Is there another company like Legacybox?

Yes, there a few companies like Legacybox that offer digitization services. These companies can convert your old home movies, photographs and slides to a modern digital format.

The two biggest digitization companies besides Legacybox are The Digitize Center and iMemories.

Which company should you use?

That is really up to. We looked at Trusted Consumer’s picks for Best Digitizing Companies and they selected The Digitize Center as the best digitizing company for 2024.

What is the best company to digitize home movies?

There are a few companies out there dedicated to digitizing and preserving your old family movies. Make sure you choose the correct one when deciding. The Digitize Center is our choice for best company to digitize home movies based on their stellar reputation, quality, and pricing. They have digitized over 1 million memories and have outstanding customer reviews and well regarded digitization technicians to get the best quality out of your home movies

We based our decision on the review and analysis of digitizing companies from Trusted Consumer.

Digitize your Video Tapes, Photos, Film & More to Preserve your Precious Memories Forever

Over 1,000,000+ Memories Digitized and Counting!

“I’m so happy I got this done and my family absolutely loves seeing it!”

This is something I hear every day from someone who took my recommendation and used The Digitize Center to digitize their memories.

Do you have a box in your basement, or perhaps an entire closet filled with old family photos, films, and video tapes? I know I did, and when I thought about how long it would take me to sort, scan, and digitize everything myself I realized it would take hundreds or even thousands of hours. That’s not even including all the time and money I would have to spend getting the necessary equipment and getting all the digitized copies on my phone and laptop. Who has that kind of time?

Fortunately, there is an easy answer!

The old formats of VHS, camcorder tapes, film and photos will not last forever. These items have a shelf-life and will fade and degrade in time until they are completely faded away. Moreover, since they are all physical keepers of memories, they are prone to disasters such as a flood, fire, loss, or physical damage.

These memories contain the cherished moments of my life and the ones I love. I would never want to lose them or be unable to pass them on.

Well, fortunately I discovered an amazing company called The Digitize Center. They literally changed my life and will do the same for you too!

The Digitize Center converts all your home movies, photos, and film into a digital format so that they can be easily viewed and shared on any device.

Founded by Joe Malacina, The Digitize Center is located in Chicago, IL and has digitized well over 1 MILLION MEMORIES at their state-of-the-art facility.

Yes, that’s over 1 MILLION! And the best part, they have never lost or damaged a single memory. NOT ONE!

What is The Digitize Center?

The Digitize Center is America’s Leader in Digitizing Video Tapes, Photos, Film, and More. They can digitize pretty much everything and are the best in the business at what they do.

They’ve been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, PBS, and Del Webb Magazine. Big companies like Marriott, Salon, and even the US Government uses The Digitize Center for their digitization needs. The Digitize Center is the only company I would trust with my family memories.

How does it work?

The Digitize Center makes it easy for you to get your memories digitized and they do it quickly.

They will ship you a special box made to keep your memories safe, called the Digitize Kit. The box is crush-proof, water-resistant, and has shock-absorbent qualities.

You simply fill the box with all your video tapes, photos, and other memories and send it back to them with the provided return label. They even use a special priority shipping arrangement with UPS to make sure your memories are safe in transit.

Once The Digitize Center receives your memories, they will send you an email letting you know that have received everything and it is safe and sound. Then they get work!

Their expert technicians will digitize everything you send them in to a high-quality digital format, and keep you informed every step of the way with email updates.

When they are finished, you can get your digitized memories sent to via digital download, USB thumb drive, or on playable DVDs. It’s your choice!

You’ll also get all of your originals sent back to you. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

How it Works – The Process

Their reputation pretty much speaks for itself. There are thousands of verified reviews of The Digitize Center with an average score of 4.8/5. Happy customers, no memories ever lost or damaged, and precious memories preserved. What more could you ask for?

I looked up other companies before deciding on The Digitize Center and what I found made me nervous… Many of these other companies had some bad reviews, especially ones where I read that the company lost their precious memories. These reviews were hard to find, but I did not have to look far. I also did not like that other companies had a lot of hidden fees and surprise charges that customers were complaining about. Fortunately, The Digitize Center has striaght-forward, competitive pricing with no hidden fees or charges. And best of all, their record of never losing or damaging a single memory puts them far above the rest.

