Regarding moving from windows to Mac, is the iPhone backup folder/content format the same on Mac as on windows (under mobilesync), like the iTunes folder/contents (in my music) is?
and if so, what destination can I drop those backup folders on my new Mac, so when I sync my phones for the first time I don’t have to wait a long time for it to complete.
thanks!
MacBook
I suspect there is a high chance they are not identical in structure, or that iTunes won't register their presence if you copy them over manually. See Move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Community.
tt2
Ke'eLani wrote:
Every resource I check from Apple and the web state all you do is copy the iTunes folder from windows to Mac go finder, and sync, and easy Peezy.
If go from Windows to Mac before Catalina, and the library is in the standard portable shape, it should be that easy. With Catalina in the mix you will need to option-start-Music and select the iTunes Library.itl file inside your iTunes folder in order to convert the iTunes Library.itl into a Music Library.musiclibrary database. This is what Finder in Catalina reads to sync with your device. Given it is a new app it will probably still want to erase and sync the media, but as long as everything has transferred into the new library and will actually play then you shouldn't lose anything. If you sync video content you should option-start-TV and import the iTunes Library.itl once more to get that content into TV.
So much for "streamlining" iTunes.
tt2
OK. Thanks. Maybe you can help me with something else? Regarding the link you sent?
I copied the windows iTunes folder to the music folder on the Mac as instructed. When I connect the phone and select it in finder, it shows there is nothing in the iTunes library. So if I click sync, it’ll result in all my music, videos, books, podcasts, pictures, etc being removed from the device. I assume all I will have is my apps and whatever app info stored on the cloud.
I thought if I copy the iTunes folder to the Mac music folder everything from my old windows iTunes library would be in the new iTunes library on my Mac. So I sync and Everything stays the same because the entire iTunes library was copied to my Mac.
How can I get the entire contents of my old windows iTunes library on my Mac so that it’s there for me to sync to on my Mac?
Every resource I check from Apple and the web state all you do is copy the iTunes folder from windows to Mac go finder, and sync, and easy Peezy. If I do this now I’m gonna wipe my phone clean save for the apps.
no idea what I need to do?
Thanks
Yeah I just asked you about this in the other thread. I need to have the photos, videos, music, etc on my phone, that got on my phone cause they were syncd to my phone from the iTunes library in windows, into the ‘iTunes’ library on the Mac so I can sync and have everything the same. Right now I can only backup without disturbing the phones contents.
I just spoke with AppleCare+ who advised there’s no purpose in syncing u less I’m adding new content. True, but if I add new content and the phone’s current content (music, photos, videos) is also not in the library, than I will erase the existing data upon trying to add the new media.
is my only option rebuilding the entire media (photos, videos, music) database in the respective tabs in the device under finder so as to be able to sync new media without erasing the old?
this doesn’t make sense.
I don't think it is possible to avoid the erasing part. What you must do is make sure that you have all of the various media elements integrated into the new apps for them in Catalina before you decide to proceed with syncing.
tt2
I’m so green on this language.
can you explain that a bit?
one way would be to select the device in finder and add all the data to the respective tabs and sync. But you’re saying if I add say videos to the Apple TV app and photos and music apps the same, in the Mac, thatll somehow carry over to when I sync?
face in palm
When syncing a device through Finder in Catalina the data that is offered for syncing will be drawn from the currently active libraries in Music, TV, Podcasts, Books, and Photos. It is those libraries that need to be populated first. As with iTunes simply having files in a particular place doesn't make them appear in the library. You either need to import the old .itl database if you want to recover playlists and metadata such as rating, date added, plays, etc. or import the folder of files for a fresh start.
tt2
iPhone backup file format same on Mac vs. Windows?
