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Set up your iPhone 5

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Learn how to set up your iPhone 5 and make the most of your shiny new iPhone! Here, we cover all the basics, from setting up iCloud to using the new iPhone 5 call features. Remember, SimplyFixIt are here if you get stuck at any point.

How to set up your iPhone 5

You've been waiting for this for weeks - the anticipation of setting up your new iPhone 5 and whizzing round it's larger, sharper touchscreen. All that extra room for apps... marvelous. Let's get through this as quickly as possible, so that you can start making your friends jealous by posting photos of your new iPhone. That's easier now, by the way; Facebook's built-in!

Pick the section you need below, and we'll help you set up your iPhone in no time.

When you finally manage to get your hands on your new iPhone 5 and open up the box, here's what you will find:

  • An iPhone 5 - woo hoo! Has anything ever looked so shiny?
  • Documents envelope (a basic setup guide and a few bits of other information, plus the SIM removal tool you'll need to put the Nano SIM card into the iPhone 5)
  • Lightning USB cable - a charging and syncing cable that's smaller, reversible and faster
  • Mains plug adaptor with USB socket for the Lightning cable
  • EarPods - these are the new Apple earphones.  They come in a handy travel case and have an inline remote and mic allowing you to change volume, pause music and take calls.

How to insert a Nano SIM into your iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 has a new kind of SIM card called a Nano SIM, which is smaller than the Micro SIM in the iPhone 4. This means that any existing SIM card you have will not fit in the SIM card slot. Not to worry though, we're here to help.

In the box with your new iPhone should be a small envelope of documents. Attached to the inside of this is a small metal ring with a spike on. This is the SIM removal tool and is used to eject the SIM card tray.

Halfway down the right hand side of the iPhone 5 is a small pin hole.  All you need to do is push the SIM removal tool into this hole and a small tray will pop out.  Put your SIM card into this tray and slide it back in and you are good to go.

You may need to speak to your mobile network to transfer your number over on to this new Nano SIM card.

How to follow the initial iPhone 5 setup

With iOS 6, the initial setup process on the iPhone is simpler than ever.  You don't even need to plug your iPhone into a computer.  Simply slide your finger to begin the setup.

The first screen asks you to choose your language.  Select the language you want from the list and click 'Next'.

You will now be asked to connect to Wi-Fi.  Choose your Wi-Fi network from the list and enter the network key.  Remember, this is case sensitive.  When you are connected, click 'Next.'

The next stage is to activate the iPhone with Apple.  This may take several minutes, especially if you are trying to do it on launch day.

Once the activation is complete, you will be asked if you want to use location services.  This uses the GPS to find your location for things like Google searches and Siri.

You now have the option of restoring from a backup or setting the phone up as a new handset.  If you are already an iPhone user, you can backup your old handset via iTunes or iCloud.  

If you choose to restore from iTunes, you will need to plug your phone into your computer at this point.

If you are restoring from iCloud, sign in with your Apple ID and password and agree to the T&Cs.  You can then select which backup you want to use and click restore.  This may take a couple of hours to restore.

If you are new to iPhone, you will need to select the option to set up as a new iPhone. You will then be guided through the process of creating an Apple ID and password to allow you to buy applications and music as well as use iCloud.

Whichever option you choose, once the setup is complete, you are ready to start using your new iPhone.

Now it's time to set up your contacts and calendars.

How to set up your contacts and calendars on iPhone 5

Transferring contacts from iPhone 4 to iPhone 5

If you already have an iPhone, you can easily transfer your contacts from your old one to the new one, using Apple's iCloud online content storage.  If you do not have it set up on your old phone, go to 'Settings' and then 'iCloud'.  If necessary, sign in with your Apple ID and turn contacts on.  Choose the option to merge your data with iCloud.  This will upload all your contacts onto the iCloud.

All you need to do then is choose the option to use iCloud during the initial setup of the iPhone 5 and your contacts will automatically appear on the handset.

Transferring contacts from an Android smartphone to iPhone 5

If it is set up correctly, your Android phone should automatically backup your contacts to Google mail.  You will need to plug your new iPhone 5 into your computer to copy these across.

Open iTunes and plug your iPhone 5 into your PC or Mac.  Click the 'Info' tab along the top and tick the option to Sync contacts.  Choose Google from the drop down menu and sign in with your email address and password.  You contacts should automatically sync.

Transferring contacts from a BlackBerry smartphone to iPhone 5

Transferring contacts from a BlackBerry smartphone to an iPhone 5 is a little more complicated.  You will need to download and install the Blackberry Desktop Software from their website in order to sync your contacts with your PC.