What Formats can they Digitize?

The Digitize Center can convert nearly all types of consumer media, including:

  • Video tapes: VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, MicroMV
  • Photos, slides, and negatives
  • 8mm, Super 8, and regular 8 film
  • CDs, DVDs, and memory cards

What I Love About The Digitize Center

  • The Company has the Best Reputation
    They have digitized over 1 million memories and have never lost or damaged a single one! Your memories will be in safe hands.
  • Easy to view and share your digitized memories
    Your digitized memories will be available on all of your devices including your smartphones, computers, tablets, and TVs. You can even get physical copies on a thumb drive or DVD set.
  • No hidden prices or fees
    Their pricing is straight-forward and competitive, and they don’t have hidden fees. They also don’t force you to pay for an app like some other companies do.
  • They label and organize all of your memories for FREE
    All your digitized memories will be organized neatly and named accordingly. If you send in a tape that is labeled Christmas 1999, that digitized file will have the same filename.
  • You will know what the price is upfront
    You will know exactly what the cost is upfront and do not have to worry about being surprised later with a huge bill.
  • All your originals will be returned
    Once everything is digitized, they send you all your originals back.

As Seen On…

The Digitize Center is taking America by storm. Families everywhere are absolutely loving The Digitize Center and they have received thousands of 5 star reviews and are all over social media. I have shared The Digitize Center with all my friends and family and they completely love the experience and the result.

They really do provide the safe, simple, and easy way to preserve your precious memories. Even more, they provide a complete 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, which is really just icing on the cake.

Don’t trust your memories with anyone else besides The Digitize Center. They really are the best option to preserve your precious memories and will not leave you disappointed.

SPECIAL OFFER JUST FOR OUR READERS

The Digitize Center has a SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER going on right now if you order using the link below. You will GET 50% OFF THEIR DIGITIZE KIT, which is all inclusive and pretty much covers your entire order.

Choosing the right Digitizing Company – The Digitize Center vs. Legacybox vs. iMemories

This was a popular request from many of our readers and TechGuru is on the case.

Digitizing your memories can be quite the endeavor. Deciding which memories you want to digitize and who you want to use to digitize them can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, I was able to research the big 3 digitizing companies and reflect on my own personal experiences using them to write this guide.

When it comes to digitizing, there are 3 main aspects most people consider when deciding which company to use. Those aspects are: price, quality, and reputation. All 3 companies make it simple to digitize your memories and all 3 follow the mail-in model, where they send you a box to fill up with your memories.

PRICING

Let’s start with price, as for many of you this will be the absolute most important point when deciding on a digitizing company. In general, digitizing your memories is not cheap. However, it can be affordable if you stick with the essentials and not fall into a trap of hidden fees.

The GOOD news, all 3 major digitizing companies pretty much have the same prices. The BAD news, some of the pricing is a little complicated and messy, so I will break it down as simply as I can. All prices in this guide are taken from the date this article was written.

The Digitize Center Pricing

The Digitize Center has the most straight forward pricing. You strictly pay by the number of items you send in to be digitized. Pricing does not include the output choice (Cloud, Thumb Drive, or DVDs), but their output prices are market standard.

2 Items$29.99
10 Items$139.99
20 Items$279.99
40 Items$549.99

The prices above are with their current sale. You can also unlock a discount by entering your email address when entering their site.

Legacybox Pricing

Legacybox pricing is very similar to The Digitize Center where they charge by the number of items you send in. Pricing also does not include the output choice. One thing worth noting about Legacybox is they always seem to have some sort of sale going on, but the percentage off varies each day, which can make figuring out the price somewhat difficult.

2 Items$30.00
10 Items$140.00
20 Items$280.00
40 Items$550.00

It is worth noting that when you order from Legacybox with the cloud as your output, you are by default selecting their back-up service which they charge you a set amount each month depending upon how many items you send in. I am not a fan of a monthly fee just to access your memories.

iMemories Pricing

iMemories pricing is different from both The Digitize Center and Legacybox. They charge you initially to order the box and send you a bill later after you have sent the box back. In other words, you are not going to know up front exactly what you are going to be charged until after you send everything in.

