What a lovely new iPhone you have! Whichever one of the many iPhones in Apple's lineup you bought, the setup experience is nearly identical. Here’s how to get acquainted with it to ensure a two- to four-year lifetime, give or take, of happiness. (Or just one, if you’re an annual upgrader.) Things always go more smoothly when you're prepared, so make sure you have the following ready for the easiest possible setup:

• Your old phone (not essential, but it's smart to have it handy)
• Your SIM card (not required for eSIM activation)
• Your Wi-Fi details
• Your Apple account details (you must have an Apple account to use an iPhone)

After you set up your device, check out our guides on cases—the Best iPhone 15 Cases, Best iPhone 14 Cases, Best iPhone 13 Cases, and Best iPhone 12 Cases—to protect your handset, and see our Best MagSafe Accessories guide to kit it out.

Updated September 2024: We tweaked this guide to reflect the latest version of iOS and the new iPhone 16 range.

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