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How to activate your iPhone 4S

Before meeting Siri, you'll have to do a little housekeeping. We'll walk you through the activation process and advise on the best settings for your iPhone 4S.

Sharon Profis Former Vice President of Content, CNET Studios

As vice president of CNET Studios, Sharon led the video, social, editorial design, and branded-content teams. Before that role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and Today. Sharon is also a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure, and she's an avid chef -- she's developed and published hundreds of recipes, and she hosts the cooking segment Farm to Fork on PBS nationwide.

Credentials

Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020

Sharon Profis

Oct. 14, 2011 2:25 p.m. PT

Whether you preordered, stood in line, or slept on the doorstep of an Apple store overnight, there's a good chance you forgot about all your troubles when you unboxed your new, shiny iPhone 4S.

But before you start taking high-definition videos and commanding Siri, you need to activate your iPhone. This process associates your phone with your Apple account (or gives you a new one), and ties your phone to its carrier.

Upon powering-up, the activation process will begin, and you'll be asked to configure several important settings concerning your account, privacy, and features. Follow the slideshow to find out what each setting does, and get advice on which options to choose.

How to activate your iPhone 4S (photos)

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