They also charge differently depending on the size of the item you send in. For instance, they charge by the length of the film reel, whereas both The Digitize Center and Legacybox count each film reel as 1 item, regardless of its size.

2 Items$29.98 + $14.99 for box
10 Items$149.90 + $14.99 for box
20 Items$299.80 + $14.99 for box
40 Items$599.60 + $14.99 for box

iMemories also charges $14.99 per every 50 feet of a film reel, and $0.49 per photo, not including the price of the box. Their prices also do not include the price of the output, which is difficult to determine. They do offer digital access for free, however you must use their app to access your memories and to continue using the app past a certain time frame you must pay a monthly fee.

Pricing Winner: TIE between The Digitize Center and Legacybox

The Digitize Center and Legacybox pretty much have the same pricing and it is very competitive. iMemories pricing is just too confusing for my taste and I am uneasy about the potential to rack up a huge bill without knowing up front.

QUALITY

It was not easy trying to determine the quality metrics each company offers. They are not plainly advertised on their websites and trying to get answers through customer service was a complete nightmare from at least one of the companies. Regardless, I was able to scrape what I could from their websites and through some digging.

The Digitize Center Quality

The Digitize Center claims to digitize everything at a very high quality and in the latest formats. From digging through their website and my own technical analysis, I was able to determine the following:

Media TypeQuality
Video TapesSource quality with image enhancement
Film Reels1080p to 4K resolution depending on the type of film
Photos300-600 DPI (restoration optional)
Negatives3000 DPI (restoration optional)
Slides 3000 DPI (restoration optional)
AudioHigh Bitrate MP3 with enhancement

I would consider the quality metrics for The Digitize Center as excellent. The DPI they digitize photos, negatives, and slides is excellent and more than enough for a high quality digital image. The enhancements they apply to videos are essential for having a good quality digital file and their audio quality is also excellent.

Legacybox Quality

It was a little difficult to determine Legacybox’s quality metrics on all different media types, however I could determine their DPIs for images.

Media TypeQuality
Video TapesCould not determine
Film ReelsCould not determine
Photos300 DPI
Negatives2400 DPI
Slides2400 DPI
AudioHigh Bitrate WAV file

It is unfortunate that I could not determine their video quality even after deep-diving into their website. Their photo scanning quality is excellent, and their negative and slide scanning quality is good.

iMemories Quality

iMemories quality was the most difficult to determine as I could not find information about it anywhere on their website. In fact, I could not find anything even related to their photo scanning DPI. For me personally, I do not like when a company does not disclose any of their quality metrics, or at the very least make it easy to find on their website.

Media TypeQuality
Video TapesCould not determine
Film ReelsCould not determine
PhotosCould not determine
NegativesCould not determine
SlidesCould not determine
AudioCould not determine

Due to the fact that I could not determine any of the quality metrics for iMemories, they will not be considered for Quality Winner.

Quality Winner: The Digitize Center

It is clear here that given the above information, The Digitize Center has the edge when it comes to the final quality of the digitized memories. Their stated video, audio, and photo quality are all way above industry standards, and that makes them the clear winner in this comparison.

REPUTATION

All of the big 3 digitizing companies have been around for some time so they have all developed their unique reputations. All 3 companies claim to have digitized over 1 million memories so they all earn a passing grade in experience. Legacybox has been around longer than the other two, and there is no shortage of reviews on the company from their customers. From own research, Legacybox has a good reputation for making the process of digitizing very easy to follow. iMemories has a reputation for having an easy-to-use app that you can download on your smartphone or tablet to view your memories. Lastly, The Digitize Center has a reputation for high-quality digitization and easy viewing and sharing of digitized files.

All 3 companies have thousands of reviews from their customers. When looking at reviews, I like to look at reviews posted on third-party websites to determine what their customers’ experiences were really like. Companies tend to hide the not-so-savory reviews on their main website. So when looking at the reviews of the 3 companies, I would recommend you look at these third-party review sites for each company:

The Digitize Center Reviews: https://judge.me/reviews/the-digitize-center.myshopify.com

Legacybox Reviews: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/legacybox.com

iMemories Reviews: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.imemories.com

REPUTATION WINNER: You Decide.

