can i restore save game information once app is deleted from iPhone?

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Level 1

6 points

can i restore save game information once app is deleted from iPhone?

Hi.

I have a lot of games that i no longer play and want to remove from my iPhone to free up space. However i don't want to lose the game save data (i may want to play them again in the future).

If i delete these apps from my iPhone, and then add them back later through iTunes, will my old save data also be restored (at least to the last iTunes sync back-up)?

Thanks.

iPhone 3G, iPhone OS 3.1.3

Posted on Apr 2, 2010 5:30 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Jim VanLeeuwen

Level 6

18,884 points

Apr 2, 2010 6:01 PM in response to djc0

From page 171 of the User Guide,

"You can delete applications you’ve installed from the App Store. If you delete an application, data associated with the application will no longer be available to iPhone, unless you reinstall the application and restore its data from a backup.

You can reinstall an application and restore its data as long as you backed up iPhone with iTunes on your computer. (If you try to delete an application that hasn’t been backed up to your computer, an alert appears.) To retrieve the application data, you must restore iPhone from a backup containing the data."

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Answer 2

djc0 Author

Level 1

6 points

Apr 2, 2010 6:09 PM in response to Jim VanLeeuwen

Yep, i think i knew that.

However, i believe iTunes doesn't remember the save game information from long deleted (off the iPhone) applications. In other words, once you backup the iPhone again (which overwrites the first backup), your save data is now gone forever.

The solution to this is to keep old backups (manually copy them into a safe place?) i'm assuming.

*However there is no generic feature within iTunes that keeps your save data with each application in your iTunes applications folder, ready to be re-installed when you reinstall the app on your phone.*

I believe this is how it works ... ?

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Answer 3

Apr 2, 2010 6:46 PM in response to djc0

djc0 wrote:
The solution to this is to keep old backups (manually copy them into a safe place?) i'm assuming.

Right. You can save a copy of your backup folder in time machine (on a Mac) or another HD backup. If you want to restore to your previous state, you will have to retrieve your previous device backup from Time Machine (on your Mac), or other backup solution you regularly use. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

You'll find your backups in:
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows Vista: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

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