Once this is done, you can then use iTunes to sync them to the iPhone.  Open iTunes and plug your iPhone in.  Click the Info tab along the top and tick the option to Sync contacts.  Select the location of your contacts from the drop down menu and click sync to transfer to the iPhone.  Do the same with calendars and your data should be transferred.

How to set up the internet on an iPhone 5

If you know the password for your wireless network, all you need to do is type this into the iPhone 5 to connect. To do this, go to Settings and then choose Wi-Fi.  Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on and select your wireless network from the list that appears.  You will be asked to enter your password, so just type this in.  Remember that this is case sensitive.

Once the iPhone has been connected once, it will automatically connect to this network whenever it is within range.

How to set up email on your iPhone 5

To begin, click Settings and go to Mail, Contacts, Calendars.  Choose Add Account.

Select the type of email account from the list and enter your details.  Click 'Next' in the top right corner and you are ready to go.

If you have an email account that is not in the list, click 'Other' and then choose 'Add Mail Account.'  You can then fill in your email address and password.  You may be required to enter additional details like incoming mail server settings but these can be obtained from your email provider.

Once you have added your account, click the Mail icon from the main menu to access you emails.  If you have set up more than one email account, you can view all your emails in one inbox, by choosing the 'All Inboxes' option.

How to set up social networks on the iPhone 5

Twitter and Facebook are now integrated into iOS 6 on the iPhone 5. To set them up, open the Settings menu and scroll down to Twitter or Facebook.  Click the Install button and sign in with your Apple ID password to download the application.

Once the applications are installed, you can update your contacts with Twitter and Facebook usernames and profile photos by clicking the 'Update Contacts' button.

You can now Tweet or Post directly from the Notification centre by pulling the menu bar down from the top of the screen and pressing 'Tap to Tweet' or 'Tap to Post'. You can also upload pictures and share websites, using the share icon which looks like an arrow coming out of a box.  This will appear in Safari and the Photo application.

How to set up iCloud on the iPhone 5

Apple's iCloud online storage service is free, and when you set up iCloud on your iPhone 5 you can pull down your contacts, calendars and media files to your brand new smartphone over Wi-Fi without any extra effort! Everything in one place, seamlessly.

To activate iCloud on your new iPhone:

  • Go to the Settings menu and scroll down to iCloud.  If you have never used it before, you will need to sign in with your Apple ID and password
  • When you have signed in, you can select which pieces of information you want to sync with iCloud.  When asked, make sure you select the option to merge your data with iCloud
    • Mail - turning this on will automatically create an @me.com or @icloud.com email account for you to use.  This can be accessed through the iCloud.com website
    • Contacts - syncs your iPhone contacts with the iCloud.com website
    • Calendars - syncs your calendar appointments with the iCloud.com website
    • Reminders - syncs reminders with the iCloud.com website
    • Safari - syncs your Safari bookmarks and open tabs with your Mac computer running OS X Mountain Lion
    • Notes - syncs the Notes application with the iCloud.com website
    • Passbook - syncs boarding passes, loyalty cards etc with other iOS devices
    • Photo Stream - automatically uploads your photos to iCloud to be downloaded on other iOS devices and computers running Mac OS X Lion or above or Windows Vista or above
    • Documents & Data - syncs iWork documents with the iCloud website
    • Find My iPhone - allows you to track, lock and wipe your phone through iCloud.com if the phone is lost or stolen
    • iCloud Backup is another useful feature that will automatically backup your iPhone when it is connected to Wi-Fi and is on charge.  To turn this on, click on the Storage & Backup option from the iCloud menu and turn Backup on

How to use the new iPhone 5 call features

When you receive a call on the iPhone 5, you have the option of rejecting it and sending a text message to the caller to tell them why.

All you need to do is slide the message icon upwards to bring up a list of messages you can send.  You can select one of the predefined ones or type a custom message.

You can change the predefined replies by going to the Settings menu and selecting Phone.  Go to the Reply with Message option and just type in the messages you want to use into the 3 boxes available.

You can also use the Do Not Disturb feature to automatically reject calls.  To configure the settings for this, go to the Settings menu and tap Notifications and then Do Not Disturb.

There are numerous ways of configuring this.  You can set a schedule to automatically reject calls between certain times.  You can also choose to automatically allow calls from your favourites or contacts.  The final option is to allow repeated calls to come through.  This means that if someone calls you twice within 3 minutes, the call will be allowed regardless of the other settings.  This is useful in an emergency situation.

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