Check out the reviews and you can make your own determination on who’s reputation you like best.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you are readying a digitization project, I would highly recommend going with one of the big three companies mentioned in this guide. There are smaller companies out there that do digitization, however these companies likely lag behind in the newer technologies available in digitizing. The newer technology used today makes a huge difference in the quality of digitization, which is why I highly recommend going with either The Digitize Center, Legacybox, or iMemories.

Happy digitizing and enjoy those memories!

LegacyBox vs. The Digitize Center – Which one is better?

A question we are asked on a near daily basis, is which digitization service is better, Legacybox or The Digitize Center? Both companies basically provide the same service, and that is they take your old media such as VHS tapes, Hi8 and other camcorder tapes, photographs, film reels, and more, and they digitize it so you can save the media on your computer, smartphones, and tablets. In this article, we will attempt to explain the differences between the two companies and determine which one is better for your home media digitization needs.

Legacybox can be visited at www.legacybox.com

The Digitize Center can be visited at www.thedigitizecenter.com

Price

As usual, the first thing people look at when comparing the two companies is price. Both Legacybox and The Digitize Center have similar prices, with The Digitize Center coming out slightly ahead. For instance, right now the Legacybox 2 Item box costs $35.99, whereas the same 2 Item Digitize Kit from The Digitize Center costs $24.99. We will give the edge here to The Digitize Center.

We also need to look at the shipping costs of both companies. Both companies seem to have nearly identical shipping costs for all of their products, so we can call this a tie.

Overall Price Winner: The Digitize Center

Product Offerings

Both companies offer to digitize most old media types, including VHS tapes, Camcorder tapes of various types, Film reels, and print photographs. However, The Digitize Center additionally offers to digitize CDs, DVDs, Newspaper Clippings, and Yearbooks. So in this category, we will give the edge to The Digitize Center.

To see a full list of media types The Digitize Center can digitize, visit here.

To see a full list of media types Legacybox can digitize, visit here.

Overall Product Offering Winner: The Digitize Center

Quality

To determine which company provides a better quality digitize service, we had to place orders with both companies using the same exact media types. We sent in 2 VHS tapes, 2 Camcorder Tapes, 25 Photographs, and 1 Film Reel to both Legacybox and The Digitize Center. When we received them back digitized, these were the results.

VHS Tapes

The digitized versions of the VHS tapes came back at the same exact quality. The only difference we noted was that The Digitize Center clipped the end of the video when it ended, whereas the Legacybox did not clip the end of the video, so there was an additional 38 minutes of blank video at the end. The Digitize Center also labeled the digitized VHS media to match what we had written on the actual VHS tapes, which was a nice touch. Legacybox did not do this.

Camcorder Tapes

The digitized versions of our camcorder tapes came out at the same exact quality.

25 Photographs

Here is were we noticed some significant differences between the two companies. When we received the digitized version of the photographs from Legacybox, some of them had what appeared to be roller marks on them. The same effect did not appear on The Digitize Center media. In addition, The Digitize Center offered to “restore” the photos, which was a nice touch we appreciated.

Film Reel

Both companies were similar in the quality of the digitized film reel.

Overall Quality Winner: Tie

Speed of Order Process

This was pretty straight forward. All we did here was see how long it took both companies to complete the same exact order. We used the standard free processing option of both companies. The Legacybox order took a total of 16 days from the day they received our media until the time we received it back in the mail. The Digitize Center order took a total of 13 days for the same exact scenario.

Overall Speed Winner: The Digitize Center

Customer Service and Support

This was a little harder to measure as we did not have any support issues we needed to address with any of the companies. So for this analysis, we analyzed all the verified reviews both companies have received.

Legacybox overall customer reviews: 4.84 / 5.0 Stars

The Digitize Center overall customer Reviews: 4.9 / 5.0 Stars

Scanning through the Legacybox verified reviews, the most common complaints were of failure to digitize certain items, lost packages containing media items, and hidden costs.

