rccharles

Q: What is the difference between Sync  and Back Up?

Screen Shot 2015-09-13 at 4.17.16 PM.png

 

What is the difference between Sync "..." and Back Up?

 

macmini with 10.10.4 and iPhone 4 with 7.1.2

iTunes 12.2.2.25

Robert

iPhone 4, iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Sep 13, 2015 1:21 PM

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Q: What is the difference between Sync  and Back Up?

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  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Sep 13, 2015 1:25 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 6 (15,908 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 13, 2015 1:25 PM in response to rccharles

    Backup in general terms means saving your data, etc from the device to the computer.

    Sync in general terms means moving your music, movies, files, etc from your computer to your device.

    The articles below will go into the details:

     

    https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/backup/

    https://www.apple.com/support/itunes/syncing/

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 13, 2015 1:26 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2015 1:26 PM in response to rccharles

    Sync means to keep two or more devices synchronized to each other, Backup means to make a copy of one device that is NOT synced and therefore is not affected by any mistakes made on the device itself. Backup is for recovering from an error of some kind.

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Sep 13, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 6 (8,464 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Sep 13, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Csound1

    Now, I know the definition of sync and backup.

     

    Which should I use for my iPhone 4?

     

    How are syncing and backing up different with regards to iTurns?

     

    What I did was:

    1) sync my iPhone 4 running 7.1.2.  It took three steps.

     

    2) I noticed backup so I did that too.  It took four steps.

     

    Is it correct that sync gets my pictures, vids, and music?   Backup get everything. [ possibly every thing that hasn't been sync'd. ]

     

    Glad I noticed backup, not sure if I had run backup in the last two years.  I did the iCloud thing too. One backup/sync isn't enough. Dropbox too.

     

    R

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Sep 13, 2015 1:46 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 10 (94,829 points)
    iPad
    Sep 13, 2015 1:46 PM in response to rccharles

    I Backup and sync all of my iOS devices with iTunes. I have always done so. Backing up stores a copy of your device settings, app data, contacts, notes Safari History, camera roll photos. etc. Syncing content with iTunes transfers apps, videos, books, photos residing on your computer, music, etc. Any purchased content that you have on your devices that is not already stored in iTunes on your computer can be transferred via File>Devices>Transfer Purchases for the Bosses iPhone.

     

    If you are using iCloud for contacts, notes, etc. then those are not stored in an iTunes backup. Some people don't use iCloud and so their "on the Mac contacts and Notes" would be stored in the iTunes backup.

     

    When you restore a backup, that recoveries the data that is in the backup, but you still have to sync your iTunes content back to the device.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 13, 2015 1:52 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2015 1:52 PM in response to rccharles

    They are two very different things, you might as well ask if you should eat an apple or ride a bike. Which you use depends on what you want to do.

  • by elcpu,

    elcpu elcpu Sep 13, 2015 1:57 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 6 (15,908 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 13, 2015 1:57 PM in response to rccharles

    RC, what is your goal? What specifically are you trying to accomplish? I backup regularly to keep a "backup" in iTunes in case something goes on the blink with my devices. I just go to the Summary page and select "This computer" and then "Backup Now". If I have to restore that backup it brings back all the settings, apps, pictures in camera roll, music, etc.

     

     

    iPhone Backup 2.jpg

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Sep 13, 2015 4:37 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 6 (8,464 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Sep 13, 2015 4:37 PM in response to elcpu

    I case I mess up my password or loose device, I want to get everything back.  Seems backup is what I need, but is a little confusing. between sync and backup.  I want to press one button and everything is taken care of.

     

    I there anywhere I can verify that everything was saved?

     

    Thanks

     

    Robert

  • by elcpu,Solvedanswer

    elcpu elcpu Sep 13, 2015 5:43 PM in response to rccharles
    Level 6 (15,908 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 13, 2015 5:43 PM in response to rccharles

    I there anywhere I can verify that everything was saved?

     

    Hi Robert, to my knowledge there is no way to verify what the backup actually contains. You can however verify that a backup exists in one of two ways. The easy one is after the backup go back to iTunes > Preferences > Devices and your backup will appear there with a date. See screenshot:

     

    After Backup 2.jpg

     

    You can also use Finder or Windows File Manager to find the location of the actual file. On Windows it is located here (look at the path on top, you will have to unhide hidden files). If you need this for a Mac I can post that location as well. Again there is no way to tell what the backup contains, only that it is there in case you need it. So your only choice is to trust the Apple literature as to what is included in the backup. And yes, for you a backup is the way to go.

     

    WFM iTunes Backups 2.jpg

     

     

    See this also:

    Find and manage your iTunes backups - Apple Support

     

    Best,

    Carlos (elcpu)

  • by rccharles,

    rccharles rccharles Sep 13, 2015 8:43 PM in response to elcpu
    Level 6 (8,464 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Sep 13, 2015 8:43 PM in response to elcpu

    Thanks for your replies.  You your first reply was amazingly fasssst!

