iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders are arriving today, and you can buy Apple's latest smartphone in stores now, too. Before you activate your shiny new iPhone, however, you need to back up your old one. That'll ensure you see everything you expect on your new phone after you finish the setup process.
Here's how to make sure you have a current backup for your iPhone if you're using iCloud:
- Tap Settings
- Tap iCloud
- Tap Backup
- Tap Backup Now
Use iCloud's settings on your iPhone to force a backup and see when your last backup happened
The Backup screen in iCloud's settings also shows when your last successful backup completed.
Backing up to iCloud automatically encrypts your data, which is great because unencrypted backups don't include your passwords, or health and fitness data. Backing up to iCloud means all of that hard work your Apple Watch has been logging will still be there after you set up your new iPhone 6s.
Here's how to backup your current iPhone to iTunes:
- Launch iTunes on your computer
- Connect your iPhone via its USB cable
- Select your iPhone in iTunes, then click Summary
- Click Backup Now
You can backup your iPhone with iTunes, too
If you don't want to lose your health data, or have to reenter all of your passwords, be sure Encrypt iPhone backup is checked. Like backing up to iCloud, this option encrypts your data but on your own harddrive instead of Apple's servers.
Once you have a current backup, go ahead and set up your new iPhone. When it restores from your latest backup, everything should be just as you expect: Your apps and photos will be where you remember, songs and videos will be there, too, and all of your passwords and health data will get restored.