Scanning through The Digitize Center verified reviews, the most common complaints were of failure to digitize certain items and longer than expected time to receive items.

It’s difficult to determine from these reviews which company has better customer service, so we will call this one a tie. However, we were taken aback by the number of complaints from Legacybox customers who claimed their media items were lost by the company. Whereas, The Digitize Center claims on their website that they have never lost a single item or package.

Overall Customer Support Winner: Tie

Overall Winner: LegacyBox vs The Digitize Center

Given the information we analyzed between the two companies, we can easily declare The Digitize Center to be the better company to get your home media digitized with. They are the clear winner in terms of price, product offerings, and speed of order. We will continue to monitor both companies to see if anything changes.

Overall Winner: The Digitize Center

iPhone Manual for Beginners vs. iPhone: the missing manual. Which book is better for your iPhone

The two best-selling books on using your iPhone are the iPhone Manual for Beginners by Joe Malacina and iPhone: the missing manual by David Pogue. We are often asked which one of these books is the best? So we decided to give both books an evaluation and put together the following comparison review.

First, let me start out by explaining that both books do an excellent job at explaining how to use the many functions and abilities of the iPhone. However, they each utilize their own approach and style in delivering the information, and there are many other aspects to consider, such as price and additional features.

Which book is easier to read physically?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners

By this question, we mean which book best utilizes illustrations, font size, formatting, and style? Both books contain color illustrations throughout the text that demonstrate exactly how to perform certain tasks on your iPhone. The Missing Manual book has more illustrations than the iPhone Manual for Beginners, however the latter’s illustrations are larger and easier to comprehend. In addition, many have complained that the Index in the Missing Manual is jumbled and difficult to use, so we give the Index advantage to the iPhone Manual for Beginners. For readability, the iPhone Manual for Beginners is the clear winner here with large font and smooth spacing between paragraphs.

Which book contains more information?

Winner: iPhone: the missing manual

There is no doubt that iPhone: the missing manual has the edge when it comes to the amount of information contained in the text. The Missing Manual comes in at 720 pages with a size of 6″ x 9″! Conversely, the iPhone Manual for Beginners comes in at 144 pages with a book size of 8.5″ x 11″. If you are looking for a big box manual that contains every possible ounce of information, then the Missing Manual book may be right for you. On the other hand, the iPhone Manual for Beginners utilizes a different approach; it can be read in its entirety in one day, and teaches using a building blocks approach, which seems to be best for beginners who are trying to learn from the ground up. In summary, the iPhone: the missing manual contains much more information than the iPhone Manual for Beginners, however, that does not mean that it is a better book.

Which book is best for different iPhone skill levels?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners

This one is a no-brainer. At 720 pages, I do not expect a complete beginner, let alone an intermediate user of an iPhone to read the entire Missing Manual book. On the other hand, a complete beginner would find the iPhone Manual for Beginners very easy to read and complete. In my opinion, the book has a better flow of information and is structured so that beginner concepts you use in early chapters are utilized more fully in later chapters. In addition, as the book continues on, the author covers more intermediate and advanced functions of the iPhone. In summary, the iPhone Manual for Beginners is the better book for users of all skill levels, including beginners. The only exception would be if you are a highly experienced IT professional, then the Missing Manual book may be better for you.

Which book is cheaper?

Winner: iPhone: the missing manual

This was somewhat surprising given that the Missing Manual contains nearly 600 more pages than the iPhone Manual for Beginners. However, it should be noted that physical quality of the iPhone Manual for Beginners is slightly better than the Missing Manual with better colors and better binding. The cost of the Missing Manual seems to fluctuate almost daily, however it can usually be purchased for between $16.99 USD and $29.95 USD. The iPhone Manual for Beginners’s price is more steady, and can usually be purchased for between $19.95 USD and $24.95 USD.

Which book has better availability?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners (just slightly)

By availability, we mean which book is available in more places and will ship the quickest? This was a difficult question to answer definitively. The iPhone Manual for Beginners is available in most countries, including the United States, Canada, all of Europe, and Australia, and also ships from within these countries so delivery is quite fast. The Missing Manual is stocked by more bookstores in comparison, however we were not able to verify if the Missing Manual is locally available in more countries.

