iPhone 17 Pro Max: Data transfer and accessory tips

onegold88 wrote:

4. Finally, since Apple boxes phones without cables or chargers now, I'll probably have to go buy some...just making sure....Apple's overpriced chargers and cables aren't actually better are they? Like I can buy any cheap USB-C cable and charger and it will charge and transfer data to and from my PC just as good right?

All iPhones sold by Apple come packaged with a charging cable that also functions as a data transfer cable.

onegold88 wrote:

A handful of tips/question regarding my new iPhone 17 Pro Max1.

Hey everyone. After about 9 years, a very tired battery, more and more apps whose latest versions don't update on iOS 15 now, I finally decided to upgrade from my 256 Gb iPhone 7 to a 2 Tb 17 Pro Max which I should receive tomorrow, on Monday.

As I am clearly not someone who switches phones that often, I was hoping to get some answers regarding transferring my data and other general tips about the 17 Pro Max:

I have a lot of locally stored media on my iPhone 7, mostly from the pictures/videos I've taken, and my music. Now this isn't music bought from iTunes/Apple Music, but music manually added to iTunes and manually added from iTunes to my iPhone 7. I do not have iCloud. So upon starting up my new iPhone 17 Pro Max, is there a way of transferring all that local data onto the new phone? Does wireless QuickStart, wired connection between the two phones or doing a PC backup off the phone and then transferring that backup to the new phone do this? What do these methods transfer over and what do they not? I surprisingly have been having a very hard time trying to find this out with my own research.

Backing up iPhone data is essential for several crucial reasons:

1. Data Loss Protection: Accidents happen, and iPhones can be lost, stolen, damaged, or experience unexpected malfunctions. Without a backup, you risk losing all your valuable data, including contacts, photos, videos, messages, app data, and settings. Regular backups ensure that you can recover your data in case of any mishap.
2. Device Upgrade or Replacement: When you upgrade to a new iPhone or need to replace your current one due to hardware issues, having a backup makes the transition seamless. You can restore all your data, apps, and settings onto the new device, saving time and effort.
3. Software Updates: Occasionally, software updates can lead to data loss or corruption. While rare, it's not unheard of for an update to cause issues with your iPhone. Having a backup ensures you can revert to a stable state if something goes wrong during an update.
4. Accidental Deletion or Data Corruption: It's easy to accidentally delete files or have data become corrupted due to app glitches or other issues. With a backup, you can recover lost or corrupted data, maintaining peace of mind.
5. Data Synchronization: If you use multiple Apple devices, such as an iPhone and iPad, backing up your data ensures that important information, like contacts, emails, notes, and calendar events, is synchronized across all your devices.
6. Historical Record: Archiving on iTunes backups create a historical record of your iPhone's data at a specific point in time. This can be helpful if you ever need to revisit past information or restore specific files that were present during a particular backup.
7. App Data and Settings: Backups not only save your personal data but also preserve your app settings, preferences, and login credentials. This makes the process of setting up a new device or restoring an existing one much smoother.
8. Peace of Mind: Knowing that your data is safely backed up allows you to use your iPhone without fear of losing critical information. It provides peace of mind and enables you to enjoy your device to the fullest.

To ensure effective backups, it's essential to use reliable methods like iCloud backups, which automatically save your data to the cloud when connected to Wi-Fi, or iTunes/Finder backups on your computer. By regularly backing up your iPhone, you can protect your valuable data and be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances that may affect your device.

Regarding your data…

1. If you have an iCloud or iTunes latest backup, then there is nothing to worry about. Just restore from it, else...
2. If You have synced your data to iCloud, then what you will get back is what you have synced to iCloud and uploaded to iCloud Drive;
   1. The information that is synced and stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail*, Notes, Voice Memos, Messages*, shared photos, iCloud Photos*, Health data*, call history*, and files* you store in iCloud Drive.
   2. *-If you had turned on Messages in iCloud, iCloud Photos, Mail, Health data, call history under iCloud, and files you store in iCloud Drive your content is automatically stored in iCloud and is available on all devices that use the same Apple ID
3. You have imported your Photos & Videos to Mac/PC then they are safely residing there on Mac/PC
4. You have uploaded some of it to Cloud Drives using the Files app (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, Flickr, box, AmazonDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud etc). The data remains there.
5. If you have not backed up or do not have the latest backup, nor imported nor you have synced or uploaded your data to cloud drives prior to the situation that you are in, then I am sorry, all your data is lost.

onegold88 wrote:

2. I plan on using case. From what I've heard, it seems better to get a case that covers the camera plateau than one which leaves it completely exposed....but there is such a disparity in prices between cases...is there really a difference, a worth, in shelling out the 60, 70 or more bucks asked for some of these cases I'm seeing, or do the ones sold for like 2 bucks on Temu do the job just as well? For reference, on my iPhone 7 I've only ever had a cheap transparent soft case, and the phone is pristine.

This may help you with cases: Cases & Protection - All Accessories - Apple

onegold88 wrote:

3. Similarly, would you recommend investing in a screen protector (tempered glass I think they call it?)? With my previous iPhones, the 5 and the 7, I basically kept the transparent plastic film that covered the phone in the box to protect it from scratches but from unboxing videos I've seen it seems to me iPhones now no longer come with a transparent film covering the screen but an opaque white one (boo!), so...After that film got too gunky I eventually have been protectionless with screen to my iPhone 7 for 2/3 years now without issues.

This may help you --> Apple

Please update this 8 to ios18 for me.

tharushan288 wrote:

Please update this 8 to ios18 for me.

That is not possible.