iTunes Wants to Setup or Restore my iPhone when attempting a backup?

[RadDave]

Hi All - yesterday wife & I went to our local Verizon store to replace her iPhone 6 w/ an iPhone XR - there was a promo for a second XR saving nearly the cost of the device, SO I decided to replace my 'dumb flippie phone' - thus, we now have 2 new XRs in the family. I've spent the day w/ the XR changing wallpapers, adding the apps I wanted, and updating to iOS 12.4 - backed up to iCloud and also to iMazing on my MBPro - wanted to back up to iTunes also - however, when I cabled the already functional iPhone to my MBPro, the screen below popped but giving me the choices shown - I was reluctant to continue not wanting to destroy all of my work on the device - thought when I clicked on the device in the left upper corner the dialog box would open just allowing me to do a backup - this is my first iPhone, so would like some advice as to why iTunes wants to setup a 'new' phone or restore from an inappropriate backup (i.e. my iPad Pro) - of course, w/ Catalina, iTunes will be trisected and backup will be in Finder - thanks for any help. Dave

P.S. did not hit 'Continue' - hitting 'Cancel' ejects the iPhone from iTunes.
.

 

[chscag]

I've done this many times with all the new phones we have owned. iTunes will not erase your phone when setting up as new, however, make sure you have a current backup using iMazing just in case Murphy's Law gets the best of you. Whenever you attach a new iOS device to your Mac (iPad, iPod, iPhone) iTunes will automatically open and offer to set it up as a new device. And if you had a backup made from a previous device it will use that to set the phone up. In your situation, the phone is new and you have already done most of the work. You should be fine.

And by the way, that's a great deal on getting the second XR. The XR was Apple's most popular and best selling iPhone in 2018 and continues to be a big money maker for them this year.

 

[IWT]

Hi Dave

Not adding anything - just confirming what Charlie said in post #2. I have met with this scenario on several occasions in the past and gulped at the choices; like you.

Set up as new worked just fine. Apparently, all new devices are treated this way. It is scary first time round, but it works. In any case you have your iMazing BU and, perhaps, an iCloud BU too.

Ian

 

[RadDave]

Thanks Charlie & Ian for your comments and reassurance - my own first iPhone (although I've done this w/ a half dozen iPads and don't remember the same screen, but may be a lapse of memory?) - I have both an iCloud & iMazing backup and just wanted a third one - will have to do the same w/ my wife's new XR on her iMac so suspect the same dialog box - will be interesting to see the 'new' options when Catalina is released! Thanks again - Dave

ADDENDUM: Worked as predicted -> iPhones Name popped up -> to the usual iDevice screen - did a backup and exited - no problem at all - so hope this helps other trying to sync/backup a new iDevice on iTunes - this appears to be a common concern looking at this Apple Communities Discussion - will have to do the same w/ wife's new XR on her iMac.