Which book is best? The iPhone Manual for Beginners or iPhone: the missing manual?

Overall Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners by Joe Malacina

Taking everything into consideration, the iPhone Manual for Beginners is a better book for most people when trying to learn how to use the iPhone. We prefer its style compared to the Missing Manual and also prefer its organization. The iPhone Manual for Beginners utilizes a step-by-step approach with illustrations for most functions, and also presents information in an easy-to-follow manner. In addition, the organization of the book is superb, with a clear and concise Table of Contents and an understandable Index. The only downside of the iPhone Manual for Beginners is its additional cost (by about $4-$6), however the additional cost seems to be worth it given its overall presentation of information. In conclusion, we would recommend the iPhone Manual for Beginners for iPhone users of all skill levels, including beginners and intermediate users.

Both books can ordered on Amazon and other websites:

Order iPhone Manual for Beginners on Amazon.

Order iPhone Manual for Beginners on Infinity Guides

Order iPhone: the missing manual on Amazon

-DummiesBlog.com Review Crew

Amazon Fire Tablet Beginner’s Guide for Dummies, Beginners, & Seniors

The Amazon Fire tablet, commonly referred to as the Kindle Fire or Fire HD, is an amazing tablet that is becoming increasingly popular throughout the tech world. Our favorite feature of the Fire HD is its integration with the entire Amazon universe. With the Fire, you can access Amazon’s entire library of movies, TV shows, books, and of course online shopping.

Using the Fire tablet is unlike using any other type of smart device. The Fire has its own layout with a unique navigation system. Not only this, but the Fire tablet is highly integrated with your Amazon account, which is required in order to use the device. Given this, we recommend that anyone who gets a Fire tablet becomes well-versed in using their Amazon account, so that they can take full advantage of all the Fire has to offer.

We have checked out the best how-to guides on how to use the Fire tablet, both online and in-store, and have determined which is the best guide to use to get you started using your Fire tablet.

The Best: Fire HD Manual for Beginners by Joe Malacina

The Fire HD Manual for Beginners book, by Joe Malacina

This book is really the complete resource for using any Fire tablet, and covers just about everything we were looking for. Our favorite part is that the author explains everything in with simple terms and concise language, so a complete newbie could pick up this book and understand it easily. We also like that the book has color illustrations, showing exactly what your Fire’s screen will look like for each function and aspect it demonstrates. Moreover, the book has a few chapters with excellent recommendations for apps and Amazon services. Lastly, there is a tips and tricks chapter at the end that even taught us some new things (and we are experts!).

All in all, this book is the complete guide for using the Fire tablet (it’s literal description on the front cover).

The book is available online at InfinityGuides.com and Amazon.com, and is also available in select bookstores in the United States, Canada, and Australia. We have reached out to the author for an interview request and that request is still pending.

Click here to order this book on Amazon.com

Click here to order this book on InfinityGuides.com (Use discount code ‘SAVE’ at checkout to save 10%, thank you to an Infinity Guides’ rep who reached out to us after we published this article).

Forgot Passcode on iPhone – What should I do?

Image

Credit Source: Apple, Inc (www.apple.com)

It’s one of the most common questions I receive, “I forgot my password and now I can’t get into my iPhone/iPad, what do I do?” Don’t worry, I will show you how to get back into your iPhone, but first, a couple caveats.

This is a terribly common issue among many iPhone users. Here is the typical scenario: you get your brand new iPhone and start setting it up and it asks you to set up a 4-6 digit passcode. You do so. Then it registers your fingerprint. Now days, possibly weeks go by where you never have to enter your passcode since your fingerprint has been unlocking your device, until that one day comes when your iPhone suddenly asks for your passcode. Why? Why do you need to enter your passcode when all this time you have been using your fingerprint? Since its been so long since you first created your passcode you have completely forgotten it and you’re stuck. Your iPhone refuses to let you inside to use your iPhone.

