How to get ready to upgrade to your new iPhone 13

Whether you're getting a new iPhone 13, a discounted iPhone 12, or any other new-to-you iPhone, here is how to prepare to make the upgrade go smoothly.

How to prepare largely depends on what device you're migrating from. If you're coming from Android, it's different if you're coming from an older iPhone.

Coming from Android

So you've made the (correct) decision to upgrade from an Android device to an iPhone. The easiest way to switch away from one operating system to the other is to use the Move to iOS app.

Apple released the Move to iOS back in 2018. Apple has made minor updates to the app to keep it compatible with the latest iPhones and newer versions of Android.

The Move to iOS app

This free app helps migrate your contacts, calendars, and more from your old Android device to your new iPhone over a private Wi-Fi network. It's that easy.

Coming from an older iPhone

If coming from an iPhone, there are two big things you can do before your new device arrives.

First, you should slim down your storage.

If you have any media apps — podcasts, TV streaming, et cetera — double check to see if you downloaded any disposable content. If you've got some TV episodes in Apple TV or Netflix saved to your phone for offline playback, this can eat up a lot of storage.

Cull your unused apps

Similarly, cull your apps. Go through your Home Screens to dispatch any apps or games you no longer use. You can also go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see a list of all your apps sorted by how much data they occupy and you can easily delete them from there.

By triaging your apps and downloads, you can reduce the amount of data you have to transfer, speeding up the whole process. Plus, it puts you in an excellent position to start with your new device, clean of any unnecessary bloat.

Backup your phone

Our second recommendation is to do a preliminary backup, either through iCloud or your Mac/PC. When you move to your new iPhone, it will prompt you to do a last-second backup, but since this will be a delta backup only covering what changed since your last full backup, it will just take a few moments.

If you want to get your new phone up and running as fast as possible, get a backup done early.