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Apple iPhone - Activate a New iPhone

2026-10-22 14:57:05.774

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 the SIM card 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.
    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.
  1. Using your previous iPhone:
    If you don't have a previous iPhone, proceed to step 2.
  2. Press and hold the
    Power button
     (top-right edge) to power the new iPhone on.
    • If activating a 5G iPhone 13 or older purchased from Verizon, a pre-installed 5G SIM card is included. Don't remove this SIM card as it 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).
  3. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to choose a language then tap the country or region.
    If you have a device with a Home button, press
    Home button
     to open.
  4. From the Appearance screen select the preferred size (e.g., Default, Medium, Large) then tap
    Continue
    .
  5. From the 'Quick Start' screen, tap
    Set Up Without Another Device
    .
    If unavailable, tap
    Set Up Manually
    .
    If you have a previous device on iOS 11 or later, follow the directions to use Quick Start.
  6. Tap the Wi-Fi network, enter the Wi-Fi password, then tap
    Join
     (upper-right).
    If a Wi-Fi network is not available and activating using a physical SIM card, tap
    Continue Without Wi-Fi
     to activate over the Verizon network.
    For iPhone 13 or older, if activating using eSIM, a Wi-FI network is required.
    For iPhone 14 and newer models, if a Wi-Fi network isn't available, you can continue without Wi-Fi if presented.
    Allow a few moments for the activation process to complete.
  7. Select your Wi-Fi network then tap
    Next
    .
  8. From the Activation screen, confirm your phone number then tap
    Next
    .
    If confirmation fails, see this Apple support info.
  9. Enter the account PIN or the last 4 digits of the account owner's Social Security Number (SSN) then tap
    Next
    .
    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 on-screen instructions or contact us.
  10. To proceed, review the Data & Privacy info then tap
    Continue
    .
  11. From the Set Up iPhone screen select one of the following:
    • Set Up for Myself
    • Set Up for Child in My Family
  12. When prompted to set up Face ID or Touch ID, tap
    Continue
     then follow the on-screen prompts.
  13. Enter a 6-digit passcode then re-enter the passcode.
    To choose a different numeric code, tap Passcode Options then select from the following options:
    • Custom Alphanumeric Code
    • Customer Numeric Code
    • 4-Digit Numeric Code
  14. Tap a setup option:
    Restoring your backup can take up to 30 minutes to complete.
  15. Enter your Apple ID and password then tap
    Next
    .
    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, refer to one of the following:
  16. If prompted, review Terms and Conditions then tap
    Agree
    .
  17. From the Keep Your iPhone Up to Date, tap
    Continue
    .
  18. From the Update your iPhone Automatically screen, tap 'Continue' or 'Only Download Automatically'.
  19. From the iMessage & Facetime screen, tap 'Continue' or 'Not Now'.
  20. If prompted, from 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.
  21. To set up Siri, tap
    Continue
     then follow the on-screen instructions.
    To skip this step, tap
    Set Up Later in Settings
    .
  22. To receive weekly reports about your screen time and set limits for apps you want to manage, tap
    Continue
    .
    To skip this step, tap
    Set Up Later in Settings
    .
  23. From the iPhone Analytics screen, tap 'Share with Apple' or 'Don't Share'.
  24. From the Appearance screen, select Light or Dark then tap
    Continue
    .
  25. From the Display Zoom screen, select Standard or Zoomed then tap
    Continue
    .
  26. If prompted, from the 'Silent Mode' screen, tap
    Continue
     then follow the on-screen prompts.
  27. If prompted, from the 'Emergency SOS' screen, tap
    Continue
    .
  28. To begin using your iPhone, Swipe up or tap
    Get Started
     to 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 Related Info section at the bottom of this page).