     

    There is iExplorer haven't used it on the mac.  Did use it on windows xp with ios 7.1.2 backup / sync.

     

    Apple added more restrictions in 8.x to block iExplorer.  Don't know status.

     

    https://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/

  • by gail from maine,Helpful

    gail from maine gail from maine Sep 14, 2015 9:56 AM in response to rccharles
    Level 7 (25,695 points)
    iCloud
    Sep 14, 2015 9:56 AM in response to rccharles

    Hi Robert,

     

    Just to clarify a few things:

     

    If you want to be able to restore a new device to look like your current device (in the example you provided in the scenario where that current device was lost or stolen), you would want to do that from a backup.

     

    You can back up to iCloud or to iTunes. The backups created in those two places are a bit different. If you are a belt and suspenders person, you can back up to both places (I do). Here is a support article that explains the difference in what is backed up. Note that in iTunes, a backup will always have the same content, whereas in an iCloud backup, you control what is actually backed up by selecting what items you want backed up in Settings>iCloud>Storage>Manage Storage, then you click on your device, and once on the specific device Manage Storage screen, you will see the items that can be backed up listed. To add or remove items from the backup, turn them on or off:

     

    About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support

     

    When you sync a device, what you are doing is connecting that device to your iTunes Libraries. Based on what options you set up for the sync, those items selected will replace whatever is on your device with what you have selected in the Device Profile screens. For example, when you hook up your device to iTunes and click on that device, you will see a sidebar with the various Device Profile screens that you can set up: Summary, Info, Apps, Music, Photos, etc. As you select each of those options, a window will display to the right of the sidebar with the various sync selections for that particular option. So, on the Music Profile screen, you have the option to "Sync All Music" or to "Sync Selected Albums, Songs, Playlists, & Artists". If you select the second option, you then will see the various categories of Albums, Songs, Playlists, & Artists with little checkboxes in front of each item. You can then selectively check the specific ones you want on your device. Once you have set up all of your Device Profile screens to your liking, you then click on Apply or Sync, and whatever you have selected to sync will sync to your device, overlaying whatever was there before with the new items you have selected to sync to it. Here is a support article with more detail about syncing using iTunes 12 on a Mac and one for Windows:

     

    iTunes 12 for Mac: Sync iPod, iPhone, or iPad

     

    iTunes 12 for Windows: Sync iPod, iPhone, or iPad

     

    So, you would use a backup to create an image of your device at a given point in time for the purpose of using that image to set up a new phone to if ever needed.

     

    You would sync your device to get photo albums, playlists, songs that are ripped from a CD, etc. to your device that can only come from your iTunes Library.

     

    You sync to get the stuff you cannot download (like apps or new music) to your device so it is set up the way you want it set up.

     

    You back up your device to preserve the image of that device once you have it set up to your liking. You continue to back up regularly because that image changes on a daily basis with new messages, photos, etc.

     

    I would recommend that if you have Wifi, you set up automatic iCloud backups. With automatic iCloud backups, your device will back up to iCloud any time it is plugged into a power source, is on the Slide to Unlock screen, and is connected to Wifi. When I got my new iPhone, I used the iCloud backup from my old iPhone to set it up. It looked exactly like my old iPhone once the set up was complete.

     

    The final piece in all of this is iCloud syncing. If you have an iCloud account, and you have turned on Contacts, Calendar, Notes, etc. (the items listed when you go to Settings>iCloud), those things are all stored in your iCloud account. For those items, neither a backup nor a sync will restore them. What restores those to your device is the simple act of signing back into that iCloud account with the same iCloud ID and turning on those options. They will automatically push back to your device once you are signed on and on a Wifi connection.

     

    Also, if you have turned on iCloud Drive, that will store and sync documents via iCloud, and if you turn on iCloud Photo Library, that will store and sync your photos via iCloud. They work in the same way that the iCloud pieces above work. Once you are signed into the iCloud account and those options are turned on, iCloud will push the data to your device.

     

    Hope that helps to clarify some of this stuff. It can become very confusing.

     

    Best of luck,

     

    GB

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 13, 2015 9:18 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2015 9:18 PM in response to gail from maine

    Post that as a user tip my dear, it's good.

     

     

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Sep 13, 2015 9:20 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 7 (25,695 points)
    iCloud
    Sep 13, 2015 9:20 PM in response to Csound1

    Thanks buddy!

     

    GB

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 13, 2015 9:21 PM in response to gail from maine
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2015 9:21 PM in response to gail from maine

    It's a bit self serving, I hate typing so I strive to be 'efficient' with my words. I'll just refer these queries to that post of yours from now on.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine Sep 13, 2015 9:34 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 7 (25,695 points)
    iCloud
    Sep 13, 2015 9:34 PM in response to Csound1

    Done and done! Here's the link to the User Tip:

     

    What's the difference between a Sync and a Backup?

     

    GB

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