How doI view and recover files from iCloud backup? iCloud is pretty much useless as is. It’s like putting stuff into a safe deposit box but don’t have a key to open it. Baa humbug!
The sole purpose of an iOS backup is to restore the backup to an iOS device. It is not a copy of files. It is a SQLite database, because iOS doesn’t use files, all data on an iPhone is in SQLite databases “owned” by apps. If you back up to your computer there are 3rd party backup extractor programs that can display the data in a backup, sorted by the apps that created it. If you know SQLite you can also write queries or use a SQLite viewer to see the contents of the backup. iCloud backups, however, are not easily accessible, because they are protected within iCloud, which is a secure storage medium. To the best of my knowledge there is just one 3rd party backup extractor that can let you view the contents of an iCloud backup, and it is not freeware. It isn’t even cheapware.
iCloud has a second function, completely independent of iCloud backups. You can sync content from apps to iCloud. This content is viewable by logging in to https://icloud.com, with any Mac, or with Windows if you install iCloud for Windows.
You retrieve a backup by restoring it to the same or different device. If you enable automatic iCloud backups and charge your phone overnight you will have a fresh backup every morning, so there is little chance of losing anything other than new content added during the next day.
You restore synced content just by enabling the iCloud sync switches in Settings/[your name]/iCloud.
Fourpaws44 wrote:
Thanks for the info. So, iCloud backup is pretty much useless because it really doesn’t back anything up. Which begs the question, “what purpose does iCloud serve,” except to extract money from people..
Useless? It backs up everything on your device in a format that can be restored to the device, which is its purpose. I use it pretty regularly, to transfer content to a new phone from my old phone when I upgrade, to protect against data loss if my phone is damaged or lost, I used it recently to transfer content to a loaner phone from Apple when I sent a phone in for a warranty repair, then used it again to transfer content from the loaner back to my phone when I got it back. It’s also useful to do a clean install of iOS if I suspect data corruption on any of my 4 iOS devices.
You can also copy and sync content to iCloud. This is totally independent of iCloud backup; there is no overlap. That is, anything that you sync to iCloud is excluded from an iCloud backup. I sync all of my content to iCloud. That way my contacts, calendars, photos, texts, reminders, notes, browser settings, passwords, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, photos all sync not just to iCloud, but also to my 3 Macs, my iPad, and, selectively, to my wife’s iPhone, iPad and Mac. So if I take a photo on my iPhone that photo will appear within seconds in the Photo app on my Mac, my iPad and my wife’s devices if I put it in a shared album. If I add a calendar entry on my Mac or any other device it appears instantly on all of the Apple devices in my household. If I still had a PC I could also access that content in the iCloud for Windows app (free from the Microsoft store).
And what does it have to do with extracting money? There is no requirement that you use it. If you don’t want to spend 99¢ a month for 50 GB, and your backup exceeds the free 5 GB, you can instead back up to your PC or Mac.
as with backup in itunes a backup is not a carbon copy where one navigate files,
they are mean to be restored onto a new device if ones device breaks, or the likes
Thanks for the info. So, iCloud backup is pretty much useless because it really doesn’t back anything up. Which begs the question, “what purpose does iCloud serve,” except to extract money from people..
Thanks. So, if Something disappears from my phone or iPad and I want to get it back, there is no way to do that unless I synced my phone/iPad from the get go. Where the money comes is is increasing storage when 5G is is exceeded.
if I understand you correctly, I need to get a different phone in order to download the lost information (files, photos,etc), or I can reset my phone, which wipes everything out, then hope that whatever is in “backup” is everything I had on my phone plus all the stuff that disappeared. For the record, 100’sof my photo’s disappeared from my iPad somehow. AND, I did not delete them. Same for my iPhone.
It is my understanding that a backup is a duplicate copy of something that is recoverable, like putting information on a data stick (which, by the way is much more secure than any cloud storage).
so my question remains, if my iPhone was “backed up” why can’t I retrieve it? To call it a backup and make the info inaccessible is totally misleading. If as you said, the files really aren’t there, what is?
Thanks for you info.
Not helpful. A backup is just that. A copy of files that can be retrieved. You are suggesting I buy a new I phone to get my stuff off iCloud? Astounding.
How do I recover files from iCloud? iCloud is pretty useless if files cannot be recovered and/or viewed.
