your iPhone, so you’ll get some measure of instant gratification. After taking the phone out of the box, press and hold down the side button, which is on the right edge. (On old iPhone SE models, press and hold down the sleep/wake button, on the top). The famous Apple logo appears on your screen.
Soon, the word hello and its foreign language equivalents (hola, bonjour, ciao, and so on) take turns greeting you on the screen. Over the several screens that appear, you get to choose your language (English by default) and country or region.
You'll see a screen asking you to place your old iPhone (or iPad), if you have one, next to your new one for a quick setup. Or you can proceed manually. You then choose a Wi-Fi network, if available and enter its password. Or you can proceed using cellular.
To transfer apps and data to the phone, you can connect it to your PC or Mac, or go computer-free by restoring via iCloud. You can also move data from an Android device. Of course, if you’re a smartphone newbie, you won’t need to transfer apps and data.
You're then asked to kindly sign in with an Apple ID (if you already have one) or create one. Apple ID is the credential used to set up your iCloud and iTunes Store accounts, which include such places as the Book Store, Apple Arcade, and Apple Music. Through iCloud, you can also access your music, photos, contacts, calendars, and more on all your devices automatically. Worth noting: You can use different Apple IDs for iCloud and other Apple services.
What’s more, if your Apple ID is recognized from another iPhone, you can transfer apps and data and mirror the settings on that other handset. However, you also have the option to customize apps and settings on the new phone instead.
If you choose this latter route, you get to decide whether to automatically keep your iPhone fresh through iOS feature and security updates and whether to enable Location Services, which means the iPhone will know where you are. This setting is useful for Maps and other apps that rely on your whereabouts, but Apple is also big on privacy, so it’s your call.
Enabling your location also lets you take advantage of the Find My feature, which we think is smart. Seems like a no-brainer to us in fact: Why wouldn’t you want to turn on a tool that can possibly help you retrieve a lost or stolen phone? (For more on Find My, check out Chapter 14.)
As part of the setup, you’re also invited to learn more about Apple’s Data & Privacy policy and to agree to the terms and conditions for iOS, iCloud, and the privacy policy. Apple says it's important that you read this stuff — and who are we to disagree? We’ll just leave it there.
Another optional tool we take advantage of that you meet during setup is Screen Time, which provides all-too-enlightening insights into the amount of time you and your family spend on the phone. You can set limits to curtail your usage and that of the kids.
You also get to choose or verify the phone number and email addresses that folks might use to get in touch with you, via FaceTime video calling (see Chapter 4) or iMessage (see Chapter 6).
The next request differs by phone and has to do with security, something no one should take lightly. You’re given the option to create a passcode to prevent anyone from getting to the contents of your device without knowing that code.
If you have an iPhone SE or any model with a Home button, you’re asked whether you want to set up Touch ID, Apple’s name for a nifty fingerprint authentication system. If your iPhone doesn't have a Home button, you can use Face ID facial recognition instead. Both methods are worth a deeper dive.
Pointing a finger at Touch ID
Apple wants you to give the iPhone the finger. But only in a good way.
Setting up passcode safeguards is a good idea, and it’s something we also touch on in Chapter 14 on Settings. But we also know that passcodes can be a hassle at times, such as when you’re holding an umbrella in one hand and tapping a passcode with the other. Apple has said in the past that about half the folks with an iPhone don’t even bother with passcodes, and we and the company think that’s unfortunate because you don’t want to let just anybody get at your personal information.
Enter the iPhones with Touch ID, a fingerprint scanner cleverly embedded in the Home button of models that still have one. With a gentle press of any designated finger, you bypass your passcode.
What’s more, you can use your own digit (not the numerical kind) to authenticate iTunes and App Store purchases. (Go to Settings under Touch ID & Passcode to make sure that the iTunes & App Store switch is turned on.)
You can also purchase stuff at retail (and online) stores by using the Apple Pay payment technology or the Apple Card credit card, another piece of the iPhone setup drill. By holding the phone near a compatible contactless reader in a store and keeping your finger against the Touch ID button, you can complete a purchase securely. Apple has forged partnerships with leading credit card companies, banks, merchants and app developers, with more partners added all the time. Check out Chapter 7 for more on this feature.
You won’t have to use your fingerprint as a shortcut to enter web account names or passwords. A feature known as iCloud Keychain keeps your credit cards and passwords encrypted and saved on your iPhone and other approved devices, and handles the autofill chores on many of the websites you might visit.
To set up Touch ID, you must first let your iPhone get chummy with at least one of your fingers, though the system can handle up to five individual fingers, yours or anyone else’s with whom you share the iPhone.
The phone instructs you to press and lift your finger against the Home button repeatedly and from different orientations. Red lines fill an animated drawing of a generic fingerprint on the screen, giving you a sense of how far along you are. The process doesn’t take long, and if all goes smoothly, the iPhone will soon enough declare your efforts to be a success.
Whether you choose to set up fingerprint authentication now, later, or not at all, you need to establish an old-fashioned passcode. You can go with a four-digit numeric code, a longer custom numeric code, or a longer alphanumeric code. In fact, if you do opt to go with Touch ID, you must set up a passcode as a backup should the iPhone fail to recognize your paw three times in a row. Hey, it happens. Maybe you’re sweating profusely, or you have a cut in the wrong place, or you’re wearing gloves.
Typing passcodes may seem antiquated. However, you still need to type a passcode when you first power up your phone after it has been turned off.
Facing up to Face ID
Face ID debuted on the iPhone X and has been on all but the newest version of the SE models ever since. Using this clever technology, we've found that Apple’s facial recognition technology can determine that you are who you say you are, even in pitch black and even if you change your look by adding or removing facial hair, putting on sunglasses, donning a hat, and so on. Given the times, we’re obliged to mention that wearing a mask may defeat Face ID.
You set up Face ID here during the setup process