If you’ve read the iPhone Manual for Beginners you would have never gotten into this situation. But we’re past that now, so what do you do?

Here is how you get back into your iPhone and never run into this situation again. Please note, the process for getting back into your iPhone/iPad when you forget your passcode is tedious, and will delete all of the data on your iPhone if it is not backed up. So i HIGHLY recommend trying to remember your passcode if you can. Otherwise, follow these steps when you forget your passcode:

  1. In order to do this, you are going to have to completely erase your device. There is absolutely no way around this and it must be done for security purposes. So with that said, the first thing you are going to need is a computer or laptop.
  2. You must download the Apple iTunes software onto your computer and install it. For directions on downloading iTunes, visit https://www.applevideoguides.com/itunes-install.html
  3. Once iTunes is installed, open it on your computer. Then plug your iPhone into your computer using the USB cable.
  4. This step will differ depending upon which iPhone you have.
    1. If you have an iPhone X, 8, or 8 Plus: Quickly press and release the volume up button. Then quickly press and release the volume down button. Then press and hold the power button until you see the iTunes symbol appear on your screen.
    2. If you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, press and hold the power button and the volume down button at the same time, and keep holding them until the iTunes symbol appears on your screen.
    3. For all other devices including older iPhones and all iPads, press and hold the home button and the power buttons together. Keep holding the buttons until you see the iTunes symbol appear on your screen.
  5. Now look at your computer with iTunes open. A prompt will appear in iTunes asking you whether you want to restore or update. Choose Restore
  6. Let your iPhone restore itself. This will take some time.
  7. When its finished, it will be like you have a brand new iPhone. Follow the setup instructions on your screen.

That’s the process! Now this time, make sure you write down your passcode somewhere safe so you never forget it. Better yet, check out the iPhone Manual for Beginners so this never happens again.

Learning your new iPhone – An iPhone Manual or Video Guide?

iPhone Manual

How to learn your new iPhone

I often get asked what is the easiest way to learn how to use your iPhone.  My answer: it depends.  There are a lot of variables to consider.  Some people have never used a smartphone in their life.  Some people have never used an Apple product in their life.  Others are switching from a Samsung or Motorola smartphone.  I’ll break down my recommendations here so if any apply to you, you can evaluate the advice.

The iPhone is your first “smartphone”, and you have no idea what you are doing.

The first scenario is quite common, and finding help for these people can be tricky.  What do I mean by your first “smartphone”?  By smartphone I mean a phone that utilizes a touch screen for the majority of its features and that can browse the internet and download apps.  Older flip phones do not count.  So what are you to do in this scenario?  It depends on how you like to learn.  The two options I would recommend are either to get a book that teaches you how to use your iPhone, or watch a video course on how to use your iPhone.  I have found that many seniors prefer to go the book route, whereas many baby boomers seem to prefer the video.

If you want to learn via a book, I would recommend the iPhone Manual for Beginners.  The book is very successful at teaching people how to use their iPhone and contains detailed illustrations to help the learning process.  It also works as a great reference manual for when you need a quick review.

If you are looking to learn by watching a video, I would recommend How to Use the iPhone for Beginners.  The video is about 30 minutes and covers most of the important aspects of the iPhone.

You are switching from a Samsung or other smartphone to the iPhone.

If you fall in this category, learning to use your iPhone will be much easier.  The iPhone shares some similarities with other smartphones and you can pick up on these pretty quickly.  Most people in this category probably won’t need a book or a video guide.  You can most likely figure out the iPhone slowly over time.  However, if you feel the need for a quick course on the iPhone’s ins and outs, I would recommend the video guide How to use the iPhone for Beginners.

You just got an iPhone, but you have experience using an iPod or iPad.

Lastly, if you find yourself in this category there is no need to seek outside assistance in learning your device. Upon using your iPhone, you will quickly realize that the iPhone is almost identical to the iPad and iPod touch in terms of how it works.  So if you have used those devices in the past there will be very little adjustment needed.  If you think you still need some assistance with your iPhone, subscribe to my newsletter on the right.  I send out weekly emails with tips and tricks for using your iPhone, including my monthly recommended apps.