Apple iPhone - Activate a New iPhone
Here's how to activate an iPhone shipped to you or after upgrading from a previous device.
- If activating a 5G Apple® iPhone®, swapping or transferring the SIM from your previous device may prevent your device from being correctly provisioned for Verizon's 5G network.
- iPhone 14 and newer devices do not have an option for a physical SIM card and can only be activated with an eSIM (electronic SIM card).
- If activating over Wi-Fi, an active Wi-Fi network must be available.For iPhone 13 or older, if activating using eSIM, a Wi-Fi network is required.iPhone 14 and newer models should be connected to Wi-Fi as the Primary method for activation. If Wi-Fi isn't available, you can continue without Wi-Fi if presented.
- Using your previous iPhone:If you don't have a previous iPhone, proceed to step 2.
- Ensure the Find My app is disabled then power it off.
- If temporary iCloud storage is needed, refer to this Apple Support Page (iOS 15 or newer is required).
- Press and hold thePower button(top-right edge) to power on the new iPhone.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to select a language then tap the country or region.If you have a device with a Home button, pressHome buttonto open.
- From the Appearance screen, select the preferred size (e.g., Default, Medium, Large) then tapContinue.
- From the 'Quick Start' screen, tapSet Up Without Another Device.If you have a previous device on iOS 11 or later, follow the directions to use Quick Start.
- Tap the Wi-Fi network, enter the Wi-Fi password, then tapJoin.If a Wi-Fi network is not available and activating using a physical SIM card, tapContinue Without Wi-Fito activate over the Verizon network.Allow a few moments for the activation process to complete.
- From the Activation screen, confirm your phone number then tapNext.If confirmation fails, see this Apple support info.
- Enter the account PIN or the last 4 digits of the account owner's Social Security Number (SSN) then tapNext.If activating a new phone, ensure the old phone is powered off and allow several minutes for the deactivation of the old phone to complete.If activation is successful, proceed with step 9; if not, follow the onscreen instructions or contact us.
- To proceed, review the Data & Privacy info then tapContinue.
- From the Set Up iPhone screen select one of the following:
- Set Up for Myself
- Set Up for Child in My Family
- Enter a 6-digit passcode then re-enter the passcode.To select a different passcode option (e.g., 4-Digit Code, Don't Use Passcode, etc.) tapPasscode Options.
- Tap a setup option:Restoring your backup can take up to 30 minutes to complete.
- From Another iPhoneIf you're trading in your device, once the transfer is completed follow the prompts on your old device to Erase the iPhone and disable the activation lock / Find My settings.
- Enter your Apple ID and password then tapNext.If you have an Apple ID already in use on another device, a verification code is sent to that device; you must enter this code to proceed with activation.If you don't have an Apple ID or have forgotten your sign-in info tapForgot password or don't have an account?then refer to one of the following:
- To proceed, review Terms and Conditions then tapAgree.
- To continue with setup, follow the onscreen prompts (i.e. Update Your iPhone Automatically, Location Services, Siri, etc.) to customize additional features.If presented with the Make This Your New iPhone screen, tapContinueto set up your iPhone with the recommended customization settings.
- If prompted with the Set Up Cellular screen, tap one of the following:This step only applies to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).This only applies when transferring from an iPhone 11 and newer running on iOS 15.6.1 or later.
- Transfer From Nearby iPhone
- To begin using your iPhone, Swipe up or tapGet Startedto complete set up.Confirm the Status Bar at the top of the screen changes from 'No Service' or 'SOS' to 'Verizon'. This process may take 2-3 minutes. If the activation fails, view Apple Support page.
Accounts (e.g., Gmail, Cloud, etc.) should be set up after activating the device (see the Additional Support section).