Apple sends notifications to iPhone 13 buyers reminding them to 'get ready' by enabling iCloud backup services

iPhone 13 Pro Camera Bump Press Photo
iPhone 13 Pro Camera Bump Press Photo (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple has begun to send notifications to iPhone 13 buyers, reminding them to get ready for their new handset.
  • A settings page has also appeared in the Settings app.
  • Tapping through has users set up iCloud for data backups.

Update, September 17 (16:51 ET): It appears this notification was only available to people running the iOS 15 beta.

Apple has begun to send notifications to buyers of iPhone 13 handsets, reminding them to "get ready" for their new devices. A new page in the Settings app also takes users to the same page.

That new page is all about getting data off of existing iPhones and onto Apple's servers via iCloud. I tapped through and was told that my device was already set up to use iCloud — all I need to do now is wait for my new iPhone 13 Pro Max. People with iCloud backups and iCloud Photos enabled will likely be promoted to turn those features on.

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This is the first time I've seen these notifications and it's interesting that Apple is keen to push iPhone users towards iCloud rather than create a full backup via their Mac or PC. Apple has long been rumored to have plans to create a port-free iPhone and ditching Lightning would require a backup strategy with iCloud at its center. The best iPhone backup solution is one you don't need to think about, something iCloud very much has going for it.

The new iPhones are all available for pre-order now with those who were quick placing orders set to receive them on September 24. Those who weren't might have a little wait depending on the specific model they require.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.