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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 Vice President of Content, CNET Studios

As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this 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 the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.

Credentials

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

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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.

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