use an old device that I have, doing a whole reset of it and making a new apple ID unassociated with mine, what would the best way to get access to the internet on that device be? I was considering using my phone hotspot, but apparently parents have access to that? How would I go by doing that to minimise my parent's knowledge on that altogether? I would really only have a problem with accessing the internet without them knowing.

2 upvotes on reddit

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headedbranch225 · 8 months ago

I'm not too knowledgeable about how apple stuff works, but I think if you had an unrelated apple ID then it probably would work, but it might depend on how much your parents know about tech because you could probably use your home wifi of you don't think they would check it and see your old device, you could also maybe just talk to them and explain your issues and have a list of reasons you should be allowed social media if you think they would allow you

1 upvotes on reddit

Shejetonmysquelcher · 8 months ago

I was gonna say this. If the Apple ID is disconnected then they won’t know about it unless they go through the internet provider. They also might see the device nearby when connecting any Bluetooth device or if they activate airdropping at all they’ll see every Apple device nearby.

1 upvotes on reddit

RoxyAndBlackie128 · 8 months ago

if you have mac randomization enabled you'll be fine connecting to home wifi

1 upvotes on reddit

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